Works as usual
Most everyday work with formulas, tables, PivotTables, filters and slicers can be done in the browser too. For some operations you still need the desktop version.
Service
Excel Online & Microsoft 365
Does your team work in Microsoft 365, and do you want several people to work in one Excel file and to automate recurring work? We look at what you can keep, and build what is needed to make it work in the browser as well.
Who it's for
When Excel in the browser is the right choice
Teams already working in Microsoft 365 who want several people to work in the same file at the same time, without a copy per colleague and without installing anything. Excel for the web - commonly called Excel Online - offers that. The challenge lies in what does not carry over: automation built for the desktop does not simply work there.
What changes
What does and does not work in the browser
Does not work
VBA macros do not run in the browser. The same goes for ActiveX controls and digital signatures.
Watch out
A workbook with an XML map does not open in the browser at all. Worksheet protection does work, but not in every case the way it does on the desktop. We check for each file whether your protection does what you expect of it.
Solution
Automation that does run in the browser
Office Scripts
Office Scripts automate actions in Excel. They are written in TypeScript, the typed variant of JavaScript. You can record actions and then adjust the script, just as you used to with a macro. They run in the browser, in Excel for Windows and on the Mac.
Power Automate
Runs such a script by itself: at a set time, or when a file arrives or a form is filled in.
SharePoint and OneDrive
We set up the files, the access and the collaboration. A flow and a user must not write to the same file at the same time; we make sure the automated processing and the manual work do not get in each other's way.
Points to note
What you should know beforehand
- You need a suitable Microsoft 365 business subscription, with Office Scripts enabled, and files in OneDrive for Business or SharePoint. An administrator can switch Office Scripts off, so we check that beforehand. Some connectors in Power Automate need an additional licence.
- A script cannot control a program on your computer. Fetching data from another service is possible, but only when the script runs from Excel itself - not when it runs through Power Automate. In a flow, a separate step does that work.
- A script starts on command or through such a flow. It does not respond by itself to a cell being changed, the way a VBA event does.
- Office Scripts run through Power Automate are subject to limits: on how often a script may run per day, on how long a run may take, and on the size of the file the Excel connector can handle. We check your processing against them, split the work up, or choose a different setup.
Trade-off
Keep VBA or move it over?
Not everything has to move to the browser. VBA remains the better choice when the solution runs only on Windows desktops, controls other programs, has to respond to what the user does in the sheet, or works with large local files. Office Scripts are the better choice when several people work in the file at the same time, both Windows and Mac are in use, or the work has to happen by itself at a set time.
Often the outcome is a combination: the heavy calculation stays on the desktop, and the sharing and the recurring work move to Microsoft 365. We start with that trade-off, not with the conversion.
Delivery
What we do for you
- Assess what your current Excel solution does, and what of it still holds up in the browser.
- Advise what to leave as it is and what to move over, with the reason for each.
- Convert VBA to Office Scripts where that adds value.
- Set up SharePoint and OneDrive, so that working on a file at the same time goes smoothly.
- Build Power Automate flows for recurring work.
- Document and hand over, so that you can carry on with it yourself.
Frequently asked
Short answers to common questions
Will our existing macros run in Excel Online?
No. VBA macros do not run in Excel in the browser. The file does open, but the macros do nothing. For each macro we look at whether it is needed in the browser, and if so, what it costs to rebuild it as an Office Script.
Do we then have to move to the cloud entirely?
No. Many companies keep the heavy application on the desktop and move only the sharing and the recurring work to Microsoft 365. That combination often works best.
What do we need for it?
You need a suitable Microsoft 365 business subscription, with Office Scripts enabled, and files in OneDrive for Business or SharePoint. An administrator can switch Office Scripts off, so we check that beforehand. Some connectors in Power Automate need an additional licence.
Do you also do Google Sheets?
Yes. If your team works in Google Workspace rather than Microsoft 365, take a look at our Google Sheets solutions.
Contact
Go to the contact form
Get in touch about your project
Briefly describe what you're dealing with, and Dennis will reply within one working day. The whole project can run in English, from the first conversation to the documentation and support.