The Listdom Excel Addon extends Listdom’s import/export capabilities to Microsoft Excel files. It works similarly to the CSV Addon, but allows you to use .xlsx files for bulk listing import and export. This is ideal if you prefer working in Excel or Google Sheets. With the Excel Addon, you can import hundreds of listings from a spreadsheet, complete with an interactive field mapper and even AI-assisted “Smart Mapping,” and export your current listings to an Excel file with one click.
Go to Listdom → Import & Export → Excel tab. You’ll see options similar to the CSV import tab, but tailored for Excel.
Upload an Excel File: Use the file selector to upload your .xlsx file. The addon supports the common Excel format (the file should have a header row with column names). After upload, the addon processes the file and prepares the Mapping interface.
Field Mapping: Just like with CSV, the Excel Addon will display a list of Listdom fields and attempt to read the column headers from the Excel file. You’ll map each Listdom field to the corresponding Excel column. The interface shows dropdowns populated with your Excel columns for each field. For example, map “Listing Title” to the “Name” column, “Description” to “Description” column, “Price” to “Cost” column, etc.
Default Values: If any Listdom field is not present in your Excel, you can provide a default. For instance, if none of your Excel rows have a “Label” for listings, you might set a default label (like “New”) that will apply to all imported listings. Default value inputs appear in the mapping table where applicable.
Smart Mapping (AI Auto-map): A unique feature in the Excel Addon is the Smart Mapping button. If you have configured AI profiles in Listdom’s settings (for example, connected an AI service), you can select an AI profile and click Smart Mapping. The addon will use AI to automatically match your Excel columns to listing fields by analyzing header names. This can save time - for example, it might recognize that your “PriceUSD” column should map to Price, or that “Full Address” maps to Address.
Mapping Templates: You can save the mapping for reuse. The interface provides a field to name your mapping template (pre-filled with “Excel (current-date)” by default). Enter a name and proceed with import; the template will be saved. You can also load existing templates via the “Load Template” dropdown at the top of the mapping form.
Import Process: After mapping, click the Import button (on the form) to begin import. The Excel Addon will import in chunks, similar to CSV, ensuring server limits aren’t hit. Progress messages inform you of the status. Once complete, a success message is shown and all listings from the Excel appear in your Listings list.
The addon uses an Excel parser to read your file, so it can handle multiple sheets, but make sure your data is on the first sheet for simplicity (the addon reads the first worksheet by default). Each row becomes a listing. If a row is missing required info (like Title or Category), the addon will skip or flag it as an error.
The Excel Addon’s mapping interface is very similar to CSV’s, with a few enhancements:
AI Profile & Smart Mapping: If AI integration is configured, select an AI profile (e.g., a GPT model profile you set up) from the dropdown and click Smart Mapping. The system will automatically pair up fields. For example, it might map “Description” on its own if your Excel column name is “Listing Description” even if you haven’t explicitly chosen it.
After using Smart Mapping, review the mappings - the AI is helpful but you should verify and adjust if needed (the mapped columns will be pre-selected in each dropdown).
Saving Template: Provide a template name before importing (like “Excel Import Format A”). When you run the import, the mapping will be saved. Next time, if you come with an updated Excel of the same format, just select your template and the mappings fill in.
You can manage saved Excel mapping templates under the Mapping Templates sub-section of the Excel tab (similar to CSV). It lists all saved templates and allows removal of old ones.
Export functionality is provided to download all listings in Excel format:
In the Excel tab of Import & Export, click the Export sub-tab. You’ll find an explanation and an Export button.
Clicking Export will generate an .xlsx file and prompt you to download it (the addon hooks into Listdom’s export request to produce Excel output instead of CSV).
The exported Excel will contain a sheet (usually the first sheet) with all listing data. The first row is the header (field names) and subsequent rows each represent a listing.
The Excel export includes the same data as the CSV export - every listing field that exists. Data like categories, locations, etc., will be comma-separated if multiple apply. The benefit of Excel export is that you can open it directly in Excel, Numbers, or Google Sheets with proper cell formatting.
If you have a very large number of listings, the export might take a moment. The addon handles the request via AJAX in the background, then triggers the file download when ready.
Unlike the CSV Addon, which supports scheduled URL fetches, the Excel Addon is generally used for on-demand imports. There isn’t a dedicated “Auto Import” interface for Excel in the current version. However, you can mimic it by regularly uploading a new Excel or using CSV’s auto-import if you convert your source to CSV. In many cases, data feeds are provided in CSV or JSON rather than Excel. If you do have an Excel feed that updates at a URL, you would need to manually download and import it periodically (or use CSV auto-import by converting the source feed to CSV format).
Keep an eye on addon updates; future versions might add scheduled Excel feed imports if there’s demand.
A new business directory site has an Excel sheet of 500 local businesses. With the Excel Addon, the admin uploads the .xlsx, maps columns like “Business Name”, “Address”, “Phone” to Listdom fields, and imports. Within minutes, all 500 businesses are live on the site, each with the correct details in place.
Smart Mapping Saves Time
An events directory receives Excel files from different organizers. Column names vary slightly. The admin uses the Smart Mapping feature: after training an AI profile on a few examples, the addon now guesses mappings (like “Start Time” -> Event Date) automatically. This significantly speeds up the frequent import process.
