How to import an Excel Spreadsheet into a Sharepoint 2010 List

Older how-to’s were inadequate. Microsoft made me watch a 25 minute video. I have boiled it down to these basic steps.

1. First, examine the spreadsheet itself. Ensure the following:
   – The first row consists of headers (labels) for each column.
   -No blank rows or columns exist.
   -Ensure that each column of data is the same format (Number, Date, Text, currency, etc.)
   -Then format the range of cells you want to import as a table.
2. Ensure that you have privileges to create lists.
3. Click on Site Actions > More Options. Under “Filter By” on the left menu, click “List”. Scroll down & find “Import Spreadsheet” icon in the big middle menu pane, then click Create.
4. Type a Name, and Description.
5. Click “Browse…”, browse to the file, select it, then click “Import”.
6. Excel opens, you may see it blinking in the task bar. select it, and you see the “Import to Windows SharePoint Services List”.
7. for “Range Type”, leave as “Table Range”.
8. In the drop-down for “Select Range”, and you should see the “sheet 1 table 1” that you created before. Click Import.

To see the entire video, http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/sharepoint-server-help/sharepoint-lists-iii-create-a-list-based-on-a-spreadsheet-RZ101874356.aspx?section=4