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Using Excel Templates with Attribute Extract
Learn how to upload, map, and populate Excel templates in Attribute Extract to generate formatted reports with file attribute data automatically.
If your organisation uses standardised Excel reports, you can upload them as templates and let Foreman populate them with file attribute data — preserving your formatting, formulas, and branding.
Uploading a Template
- Go to the Attribute Extract page and switch to the Templates tab.
- Click Upload Template and select an
.xlsxor.xlsfile (max 5 MB). - The template is saved to your account and can be reused across extracts.
Detecting Headers
Before mapping, Foreman needs to know which row contains your column headers.
- In Step 3 of the wizard, select your template.
- Set Header is on row — this is 1-based (row 1 is the first row in the spreadsheet).
- Click Detect Headers.
Foreman reads the specified row and lists all non-empty cell values as headers.
Mapping Headers to Attributes
Each detected header gets a dropdown where you select the corresponding file attribute. Attributes are grouped into Standard and Custom (from your project).
| Template Header | Maps To |
|---|---|
| Document Name | File Name |
| File Size | Size |
| Last Updated | Modified Date |
| Author | Created By |
| Document Status | (Custom attribute) |
Use the Auto-match button to automatically match headers whose names are similar to attribute names (case-insensitive). Unmapped headers are highlighted with a warning icon.
How Population Works
When you run the extract:
- Foreman opens a copy of your template file.
- It locates the header row you specified.
- For each mapped column, it writes file data starting from the row below the headers.
- All existing formatting, conditional formatting, formulas, and merged cells in the template are preserved.
- The populated file is returned as the download.
Template population writes data rows below the header row. If your template has existing content below the headers, it will be overwritten. Keep the area below the header row empty.
Tips
- Keep templates simple — complex merged-cell layouts may not map cleanly. A flat table with one header row works best.
- Use meaningful header names — Auto-match works better when your template headers closely match attribute names (e.g. "File Name", "Modified Date", "Folder Path").
- Hyperlinks work in templates — if you map the ACC URL column and have Hyperlinks enabled, the populated cells will contain clickable links to the files.
- Reuse across projects — templates are project-agnostic. The same template can be used for extracts from different projects.