Merging Two Spreadsheets with Ablebits

 Before you start, you will want to make sure you have downloaded the Ablebits plug-in for Excel. There is a 30-day free trial on their site. They also have a plug-in for Google Sheets, if desired. 

  1. Begin by having both spreadsheets you’re wanting to merge open in the same Excel document (two separate sheets). Add a column to the main spreadsheet and label as whatever data you are wanting to add from the second spreadsheet (i.e. Packages).
  2. Click on the Ablebits Data tab.
  3. Click on the Merge Two Tables button.
  4. It will now ask you to select your main table. In most cases, you will want to make sure the entire table is selected. Click Next.
  5. On the next screen, select your lookup table. This is the second sheet of your Excel document (the one not previously used for your main table). Again, in most cases, you will want to make sure the entire table is selected. Click Next.
  6. You will now be prompted to select matching columns. Use the drop-down under “Lookup table columns” to match the column in your second sheet with any of the columns in the main table. You only need at least one matching column. Click Next.
  7. You will now be prompted to select which column you wish to update in the main table. Use the drop-down under “lookup table columns” next to the column from the main table you wish to add data to. Select the lookup table column you would like to pull data from. 
  8. You will now be prompted to select any additional columns from the lookup table/second spreadsheet that you would like added to the main table. This is an optional step. Click Next when complete or to bypass.
  9. The last screen will be your Options screen. Select any of the options that best fit your needs for the merge. A good idea in most cases is to select the “Add non-matching rows to the end of the main table” to make sure all of the data is transferred over, even if some of the data did not match. This helps to ensure no data is accidentally missed. Click Finish when complete. Your data is now merged!