---
title: 'Complex Excel Uploads with Excel Maps'
description: Extract scattered, dynamic data from any Excel workbook using configurable Excel Maps - no manual reformatting required.
date: '2026-07-26 09:00:00'
author: 'Data Controller'
authorLink: https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/data-controller-for-sas
tags:
  - Announcements
previewImg: './dc-capture-review-approve.jpeg'
---

# Complex Excel Uploads with Excel Maps

Not all spreadsheets arrive in a tidy, tabular format - and now they don't have to. Data Controller's **Complex Excel Upload** feature lets you extract data from anywhere in a workbook using an **Excel Map**: a configurable set of rules for loading specific cells and ranges. Each rule defines a range ID, a start, and an end, and can use absolute or relative references - for example, matching a specific string in a cell, then moving down and across to capture the desired value. This makes it ideal for business reports and financial spreadsheets where the layout is dynamic and the data you need is scattered across multiple locations.

Once you've dragged in the spreadsheet and the rules have run, submitting the data stages it alongside a copy of the original Excel file - preserving a complete audit trail right back to the source. The extracted data is transposed into a single column in the [`MPE_XLMAP_DATA`](https://docs.datacontroller.io/tables/mpe_xlmap_data/) table, ready for you to build jobs that present it however your business requires. You can also adjust your map's attributes in the [`MPE_XLMAP_INFO`](https://docs.datacontroller.io/tables/mpe_xlmap_info/) table to load data into different target tables.

All of this flows through the standard Data Controller approval process and data quality checks - governance included, straight out of the box.

See it in action:

<div style="position: relative; padding-top: 56.25%; margin-bottom: 2rem;"><iframe title="Complex Excel Uploads" width="100%" height="100%" src="https://vid.4gl.io/videos/embed/7jRSxNs2ENJ3dBEZun4cPf?peertubeLink=0" style="border: 0px; position: absolute; inset: 0px;" allow="fullscreen" sandbox="allow-same-origin allow-scripts allow-popups allow-forms"></iframe></div>

![Example Excel Map configuration](xlmap_example.png)

Learn more in the [documentation](https://docs.datacontroller.io/excel/#complex-excel-uploads).
