Create a connection

Create a connection to interact with data from an Anaplan module or saved view in Excel.

You must be signed into the Excel Add-in to create a connection.

For versions 4.2 of the Excel Add-in and above, each worksheet in a connection can contain a maximum of five million cells. If you are using Excel 32-bit, Excel might run out of memory when you create a connection that contains over one million cells. For a more reliable experience, use Excel 64-bit.

For versions of the Excel Add-in prior to 4.2, each worksheet can contain a maximum of one million cells.

Read-only connections enable you to view Anaplan data in Excel, but not write data back to Anaplan. Use read/write connections to write data back to Anaplan from Excel.

A multi-sheet connection creates a separate worksheet for each combination of page dimensions in a connection. Multi-sheet connections can contain a maximum of 20 worksheets.

Synchronize a multi-sheet connection to ensure that new worksheets are generated when items are added or removed from a page dimension in Anaplan.

To create a connection:

1. Select a starting cell in your Excel worksheet.
2. Click New on the Anaplan ribbon.
   A dropdown list displays.
3. Click New Read-Only Connection or New Read/Write Connection.
   The New Connection dialog displays.
   The number of the starting cell displays in the top right of the dialog. The connection starts here, and any cells outside of it are not affected when you refresh the connection.

4. Use the dropdown menus to choose the module or saved view to create a connection to:
   1. Select a customer.
   2. Select a workspace.
   3. Select a model.
      Use the search field to narrow down the list of models.
   4. Select a module.
      Use the search field to narrow down the list of modules and saved views.
      
      If you cannot see a model, module, or workspace, check with your workspace administrator to see if you have the correct permission settings. 
5. Click Next.
6. The Pivot and Filter dialog displays for a read/write connection. You can rearrange and filter the dimensions here.
   The Preview dialog displays for a read-only connection. You can preview the arrangement of dimensions here.
7. Optionally, toggle Multi-Sheet Connection on to create a separate worksheet for each combination of page dimensions in a connection.
   If you toggle Multi-Sheet Connection on, the Sync Sheets toggle displays.
8. Optionally, toggle Sync Sheets on to synchronize each worksheet in a multi-sheet connection with the latest data in Anaplan.
9. Click Finish.
   Optionally, select Copy workbook to copy your workbook.
   The Creating connection dialog displays while Anaplan data downloads to Excel.