How to get a Confluence table into Excel

Confluence does not have a built-in way to directly export individual tables as Excel files. However, there are a few methods to achieve this. The simplest method is to copy the table, then paste it into Excel. This works well for simple rectangular tables, but can cause issues with merged cells, long tables, and multiple tables on a page.

One method is to copy the table, then paste it into Excel using "Paste Special" and selecting "Text". This avoids bringing along any styling from Confluence. However, merged cells can still shift columns left, and numbers with separators may be read incorrectly depending on the locale settings.

Another option is to export the entire page to Word, then copy the table from Word. This usually handles merged cells better than copying from the browser, but still requires manual copying.

For more advanced scenarios, Confluence pages can be accessed via the REST API. This allows scripts to pull the page content and parse out the tables. However, this method has limitations. Content stored as macros won't be easily parsed, and merged cells require extra attention.

The best approach depends on the specific use case. For a single table, manual copy-pasting is usually the quickest solution. For multiple tables, exporting each page individually or using a tool that collects all tables into one workbook can be more efficient. For long-term automation, a tool that expands merged cells, keeps numbers and dates as their proper formats, and consolidates multiple tables into one worksheet would be ideal.

Table Export for Confluence is one such tool that does exactly this. It works directly within Confluence's infrastructure, so no external data is shared. It's free for teams up to ten users.