Having trouble getting your Google Analytics data into an Excel file?

There are some limitations to the kinds of dashboards that Canvas can write directly into.  In cases where the Excel file has objects or properties that conflict with what Canvas needs to do, Canvas or the other object will fail.

For example, if:

• The file contains Report Builder queries from Adobe’s Site Catalyst,
• The file contains custom XML data
• The file contains other objects from 3rd party add-ins or native tools (which may or may not be on the same worksheets that Canvas is writing to)
• The Canvas is attempting to export more than the allowable row limit
• There are 3D charts or other objects that are not compatible with an automated Excel export

the write may fail. Best to inspect properties of the Excel file and remove any hidden fields, XML, or other properties that may cause a conflict.

Excel version matters as well. Those on Office for Mac 2011 will have difficulty if the template or dashboard was built in a newer version of Microsoft Office Excel. Office 2013 is the most feature rich, older versions will not support features such as Slicers and Timelines.

If you’re having trouble writing into your Excel file that uses an underlying template, try disabling the advanced features.

In the Excel Export wizard, ensure that the option to disable sparklines and other features is selected, then try to write again.

If the option of writing to another version of Excel is not possible there is another trick that would work. It involves two files, one that Canvas will directly write data into and a second which is the dashboard file. The dashboard would link directly to the data file and would require a refresh after the data file was updated. To read more about how this is done, checkout Microsoft’s support post on the topic.

We’re here to help!

If you are still having difficulty getting your Google Analytics data into an Excel file using Analytics Canvas, send an email to support@analyticscanvas.com with a description of your issue.  If possible, send the Canvas file as well.  Remember, your data never travels with the Excel file, just the meta-data about the source you’re connecting to (Google Analytics query information, etc.) and the blocks you created.