# Excel Inserts

## Overview

There may sometimes be elements of your spreadsheet that cannot be generated by [**Models**](/models/home-tab.md). If this is the case, you can usually achieve your desired output using Excel Inserts.

Excel Inserts are just pre-built workbooks that can contain any kind of content. They may have no links to your generated Model (e.g. a simple cover sheet), or they might interact with your Model, (e.g. complex charts designed to show a specific output, or a separate Excel model that produces some inputs into your main Model).

You can connect your Excel Inserts to your main Model in either direction, as shown below.

<figure><img src="/files/t4uqSONWKLfeKmV6whRg" alt=""><figcaption><p>Connections from Excel Insert sheets to Models-generated sheets</p></figcaption></figure>

Read more [**here about how to connect Assumption Values to Inserts**](/assumptions/assumptions-wizard/linking-to-excel-inserts.md), and in the next section about [**how to create Outputs**](/excel-inserts-and-outputs/excel-outputs.md) from generated sheets to your Inserts.

{% hint style="info" %}
We will continue to add functionality, so always check latest features before using an Excel Insert to ensure that your desired spreadsheet output cannot be achieved within Models.
{% endhint %}

## Creating and managing Excel Inserts

Create Inserts from the **XL Inserts tab** of the [**Model Editor**](/models/model-editor.md), or from any list of Inserts. In the Inserts dialog (shown below), you must select an existing Excel (.xlsx) file from disk, and enter a name.

<figure><img src="/files/2GBrQ1IFNOkwVUGiHI5M" alt=""><figcaption><p>Excel Inserts wizard</p></figcaption></figure>

When you create an Insert, Models creates a copy of the Excel file into your [**Taglo data directory**](/using-taglo-software/data-storage.md). If you want to make subsequent changes to the Excel, you will need to edit this copy. You can open  it by expanding the preview of the Insert, and clicking on the name, as shown below <mark style="color:green;">**(1)**</mark>.

<figure><img src="/files/5b5BiwygUFBcdp9ujM99" alt=""><figcaption><p>Opening an Excel Insert file</p></figcaption></figure>

## Adding Insert sheets to your generated Excel

To generate Excel including Insert sheets, you must add sheets to your [**Layout**](/layout/generating-excel.md).

In the **new Sheet wizard**, select the `Excel Insert` sheet type to be presented with the steps as shown below. Here you can select an existing or new Excel Insert <mark style="color:green;">**(1)**</mark>, and then choose a sheet from the Excel file <mark style="color:green;">**(2)**</mark>. You can then edit the sheet details in the **Setup step&#x20;**<mark style="color:green;">**(3)**</mark>, including sheet name and tab color.

<figure><img src="/files/3o2N5fJwCGUxCS28BcLr" alt=""><figcaption><p><strong>Sheet wizard</strong> for Excel Insert</p></figcaption></figure>

{% hint style="info" %}
If your Excel Insert has multiple sheets, you must add each one to the Layout separately. Each sheet can be independently positioned and formatted within your generated Excel.
{% endhint %}


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