How to import an excel file with hyperlinks to sql server

Transact-SQL
1

Greetings gurus,

Not sure if this is possible. I have scoured the net but could not find any solution.

I have an excel file with five (7) columns.

All the records in the second column are hyperlinked.

When I tried importing the file to SQL Server, the hyperlinks are gone.

I have spent several days googling to see if there is a way to do import this excel file with hyperlink either to a SQL Server DB but to no avail.

Does any one of you experts have an idea how to do solve this problem if it is possible?

Many thanks in advance.

2

Do you have any examples? What do you mean when you say the hyperlinks are gone? If you expect that querying the table will show the columns data as a hyperlinked column that can be clicked - that is a function of the client displaying the data and not the data itself.

3

Do you mean if I have samples of excel with data and hyperlink?

What I mean by hyperlinks are gone is that when I imported excel to sql server using sql server import utility, the links are removed leaving only the text.

For example:

let's say I have Google

After importing the excel file, the hyperlink here is removed leaving just the text Google.

I have read that you can work around that using SSIS Package but have not seen any examples of how it is actually done.

We cannot manually add the link because the records are well over 600.

Thanks for your response.

4

The best way is to edit the excel-sheet itself. If you cannot edit the excel-file it will become complicated.

7 Ways to Extract the URL from a Hyperlink in Microsoft Excel | How To Excel

5

Rogier,

Thank you very much for this link but I am a bit confused by what it does.

In my case, as stated, there are seven columns but one one of those has hyperlinks.

How is this link going to help me to extract not just the column with hyperlinks but all seven columns - AND - import them into sql server?

I am just asking, not nothing nefarious with my question; just need help.

Thanks again.

6

The most easy way is to add an 8 column to the excel-sheet with www.google.com. The link I provided explains how you do that. If you can't manipulate the excel-file it will be complicated.

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