The Create workbook action in the Excel advanced package enables you to create a Microsoft Excel workbook or a CSV file.

Settings

  • Enter the name of the session used to open the workbook with the Open action.
  • Specify the location where you want to save the workbook in the File path field.
  • (Optional) Select the Overwrite existing file check box.
    This option is not selected by default in order to preserve the backward compatibility of files. However, you can use this option to overwrite an existing file when creating a new workbook with the same name.
    Note: By default, the option is not selected and if a file with the same name already exists, the action continues to show the existing error message indicating that the file already exists. However, when you select this check box:
    • Error message is not displayed if a specified file name already exists at the target location (local drive or network drive) when the automation is deployed.
    • Existing file is overwritten with a newly created workbook using the same file name and path.
    • When creating a workbook on a network drive If the file already exists and is opened by another user:
      • An error message is displayed.
      • Existing file is not overwritten, ensuring file-safety in multi‑user environments.
  • Specify the name of the worksheet in the Sheet name field.
  • Specify the passwords to open and edit the workbook in the Password to open and Password to edit fields. Provide your password with one of the following options:
  • (Optional) Select the Set sensitivity label check box if you want to set the sensitivity label when creating the workbook.
    Note: For information on setting up sensitivity label, see Sensitivity label.
    Select one of the following tabs to specify GUID of sensitivity label to manage the security settings and permissions of the Microsoft Excel workbook:
    • Credential: To select an existing credential such as a locker, credential or attribute from Credential Vault, click Choose.

      For more information, see Credentials and credential variables in the Bot editor.

    • Variable: To enter or select a variable that holds the credential information.

      For more information, see Your variables (user-defined).

    • Insecure string: To enter a string value.

      (Optional) Click the Insert a value icon to select an existing variable or global value.

    • (Optional) Select the Continue on error check box to ignore any errors caused due to sensitivity label.

      The Continue on error is not enabled by default. However, when this option is enabled, automation deployment will continue without any interruptions even if the Microsoft Office user does not have access to the sensitivity label.

  • Select any of the following tabs to create an Excel session:
    • Local session: Specify a session name that can be used only in the current bot.
    • Global session: Specify a session name that can be used across multiple bots, such as parent bots, child bots, and other child bots of the parent bots.
      You can also use the Global session option to loop through each row in an Excel advanced worksheet.
      Note: You can open an Excel worksheet by using the Global session option and use it across multiple bots without having to share the session by using the Set session variable action.
      You can also close the session from the child bot when you are using the Global session option and sharing the session across child bots.
      Important: If you close the session from the child bot and run the parent bot, then in the parent bot, the actions that come after the child bot are not run, and the bot fails with an error because the session has already been closed from the child bot.
    • Variable: Specify a session variable that can be used to share that session with other child bots.