Title: How to import tables from Dropbox Author: Tobias Bäthge Published: January 27, 2024 Last modified: September 18, 2025 --- Importing table data from external spreadsheet sources # How to import tables from Dropbox TablePress can import tables from a variety of popular spreadsheet applications. This includes XLSX files from Microsoft Excel, CSV (Character-Separated Values), ODS (OpenDocument Spreadsheet), HTML, and JSON files. In addition to uploading files from your local computer, it is also possible to import spreadsheets into your WordPress site by providing a URL (link address) to such a file. **This opens up the possibility to import a table from a file in your [Dropbox](https://www.dropbox.com/) into TablePress.** (By the way: The [TablePress Max license plan](https://tablepress.org/pricing/) comes with the [Automatic Periodic Table Import feature](https://tablepress.org/modules/automatic-periodic-table-import/). This allows you to fully automate the table import process, saving you time and effort!) All that you need for this is a link address to the spreadsheet that directly returns an appropriate file, without any user interface or login screen. This can be done by publicly sharing the file on Dropbox and then using a generated (secret) URL for the import into TablePress. **Our beginner-friendly step-by-step tutorial will guide you through this process and show you how to find this URL for your Dropbox file.** ## Step 1: Open your Dropbox online Go to the [Dropbox](https://www.dropbox.com/) website and sign in to your Dropbox account, if you are not yet logged in. Upload a new Microsoft Excel (.xlsx) or CSV file or find the existing one that contains the table you want to share. ## Step 2: Share the File In the list that shows your file (“TablePress import test.xlsx” in the example screenshot below), move the mouse cursor over the file and click the black “Share” button ( 1) on the right side of the hovered file. ![Opening the "Share" dialog in Dropbox.](https://tablepress.org/wp-content/uploads/ 2025/09/dropbox-import-share-button.png) Opening the “Share” dialog in Dropbox. This will open the following “Share …” overlay. In that dialog, click the “gear” icon (1) for “Settings” in the bottom-right corner. ![Opening the "Share Settings" dialog in Dropbox.](https://tablepress.org/wp-content/ uploads/2025/09/dropbox-import-share-overlay.png) Opening the “Share Settings” dialog in Dropbox. In the “Settings for …” dialog, click on “Link for viewing” (1) in the top-right corner. ![Switching to the "Link for viewing" tab in the "Sharing Settings" dialog of Dropbox.]( https://tablepress.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/dropbox-import-share-settings.png) Switching to the “Link for viewing” tab in the “Sharing Settings” dialog of Dropbox. After switching to the “Link for viewing” tab, click on “Create link” (1) after the “There isn’t a link for viewing.” text. ![Creating a link for viewing in the Dropbox sharing settings.](https://tablepress.org/ wp-content/uploads/2025/09/dropbox-import-share-view-link.png) Creating a link for viewing in the Dropbox sharing settings. After creating the link, click on “Copy link” (1) after the “People with this link can view” text. ![Copying the View link in the Dropbox sharing settings.](https://tablepress.org/ wp-content/uploads/2025/09/dropbox-import-share-copy-link.png) Copying the View link in the Dropbox sharing settings. You will now have the Sharing link for the chosen file from your Dropbox in your computer’s clipboard, as confirmed by a notice at the bottom of your screen: ![Confirmation notice for a shared file in Dropbox.](https://tablepress.org/wp-content/ uploads/2025/09/dropbox-import-share-confirmation.png) ## Step 3: Modifying the Sharing URL Open a new browser tab and paste the copied link into the address bar. The link looks like ```language-xml https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/{id}/{filename}?rlkey={key}&dl=0Code language: HTML, XML (xml) ``` where `{id}` is an ID, `{key}` is an access token, both consisting of a long sequence of letters and numbers, and `{filename}` is the filename of your chosen file. In some cases, the link can also be a little bit shorter and look like ```language-xml https://www.dropbox.com/s/{id}/{filename}?dl=0Code language: HTML, XML (xml) ``` Notice how both link formats end with `dl=0` which is the short form for “download turned off”. This indicates that the file should instead be viewed directly in the Dropbox user interface, when opened. To instruct Dropbox to instead offer the file for download, which is necessary when using this link for importing file into TablePress, change that `dl=0` to `dl=1` so that the modified URL looks like ```language-xml https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/{id}/{filename}?rlkey={key}&dl=1Code language: HTML, XML (xml) ``` or ```language-xml https://www.dropbox.com/s/{id}/{filename}?dl=1Code language: HTML, XML (xml) ``` depending on whether the originally copied link was in the long or short format. That’s it! You now have a link address that can be used for importing your chosen file from Dropbox as a table into TablePress. **A quick tip:** To check if a URL link is suitable, try opening it in a “private”/” incognito” browsing window. If you are offered your selected file for download, without seeing a Dropbox user interface or having to log in first, the URL should work for the import into TablePress. ## Step 4: Import the URL into TablePress Once you have the correct Sharing URL from Step 3, you can use that for importing the file from Dropbox into TablePress. For that, go to the “Edit” screen of TablePress on your WordPress site. Choose “URL” as the “Import Source” and paste the URL into the “File URL” text field. After clicking the “Import” button, your Dropbox file will be imported into TablePress. You can then edit it as needed and show it on your site by embedding the “TablePress table” block (if you are using the block editor) or the corresponding Shortcode into a post or page. ![Importing a TablePress table from the generated Sharing URL of a file in Dropbox.]( https://tablepress.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/dropbox-import-tablepress.png) Importing a TablePress table from the generated Sharing URL of a file in Dropbox. Note that (just like any other file import in TablePress) this is a one-time import. There is no **automatic synchronization with file changes in your Dropbox**! However, there is a great solution for that as well: **The [TablePress Max license plan](https://tablepress.org/pricing/) comes with the [Automatic Periodic Table Import feature](https://tablepress.org/modules/automatic-periodic-table-import/).** This module can periodically import your tables periodically (e.g. every minute, every hour, etc.). Not only does this help you save a lot of time by not having to repeat the import task manually, but it also allows other people to update tables on your website, e.g. by using a shared file in a Dropbox for data editing. --- Tutorials on how to create such a URL for other services like [Google Sheets](https://tablepress.org/tutorials/import-google-sheets/), [Google Drive](https://tablepress.org/tutorials/import-google-sheets/#google-drive), [Microsoft Excel Online](https://tablepress.org/tutorials/import-microsoft-excel-online/), or [Microsoft OneDrive](https://tablepress.org/tutorials/import-microsoft-excel-online/#microsoft-onedrive) are available on the [Tutorials, Guides, and How-tos page](https://tablepress.org/tutorials/). **On this page** 1. [Step 1: Open your Dropbox online](https://tablepress.org/tutorials/import-dropbox/#step-1) 2. [Step 2: Share the File](https://tablepress.org/tutorials/import-dropbox/#step-2) 3. [Step 3: Modifying the Sharing URL](https://tablepress.org/tutorials/import-dropbox/#step-3) 4. [Step 4: Import the URL into TablePress](https://tablepress.org/tutorials/import-dropbox/#step-4)