Spreadsheet automation for files that arrive every week
Spreadsheet automation in XlsConverter runs pipelines: a source such as an email inbox or S3 bucket, steps that convert, clean, map and deduplicate data, and a destination such as S3, Google Drive, SFTP or a webhook, on a schedule.
Supplier price lists, bank exports, stock reports and partner orders keep arriving as spreadsheets, each with its own headers and quirks. Someone opens every file, fixes the columns, saves it as CSV and uploads it somewhere. A pipeline does that work for you: it picks up the file, applies the same steps every time and delivers a clean result where your systems expect it, with a log of every run.
Example pipeline
- SourceEmail inbox [email protected], receives weekly price lists from suppliers as XLSX attachments
- Convert the sheet named Prices to CSV, UTF-8
- AI header normalization, map headers such as Item No, Art.-Nr. and SKU code to the column sku
- Apply the schema template Supplier price list (sku, description, unit_price, currency, valid_from)
- Normalize numbers with comma decimals to dot decimals and dates to YYYY-MM-DD
- Deduplicate rows by sku, keep the latest valid_from
- DestinationSFTP folder /imports/prices on the ERP server, plus a webhook POST to the purchasing system
- Schedule Runs on every new attachment, with a daily summary run at 06:00
Sources that pick up your files
Each pipeline starts with a source. The most used one is a dedicated email inbox: forward or send files to the address of the pipeline and every XLS or XLSX attachment is converted.
- Dedicated email inbox per pipeline, every spreadsheet attachment converted
- S3 bucket with a prefix to watch
- Google Drive folder or Dropbox folder
- HTTPS URL fetched on schedule, for example a supplier feed
Steps that clean and reshape the data
Steps run in the order you set. Combine them to turn a messy partner file into the exact layout your ERP, database or warehouse system imports.
- Convert to CSV, JSON, XML, SQL, XLSX or another target
- Clean columns: trim, rename, reorder, delete, normalize dates and numbers, set encoding and delimiter
- Map to a saved schema template so every file lands in the same structure
- Merge or split sheets and deduplicate rows by key columns
- AI header normalization that matches unfamiliar headers to your target schema
Destinations for the results
The finished file goes straight to the place where it is used, so nobody has to download and upload it again.
- S3 bucket, Google Drive folder or Dropbox folder
- Webhook POST to your own endpoint, signed with HMAC
- SFTP server of your ERP or partner
- Email to a person or a shared inbox
Schedules and event triggers
A pipeline can run whenever a new file appears in the source, or on a fixed schedule for sources that are polled.
- Hourly, daily or weekly runs
- Custom cron expression for exact times
- Instant runs when an email attachment or new file arrives
- Manual run from the pipeline page for testing
Run log and alerts
Every run is recorded with its input file, steps, row counts, output and delivery result. When a file has an unexpected header or a destination rejects the upload, the run is marked as failed and you get an email.
- Run history with status, timing and row counts per step
- Error details for failed steps and deliveries
- Email alert on failed runs
- Rerun a failed run after fixing the template or destination
Plans that include pipelines
Pipelines are available on the Business plan and above. Each run uses conversions from the quota of your billing period, and AI header normalization uses AI runs.
- Business plan with up to 20 pipelines, 10,000 conversions and 1,000 AI runs per period
- API plan with up to 50 pipelines and 50,000 conversions
- Enterprise plan with unlimited pipelines and 250,000 conversions
- Five seats on Business so the whole operations team shares pipelines
Automation questions
How does the email inbox source work
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Each pipeline gets its own email address. Every spreadsheet attachment sent to it, from XLS and XLSX to CSV and ODS, is converted with the steps of that pipeline. Emails without attachments are ignored and every received file appears in the run log.
Can I convert email attachments to CSV automatically
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Yes. Create a pipeline with the email inbox source, add a convert step with CSV as the target, choose the delimiter and encoding, and pick a destination. Each attachment becomes a CSV file delivered to S3, Drive, Dropbox, SFTP, a webhook or another email address.
What does AI header normalization send to the model
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Only the column headers and a small sample of rows are sent to match headers to your target schema. Full files are never sent, and customer files are never used to train AI models.
Which plan do I need for pipelines
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Pipelines, schedules, cloud sources and AI normalization are part of the Business plan and above. Business includes up to 20 pipelines, the API plan up to 50 and Enterprise has no pipeline limit.
What happens when a supplier changes the file layout
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If a required column cannot be matched, the run stops with a clear error and you get an email alert. You can update the schema template or let AI header normalization suggest the new mapping, then rerun the failed file.
Are files kept after a pipeline run
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No. Input and output files are deleted automatically, by default one hour after the run finishes. The run log keeps only metadata such as file names, row counts and status.