To pull data from the web into Excel without coding, use Power Query for structured HTML tables by entering the URL under Data > Get Data > From Web and selecting the desired table; this method works best for static content. If the site offers XML or JSON feeds, import them via Power Query by entering the direct link and expanding nested fields as needed. For simpler cases, copy-paste can work but may require cleaning via Notepad or using Paste Special to avoid formatting issues.

Excel can pull data from the web pretty easily — no coding required for basic tasks. If you want to get live or static data from a website into Excel, here’s how to do it without getting stuck.

Use Power Query (Get & Transform)

Power Query is the most straightforward and flexible way to import data from a webpage directly into Excel. Here's how:

• Go to the Data tab.
• Click Get Data > From Other Sources > From Web.
• Paste the URL of the page you want to scrape.
• Excel will load the webpage and show you a list of available tables or data sources on that page.
• Select the table you want and click Load.

This works best with structured HTML tables. If the site uses JavaScript-heavy content or dynamic loading (like many modern sites), this might not work as expected.

Pro tip: If the website requires login, Power Query won’t be able to access the protected content unless you set up authentication — which can get tricky.

Import XML or JSON Feeds (if available)

Some websites offer data in machine-readable formats like XML or JSON. If that’s the case, you can use Power Query again to import these files directly.

Here’s what you need to do:

• Get the direct link to the XML or JSON file.
• In Excel, go to Data > Get Data > From Web.
• Enter the link and let Power Query parse the data.
• Expand nested fields if needed by clicking the arrows next to column headers.

This method gives cleaner results than scraping HTML pages, but only works if the site provides structured data feeds.

Be aware: Some APIs require an API key, and Excel doesn't support passing those natively without using advanced tricks or external tools.

Copy-Paste Doesn’t Always Work

You might think just copying a table from your browser and pasting it into Excel would work — sometimes it does, but often it doesn’t come out clean. The formatting gets messed up, or extra text comes along with the table.

If you're going to paste:

• Paste first into Notepad to strip formatting.
• Then copy from Notepad and paste into Excel.
• Or use "Paste Special" and choose "Text" or "Match Destination Formatting."

Alternatively, try the “From Table/Range” feature after cleaning the data manually, so Excel treats it like a real dataset.

Getting data from the web into Excel doesn’t have to be hard. For simple tables, Power Query is usually enough. For more complex or dynamic websites, you may need add-ons or scripts — but that’s another topic. For most users, the built-in tools are more than enough.

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