How to Export a SharePoint List to Excel (2026)
SharePoint lists are great for collaboration, but Excel is still where most reporting and analysis happens. SharePoint gives you two export options — live (Power Query) and one-shot CSV. Pick the right one and the rest is easy.
Live vs CSV — Which Should You Use?
| Option | What you get | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Export to Excel | A Power Query connection to the list — refreshable from Excel. | Recurring reports, dashboards, anything you’ll re-run. |
| Export to CSV | A flat .csv snapshot at this point in time. | One-time analysis, sharing with someone outside the org, importing into another tool. |
Both export the current view (filters, sorts, columns) — not the whole list. Switch views before exporting if you want different data.
Method 1: Export to Excel (Live, Refreshable)
- Open the SharePoint list.
- Switch to the view that has the columns/filters you want.
- On the command bar, click Export > Export to Excel.
- Your browser downloads a small file called query.iqy.
- Open it. Excel asks for permission to enable the data connection — click Enable.
- Excel may ask which credentials to use — keep the default (Windows / current user) and click OK.
The list opens as a formatted Excel table.
Refresh later
Reopen the file and click Data > Refresh All (or Ctrl+Alt+F5). Excel re-queries SharePoint and replaces the table with the current list contents. Your formulas in adjacent columns survive the refresh as long as they’re outside the table — or use INDEX/MATCH / XLOOKUP to reference the table by name.
Method 2: Export to CSV (One-Shot Snapshot)
- Open the list and switch to the view you want.
- On the command bar, click Export > Export to CSV.
- A
.csvfile downloads with the current view’s data. - Open it in Excel (or any spreadsheet tool).
The file is a plain text snapshot — no live connection, no refresh. Edits don’t sync back.
Export Only Selected Rows
To export a subset of rows:
- Select the rows you want (click the circle on the left of each row, or Shift+click for a range).
- The command bar updates to show actions for selected items.
- Click Export > Export to CSV.
Only the highlighted rows go to the file. (Note: with rows selected, “Export to Excel” exports the whole view — only CSV honors the selection.)
Export from a Specific View
Switch views first — exports always reflect the active view.
- Click the view selector (top right of the list, often “All Items”).
- Pick the view that filters and sorts what you want.
- Click Export.
To make a one-off export, create a temporary view with the filters you need, export, then delete the view.
Troubleshooting
”Export” button is missing
Modern lists have it on the command bar. If it’s not there, the list is in classic mode — switch to modern: gear icon > List settings > Advanced settings > New experience. Otherwise classic has its own Excel export under List > Export to Excel in the ribbon.
query.iqy opens as text or won’t open in Excel
The .iqy file association is broken. Right-click the file > Open with > Excel. Or open Excel first, then File > Open and browse to the .iqy.
Excel says “Cannot connect” or asks for credentials repeatedly
You’re signed into Excel with a different account than your SharePoint account. Sign out of Excel (File > Account > Sign out) and sign back in with the SharePoint account.
Date columns come over as text
A regional-settings mismatch. In Excel, select the column > Format Cells > Date and pick the format you want. For a Power Query export, edit the query (Data > Queries & Connections > right-click > Edit) and change the column type to Date.
People columns show as IDs, not names
The Power Query export pulls the underlying ID. In the query editor, expand the column to choose the display name field (Title or DisplayName).
The export only has 10,000 rows
Modern lists cap the live export at a list-view threshold. Either filter to fewer rows per view and export multiple times, or use Power Automate to push the list to Excel/CSV with no limit.
Quick Reference
| Want this | Click this |
|---|---|
| Refreshable in Excel | Export > Export to Excel |
| One-time CSV | Export > Export to CSV |
| Only selected rows | Select rows first, then Export > Export to CSV |
| Refresh later | Excel > Data > Refresh All |
| Different columns | Change the view before exporting |
Related SharePoint guides: How to create a SharePoint list · How to create a SharePoint site · How to create a SharePoint page · How to sync SharePoint with OneDrive · How to add a SharePoint folder to File Explorer
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