• Global community
    • Language:
      • Deutsch
      • English
      • Español
      • Français
      • Português
  • 日本語コミュニティ
    Dedicated community for Japanese speakers
  • 한국 커뮤니티
    Dedicated community for Korean speakers
Exit
1

Error when placing an .xlsx file into InDesign

Community Beginner ,
Mar 18, 2019 Mar 18, 2019

Copy link to clipboard

Copied

Indesign keeps giving me the following error when I try to place an Excel (.xlsx) file into an inDesign textbox:

"Cannot place this file. No filter found for requested operation."

I am using a new Mac computer, a paid version of Adobe CC suite, and all programs are the latest versions. I have also tried re-downloading the applications and restarting the computer. Nothing works.

Can someone please help me troubleshoot this? Alternatively, if there is another way of importing an Excel sheet to an inDesign document I'd like to know. Thanks!

Views

5.5K

Translate

Translate

Report

Report
Community guidelines
Be kind and respectful, give credit to the original source of content, and search for duplicates before posting. Learn more
community guidelines
LEGEND ,
Mar 18, 2019 Mar 18, 2019

Copy link to clipboard

Copied

Please post exact versions, never "latest" thanks. Also the version of Mac OS and Excel.

Votes

Translate

Translate

Report

Report
Community guidelines
Be kind and respectful, give credit to the original source of content, and search for duplicates before posting. Learn more
community guidelines
Community Beginner ,
Mar 18, 2019 Mar 18, 2019

Copy link to clipboard

Copied

Indesign Version 14.0.0.130

MacOS Mojave Version 10.14.3

Excel Sheet is downloaded from Google Docs as a .xlsx file

(Sorry, and thanks!)

Votes

Translate

Translate

Report

Report
Community guidelines
Be kind and respectful, give credit to the original source of content, and search for duplicates before posting. Learn more
community guidelines
Community Expert ,
Mar 18, 2019 Mar 18, 2019

Copy link to clipboard

Copied

Hi meaganthibeault ,

I suggest to first update to the latest available version of InDesign CC 2019 14.0.1.209 with CC Desktop app.

Or you could sign in to Adobe Prerelease where you can test a new bug fix version 14.0.2.324:

1. Go to https://www.adobeprerelease.com

2. Log in with your Adobe Id.

3. Once logged in, search for “InDesign CC Prerelease” program in the list.

4. Click on the program to join the same.

5. You can now download the build (14.0.2.324) from “Builds and Plugins” section on the page.

6. The steps for installing the build can be found in the release notes

Regards,
Uwe

Votes

Translate

Translate

Report

Report
Community guidelines
Be kind and respectful, give credit to the original source of content, and search for duplicates before posting. Learn more
community guidelines
Community Beginner ,
Apr 03, 2019 Apr 03, 2019

Copy link to clipboard

Copied

Thank you. Prerelease is very good to know about! I will try it.

Votes

Translate

Translate

Report

Report
Community guidelines
Be kind and respectful, give credit to the original source of content, and search for duplicates before posting. Learn more
community guidelines
Community Expert ,
Mar 18, 2019 Mar 18, 2019

Copy link to clipboard

Copied

meaganthibeault  wrote

Excel Sheet is downloaded from Google Docs as a .xlsx file

Hi Megan,

Open the spreadsheet in Excel and do a save as with a new name. Does it work now? It could be an issue with Google docs.

You could also try saving it as .csv which is text only, no formatting.

Jane

Votes

Translate

Translate

Report

Report
Community guidelines
Be kind and respectful, give credit to the original source of content, and search for duplicates before posting. Learn more
community guidelines
Community Expert ,
Mar 18, 2019 Mar 18, 2019

Copy link to clipboard

Copied

Seconded!

This has always been a problem with applications saving as Excel.

Votes

Translate

Translate

Report

Report
Community guidelines
Be kind and respectful, give credit to the original source of content, and search for duplicates before posting. Learn more
community guidelines
Community Beginner ,
Apr 03, 2019 Apr 03, 2019

Copy link to clipboard

Copied

Thank you, it's a great idea   As I don't own the Excel program I am still waiting to try this method, but will update when I do.

Votes

Translate

Translate

Report

Report
Community guidelines
Be kind and respectful, give credit to the original source of content, and search for duplicates before posting. Learn more
community guidelines
New Here ,
Apr 11, 2019 Apr 11, 2019

Copy link to clipboard

Copied

I had this problem... i had downloaded a .xlsx file from the internet, but it wouldnt link. I fixed it by opening the file in excel first, clicking the box to 'Enable Editing', saved the file again, then link the file as usual - this fixed the problem for me.

Votes

Translate

Translate

Report

Report
Community guidelines
Be kind and respectful, give credit to the original source of content, and search for duplicates before posting. Learn more
community guidelines
Community Expert ,
Apr 15, 2019 Apr 15, 2019

Copy link to clipboard

Copied

Hi anders1156 ,

unfortunately our OP meaganthibeault  does not own Microsoft Excel.

Regards,
Uwe

Votes

Translate

Translate

Report

Report
Community guidelines
Be kind and respectful, give credit to the original source of content, and search for duplicates before posting. Learn more
community guidelines
New Here ,
Feb 21, 2020 Feb 21, 2020

Copy link to clipboard

Copied

Worked like a charm! I simply opened it in excel and saved it again.

Votes

Translate

Translate

Report

Report
Community guidelines
Be kind and respectful, give credit to the original source of content, and search for duplicates before posting. Learn more
community guidelines
Community Beginner ,
May 26, 2020 May 26, 2020

Copy link to clipboard

Copied

The funny thing is, most of the people running into this issue are having this problem precisely because they are trying to work around owning Excel. 

Votes

Translate

Translate

Report

Report
Community guidelines
Be kind and respectful, give credit to the original source of content, and search for duplicates before posting. Learn more
community guidelines
New Here ,
Jan 07, 2021 Jan 07, 2021

Copy link to clipboard

Copied

@AllenMuellerTHD I have the same problem and I am not trying to work around owning Excel. I simply have a Mac and Numbers files cannot be imported on InDesign. I prefer working in Numbers and it would be silly for me to own Excell only to convert files from Numbers to Indesign. 

Votes

Translate

Translate

Report

Report
Community guidelines
Be kind and respectful, give credit to the original source of content, and search for duplicates before posting. Learn more
community guidelines
Community Expert ,
Jan 07, 2021 Jan 07, 2021

Copy link to clipboard

Copied

Take it up with Apple.

Votes

Translate

Translate

Report

Report
Community guidelines
Be kind and respectful, give credit to the original source of content, and search for duplicates before posting. Learn more
community guidelines
New Here ,
Jan 07, 2021 Jan 07, 2021

Copy link to clipboard

Copied

Dear @BobLevine , t was not my intention to take it up with anyone, just to highligh that is frustrating turning to the community for support and find comments like the above. As if we did enjoyed finding that a very expensive OS doesn't support the files we need. We need help,  not being addressed as some kind of cheaters trying to find ways around products we don't want to buy. 

Votes

Translate

Translate

Report

Report
Community guidelines
Be kind and respectful, give credit to the original source of content, and search for duplicates before posting. Learn more
community guidelines
Community Expert ,
Jan 07, 2021 Jan 07, 2021

Copy link to clipboard

Copied

LATEST
I am not in any way claiming that anyone is "cheating." The problem, though, is not because of InDesign or anything Adobe has or hasn't done.

It is due to poor support by Google and Apple for their translations to Excel. Hence my answer and the others in this discussion.

What you can try, which just came to me, is to install the mobile version of Excel. It's free and may be enough to resave your file and place it.

Votes

Translate

Translate

Report

Report
Community guidelines
Be kind and respectful, give credit to the original source of content, and search for duplicates before posting. Learn more
community guidelines