How to Convert Excel Spreadsheets Into Access 2013 Databases

Make a database from an existing worksheet

Updated on December 2, 2020

Do you have a huge Excel spreadsheet that you can't make heads or tails of?
It's time to organize your contact list into a Microsoft Access database. It's much easier than you may imagine and you'll definitely be pleased with the results. This tutorial will walk you through the entire process step-by-step.
If you don't have your own spreadsheet and want to follow along with the tutorial, you can download the sample Excel file used to generate the tutorial.

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Create a New Access 2013 Database

Unless you have an existing database that you use to store contact information, you're probably going to want to create a new database from scratch. To do this, select the Blank Desktop Database icon on the Getting Started with Microsoft Access screen. You'll be presented with the screen above. Provide your database with a name, select the Create button and you'll be in business.

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Begin the Excel Import Process

Select the External Data tab at the top of the Access screen and double-click the Excel button to begin the Excel import process.

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Select the Source and Destination

Next, you'll be presented with the screen shown above. Select the Browse button and navigate to the file you'd like to import. Once you've located the correct file, select the Open button.

On the bottom half of the screen, you're presented with import destination options. In this tutorial, we're interested in converting an existing Excel spreadsheet to a new Access database, so we'll choose Import the source data into a new table in the current database
Other options on this screen allow you to:

Link your database to an Excel sheet so that changes in the source sheet are reflected in the database.
Import data into an existing database table.

Once you've selected the correct file and option, select OK to continue.

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Select Column Headings

Ensure that the First Row Contains Column Headings box is selected if the first row of the spreadsheet has column names for the data, such as Last Name, First Name, and Address. This will instruct Access to treat the first row as names, rather than actual data to be stored in the list of contacts.

Select Next to continue.

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Create Any Desired Indexes

Database indexes are an internal mechanism that can be used to increase the speed at which Access can find information in your database. You can apply an index to one or more of your database columns at this step. Simply select the Indexed pull-down menu and select the appropriate option.

Keep in mind that indexes create a lot of overhead for your database and will increase the amount of disk space used. For this reason, you want to keep indexed columns to a minimum. In our database, we'll most often be searching on the Last Name of our contacts, so let's create an index on this field. We might have friends with the same last name, so we do want to allow duplicates here. Ensure that the Last Name column is selected in the bottom portion of the windows and then select Yes (Duplicates OK) from the Indexed pull-down menu.

Select Next to continue.

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Select a Primary Key

Primary Key in Import Spreadsheet Wizard

The primary key is used to uniquely identify records in a database. The easiest way to do this is to let Access generate a primary key for you. Select the Let Access add primary key option and press Next to continue. If you're interested in choosing your own primary key, you might want to read our article on database keys.

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