Spreadsheet templates allow you to create Matik narratives within Google Sheets, Excel, or Excel 365. This can be advantageous for data-driven workflows that require flexibility and formulas while maintaining the ability to embed dynamic content.
You can populate Spreadsheet templates with Text and Table type dynamic content. (Populating Image dynamic content within a spreadsheet template is not supported at this time).
Spreadsheets templates support standard functionality, including syncing with Google Drive/Office 365, scheduled generation, bulk generation, and bulk generation via CSV upload.
Creating a New Spreadsheet Template
To add a spreadsheet template in Matik:
- Navigate to + Add New Template.
- Select Spreadsheets as the template type
- Choose the type of spreadsheet file you want to add
- For Google: select the Google Sheets file you want to sync
- For Excel 365: select the Office 365 Excel file you want to sync
- For Excel: select the Excel file you want to upload
When generating, Matik makes copies of any spreadsheets files that are used. Thus, for cloud spreadsheet formats, please make sure that your users have at least view access to the file and the Google Drive/Office 365 folder it resides in. (For Google Drive, also make sure that the following setting enabled: "Allow viewers and commenters to download, print, and copy files." With it, users that only have View access in Google will encounter errors when generating.)
Tagging Spreadsheet Templates
Connect Spreadsheet templates to data by tagging cell notes:
- Identify the cell(s) where you want data to populate on generation. (If you want to populate a range of data, identify the cell where the top left of your data range should be. On generating, Matik will populate the data expanding to the right and down.)
- To tag, entering the desired Text or Table dynamic content name (eg.
{{Dynamic_Content_Name}}) into the cell's note. (ONLY include 1 dynamic content in your tag. Do not include multiple pieces of dynamic content, or add any other text into the note.)
You can tag multiple cell notes to insert data from multiple DC into your Spreadsheet template.
Tag formatting and sub-content are supported using the standard notation. e.g., {{Dynamic_Content_Name|numberformat(2)}}
When generating content, Matik creates a copy of the spreadsheet and populates tagged cells with the values of the Dynamic Content. If a tag returns a range or table, the values are populated starting in the tagged cell and expanding to the right and down. Any formulas referencing the cells impacted by dynamic content will update.
Note: if multiple pieces of DC in your template return data ranges that would overlap in the spreadsheet, the value inserted will be chosen at random. Pay close attention to the maximum size of the tables returned from your dynamic content to ensure your dynamic content doesn't overlap or overwrite existing formulas, data, or other undesirable behavior.
Additionally, all formatting applied to the spreadsheet and charts, such as bold, italics, and conditional formatting, is maintained.
Google Sheets template example
Here is an example of what tagging looks like in Google Sheets.
- Right-click a cell and select Insert Note.
- Type the name of the Dynamic Content (DC) you want to tag inside the cell note, using the double curly braces notation e.g.,
{{Dynamic_Content_Name}}
Excel/Excel 365 Templates
Here is an example of what tagging looks like in Excel or Excel 365.
- Right-click a cell and select New Note.
- Type the name of the Dynamic Content (DC) you want to tag inside the cell note, using the double curly braces notation e.g.,
{{Dynamic_Content_Name}}
Limitations of Speadsheet Templates
The following features are not currently supported for Google Sheets templates:
- Publishing as a Library item
- Sub-templates
- Slide conditions
- Looping
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