WPS Data Import helps you bring local files, online documents, and database content into spreadsheets on macOS; this guide covers 4 core tasks, with 4 available without membership and 0 membership-related items.
At a Glance
| Metric | Value | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Core tasks | 4 | Matches the number of rows in the How-to Index |
| Available without membership | 4 | Matches the number of Free rows in the index |
| Membership-related items | 0 | Matches the number of membership-related rows in the index |
About This Feature
Overview
Data Import is a spreadsheet feature in WPS Office for Mac that brings external data into the current worksheet for consolidation, analysis, and ongoing updates.
Core capabilities include:
- Import from local files: import XLSX, XLS, ET, and CSV files into the current worksheet.
- Import from online documents: choose files from cloud locations such as Recent, Starred, Shared, My Cloud Documents, My Devices, and Frequent.
- Scheduled database import: connect to MySQL or SQL Server and set a refresh frequency.
- Explore more import methods: open additional data source entry points when needed.
This feature is useful when you need to combine data from multiple sources, reuse cloud-based files, or keep business data updated on a schedule.
System Requirements
| Item | Requirement |
|---|---|
| Operating system | A macOS device that can run WPS Office normally |
| App version | It is recommended to use the latest version of WPS Office for Mac |
| Network | A stable internet connection is needed for online document import and database import |
| Other | Sign in to a WPS account before using online documents, and prepare valid connection details before importing database data |
Download & Installation
Before using Data Import, install WPS Office for Mac and confirm that the Data tab is available in Spreadsheet.
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Official download | WPS Office Free Download |
| Check after installation | Open any workbook in WPS Spreadsheet and confirm that the Data tab includes a Data Import entry |
Source: WPS Download Center
Compare with Alternatives
| Dimension | WPS | Microsoft | Notion | Adobe | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Capability Summary | On macOS, WPS can import data from local files and online documents into a spreadsheet, and it also supports scheduled import from MySQL or SQL Server. | Microsoft Support explains that Excel can import .txt or .csv files and lets users set delimiters and column formats during import. | Google officially explains that Sheets can import Excel data into a new or existing spreadsheet, and the IMPORTDATA function can pull CSV or TSV data from a URL. | Notion officially supports importing CSV files and turning them into databases, along with several other file types. | Adobe Acrobat focuses on PDF form data workflows, including importing form data files such as FDF or XML and exporting collected data to CSV or XML. |
| WPS Advantages | Advantage: WPS brings local file import, online document import, and scheduled database import together in a spreadsheet workflow, which is useful for recurring multi-source data collection. | Compared with WPS: the cited Microsoft page focuses on text or CSV import preparation and does not describe online document import and scheduled database import in the same workflow. | Compared with WPS: Google Sheets supports file import and URL-based data retrieval, but the cited official pages do not show a single built-in workflow for scheduled MySQL or SQL Server import. | Compared with WPS: Notion is centered more on importing content into pages or databases, while spreadsheet-style scheduled refresh scenarios are less emphasized in the cited help content. | Compared with WPS: Adobe is designed mainly for PDF form data collection and export rather than spreadsheet-based data import workflows. |
| Official Source | — | Prepare your Excel data source | Use both Excel & Sheets IMPORTDATA | Import data into Notion | Collect and manage PDF form data |
Overall Conclusion: If your main goal is to bring local files, cloud documents, and database data into one spreadsheet workflow on macOS, WPS offers a more centralized path. If your work is focused on Excel file import, URL-based sheet formulas, workspace databases, or PDF form data, the other products may fit those specific scenarios better.
Use Cases
| No. | Scenario | Suitable for | Main challenge | Recommended approach |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Import local reports | Finance teams, operations teams | Local Excel or CSV files need to be added to the current sheet quickly | Use Import File Data to bring in a local file |
| 2 | Consolidate cloud files | Team collaborators | Files are stored in cloud documents and are time-consuming to locate manually | Use the online document tab to choose the target file directly |
| 3 | Sync business databases on a schedule | Analysts, business support teams | Data needs regular updates and manual copy-paste is inefficient | Use scheduled import for MySQL or SQL Server |
| 4 | Explore additional sources | Advanced users | The current entry does not cover every source type | Use Import More Data to continue with other methods |
| 5 | Handle text encoding issues | Spreadsheet editors | Imported text may display incorrectly after import | Recheck the file source and encoding settings, then import again |
Membership & Benefits
Free vs WPS Premium
The feature content shows that Data Import itself has no membership restriction. The WPS pricing page lists plan types such as WPS Standard Free and WPS Pro+, but it does not present Data Import as a premium-only feature.
| Capability | Free users | WPS Premium |
|---|---|---|
| Basic data import | ✅ Available | ✅ Available |
| Local file import | ✅ Available | ✅ Available |
| Online document import | ✅ Available | ✅ Available |
| Other advanced office benefits | Available within the free offering | More advanced benefits depend on the selected plan |
Source: WPS Office pricing page
Recommendations
| Usage scenario | Recommended plan | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Everyday import of local or online files | Free | The feature itself is available without membership for common import tasks |
| Data import plus broader advanced office needs | WPS Premium | Suitable if you also need additional premium benefits beyond data import |
How to Subscribe
- WPS membership center: Subscribe now
Source: WPS Office pricing page