Design

XLSX templates

Design a report in Excel, add Carbone tags, and generate it from JSON data as an Excel file or a PDF.
COMMUNITY FEATURE Available for:
Carbone Cloud
Carbone On-premise
Embedded Carbone JS v2.0+

Any XLSX file can be a template. Write Carbone tags in the cells, send your JSON data to the API, and get back an Excel file or a PDF with the layout of the template.

Basic

Write a tag in a cell to insert a value from the JSON data. In {d.company}, d is the root of the data. A cell can mix text and tags, as in row 8.

DataTemplateResult

data.jsonDownload

{
  "title": "Q3 2026 sales report",
  "company": "Acme Corporation",
  "manager": "Jane Smith",
  "region": "North America",
  "period": "July to September 2026",
  "date": "2026-10-05"
}

template.xlsxDownload

XLSX template with Carbone tags in Excel cells

Cells of the first sheet of template.xlsx
Row	A	B
1	{d.title}
3	Company	{d.company}
4	Sales manager	{d.manager}
5	Region	{d.region}
6	Period	{d.period}
8	Report generated on {d.date:formatD('MMMM D, YYYY')} by {d.manager}.

report.xlsxDownload

Excel report generated by Carbone from JSON data

Cells of the first sheet of report.xlsx
Row	A	B
1	Q3 2026 sales report
3	Company	Acme Corporation
4	Sales manager	Jane Smith
5	Region	North America
6	Period	July to September 2026
8	Report generated on October 5, 2026 by Jane Smith.

Loops

A loop repeats a row for each item in an array. The template needs two rows:

The row to repeat, with [i] in its tags: {d.products[i].name}.
The next row, with [i+1] in one cell: {d.products[i+1].name}. It marks the end of the loop and is removed from the report.

Carbone copies the row with its styles and height, and moves the rows below it down, like the total in row 6.

DataTemplateResult

data.jsonDownload

{
  "title": "Q3 2026 sales",
  "total": 21140,
  "products": [
    { "name": "Laptop",          "category": "Hardware", "qty": 12, "price": 950, "amount": 11400, "status": "In stock" },
    { "name": "27-inch monitor", "category": "Hardware", "qty": 25, "price": 240, "amount": 6000,  "status": "Out of stock" },
    { "name": "Keyboard",        "category": "Hardware", "qty": 60, "price": 35,  "amount": 2100,  "status": "In stock" },
    { "name": "Mouse",           "category": "Hardware", "qty": 80, "price": 12,  "amount": 960,   "status": "Backorder" },
    { "name": "Office license",  "category": "Software", "qty": 4,  "price": 99,  "amount": 396,   "status": "In stock" },
    { "name": "Antivirus",       "category": "Software", "qty": 3,  "price": 45,  "amount": 135,   "status": "Out of stock" },
    { "name": "Cloud backup",    "category": "Software", "qty": 1,  "price": 60,  "amount": 60,    "status": "In stock" },
    { "name": "Installation",    "category": "Services", "qty": 1,  "price": 50,  "amount": 50,    "status": "Backorder" },
    { "name": "Training",        "category": "Services", "qty": 1,  "price": 30,  "amount": 30,    "status": "In stock" },
    { "name": "Maintenance",     "category": "Services", "qty": 1,  "price": 9,   "amount": 9,     "status": "Out of stock" }
  ]
}

template.xlsxDownload

XLSX template with a loop on one row of a product table

Cells of the first sheet of template.xlsx
Row	A	B	C	D	E	F
1	{d.title}
3	PRODUCT	CATEGORY	QUANTITY	PRICE	AMOUNT	STATUS
4	{d.products[i].name}	{d.products[i].category}	{d.products[i].qty:formatN}	{d.products[i].price:formatN}	{d.products[i].amount:formatN}	{d.products[i].status}
5	{d.products[i+1].name}
6	Total				{d.total:formatN}

report.xlsxDownload

Excel report with one row per product generated by Carbone

Cells of the first sheet of report.xlsx
Row	A	B	C	D	E	F
1	Q3 2026 sales
3	PRODUCT	CATEGORY	QUANTITY	PRICE	AMOUNT	STATUS
4	Laptop	Hardware	12	950	11400	In stock
5	27-inch monitor	Hardware	25	240	6000	Out of stock
6	Keyboard	Hardware	60	35	2100	In stock
7	Mouse	Hardware	80	12	960	Backorder
8	Office license	Software	4	99	396	In stock
9	Antivirus	Software	3	45	135	Out of stock
10	Cloud backup	Software	1	60	60	In stock
11	Installation	Services	1	50	50	Backorder
12	Training	Services	1	30	30	In stock
13	Maintenance	Services	1	9	9	Out of stock
14	Total				21140

Frozen panes stay in place, so freeze only the rows above the loop.

Add an attribute before i to sort the rows: {d.products[price, i].name} sorts the products by ascending price, and the end tag becomes [price+1, i+1]. Add a condition to the [i+1] tag to filter them: category!='Services' removes the services. Learn more about sorting and filtering.

DataTemplateResult

data.jsonDownload

{
  "title": "Q3 2026 sales",
  "total": 21140,
  "products": [
    { "name": "Laptop",          "category": "Hardware", "qty": 12, "price": 950, "amount": 11400, "status": "In stock" },
    { "name": "27-inch monitor", "category": "Hardware", "qty": 25, "price": 240, "amount": 6000,  "status": "Out of stock" },
    { "name": "Keyboard",        "category": "Hardware", "qty": 60, "price": 35,  "amount": 2100,  "status": "In stock" },
    { "name": "Mouse",           "category": "Hardware", "qty": 80, "price": 12,  "amount": 960,   "status": "Backorder" },
    { "name": "Office license",  "category": "Software", "qty": 4,  "price": 99,  "amount": 396,   "status": "In stock" },
    { "name": "Antivirus",       "category": "Software", "qty": 3,  "price": 45,  "amount": 135,   "status": "Out of stock" },
    { "name": "Cloud backup",    "category": "Software", "qty": 1,  "price": 60,  "amount": 60,    "status": "In stock" },
    { "name": "Installation",    "category": "Services", "qty": 1,  "price": 50,  "amount": 50,    "status": "Backorder" },
    { "name": "Training",        "category": "Services", "qty": 1,  "price": 30,  "amount": 30,    "status": "In stock" },
    { "name": "Maintenance",     "category": "Services", "qty": 1,  "price": 9,   "amount": 9,     "status": "Out of stock" }
  ]
}

template.xlsxDownload

XLSX template with a loop sorted by price and filtered by category

Cells of the first sheet of template.xlsx
Row	A	B	C
1	Hardware and software by price
3	PRODUCT	CATEGORY	PRICE
4	{d.products[price, i].name}	{d.products[price, i].category}	{d.products[price, i].price:formatN}
5	{d.products[price+1, i+1, category!='Services'].name}

report.xlsxDownload

Excel rows sorted by price without the services

Cells of the first sheet of report.xlsx
Row	A	B	C
1	Hardware and software by price
3	PRODUCT	CATEGORY	PRICE
4	Mouse	Hardware	12
5	Keyboard	Hardware	35
6	Antivirus	Software	45
7	Cloud backup	Software	60
8	Office license	Software	99
9	27-inch monitor	Hardware	240
10	Laptop	Hardware	950

Nested loops

A loop can contain another loop to group rows. {d.categories[i].name} repeats the categories, and {d.categories[i].products[i].name} repeats the products of each category. The [i+1] row of the categories closes the outer loop.

DataTemplateResult

data.jsonDownload

{
  "title": "Q3 2026 sales by category",
  "categories": [
    {
      "name": "Hardware",
      "products": [
        {
          "name": "Laptop",
          "qty": 12,
          "amount": 11400
        },
        {
          "name": "27-inch monitor",
          "qty": 25,
          "amount": 6000
        },
        {
          "name": "Keyboard",
          "qty": 60,
          "amount": 2100
        },
        {
          "name": "Mouse",
          "qty": 80,
          "amount": 960
        }
      ]
    },
    {
      "name": "Software",
      "products": [
        {
          "name": "Office license",
          "qty": 4,
          "amount": 396
        },
        {
          "name": "Antivirus",
          "qty": 3,
          "amount": 135
        },
        {
          "name": "Cloud backup",
          "qty": 1,
          "amount": 60
        }
      ]
    },
    {
      "name": "Services",
      "products": [
        {
          "name": "Installation",
          "qty": 1,
          "amount": 50
        },
        {
          "name": "Training",
          "qty": 1,
          "amount": 30
        },
        {
          "name": "Maintenance",
          "qty": 1,
          "amount": 9
        }
      ]
    }
  ]
}

template.xlsxDownload

XLSX template with a loop of categories containing a loop of products

Cells of the first sheet of template.xlsx
Row	A	B	C
1	{d.title}
3	PRODUCT	QUANTITY	AMOUNT
4	{d.categories[i].name}		{d.categories[i].products[].amount:aggSum:formatN}
5	{d.categories[i].products[i].name}	{d.categories[i].products[i].qty:formatN}	{d.categories[i].products[i].amount:formatN}
6	{d.categories[i].products[i+1].name}
7	{d.categories[i+1].name}

report.xlsxDownload

Excel report grouped by category with a subtotal per category

Cells of the first sheet of report.xlsx
Row	A	B	C
1	Q3 2026 sales by category
3	PRODUCT	QUANTITY	AMOUNT
4	Hardware		20460
5	Laptop	12	11400
6	27-inch monitor	25	6000
7	Keyboard	60	2100
8	Mouse	80	960
9	Software		591
10	Office license	4	396
11	Antivirus	3	135
12	Cloud backup	1	60
13	Services		89
14	Installation	1	50
15	Training	1	30
16	Maintenance	1	9

Horizontal loops

Write the [i] and [i+1] tags in two adjacent columns to repeat columns instead of rows. Each row of the loop needs its own [i+1] tag. Learn more about horizontal loops.

DataTemplateResult

data.jsonDownload

{
  "title": "Q3 2026 sales by month",
  "months": [
    {
      "name": "July",
      "orders": 120,
      "amount": 6840
    },
    {
      "name": "August",
      "orders": 98,
      "amount": 5320
    },
    {
      "name": "September",
      "orders": 143,
      "amount": 8980
    }
  ]
}

template.xlsxDownload

XLSX template with a horizontal loop on columns

report.xlsxDownload

Cells of the first sheet of report.xlsx
Row	A	B	C	D
1	Q3 2026 sales by month
3	MONTH	July	August	September
4	Orders	120	98	143
5	Amount	6840	5320	8980

Numbers and dates

A cell becomes a native Excel number when it contains a single tag ending with :formatN, like {d.amount:formatN}. Carbone writes the raw value, and the number format of the cell displays it. Excel can then sum, sort and chart it. The decimals come from the number format, not from the precision argument.

Other formatters write text, formatted for the language of the report: :formatC for currencies, :formatN(2, acc) for accounting amounts like (1,234.50), and :formatD for dates. To keep an accounting amount as a number, use :formatN with the cell format #,##0.00;(#,##0.00).

DataTemplateResult

data.jsonDownload

{
  "amount": 1234.5,
  "balance": -1234.5,
  "rate": 0.125,
  "date": "2026-11-10"
}

template.xlsxDownload

XLSX template with formatN tags and Excel number formats

Cells of the first sheet of template.xlsx
Row	A	B	C
1	Number formats
3	EXAMPLE	CELL VALUE	CELL NUMBER FORMAT
4	Amount	{d.amount:formatN}	$#,##0.00
5	Negative balance	{d.balance:formatN}	$#,##0.00;[Red]($#,##0.00)
6	Rate	{d.rate:formatN}	0.0%
7	Amount as text	{d.amount:formatC}	General (text)
8	Accounting as text	{d.balance:formatN(2, acc)}	General (text)
9	Date as text	{d.date:formatD('MMMM D, YYYY')}	General (text)

report.xlsxDownload

Native Excel numbers next to formatted text values

Cells of the first sheet of report.xlsx
Row	A	B	C
1	Number formats
3	EXAMPLE	CELL VALUE	CELL NUMBER FORMAT
4	Amount	1234.5	$#,##0.00
5	Negative balance	-1234.5	$#,##0.00;[Red]($#,##0.00)
6	Rate	0.125	0.0%
7	Amount as text	$1,234.50	General (text)
8	Accounting as text	(1,234.50)	General (text)
9	Date as text	November 10, 2026	General (text)

To write :formatN values as text instead, add {o.exportFormattedValuesAsText=true} to the template. Learn more about the number, currency and date formatters.

Conditions

Conditions print a value or remove a row based on the data:

Inline conditions print one value or another: {d.products[i].qty:ifLT(5):show('Reorder'):elseShow('OK')}.
Smart conditions remove the row: {d.products[i].qty:ifEQ(0):drop(row)} removes out-of-stock products.

DataTemplateResult

data.jsonDownload

{
  "title": "Q3 2026 sales",
  "total": 21140,
  "products": [
    {
      "name": "Laptop",
      "category": "Hardware",
      "qty": 12,
      "price": 950,
      "amount": 11400,
      "status": "In stock"
    },
    {
      "name": "27-inch monitor",
      "category": "Hardware",
      "qty": 25,
      "price": 240,
      "amount": 6000,
      "status": "Out of stock"
    },
    {
      "name": "Keyboard",
      "category": "Hardware",
      "qty": 60,
      "price": 35,
      "amount": 2100,
      "status": "In stock"
    },
    {
      "name": "Mouse",
      "category": "Hardware",
      "qty": 80,
      "price": 12,
      "amount": 960,
      "status": "Backorder"
    },
    {
      "name": "Office license",
      "category": "Software",
      "qty": 4,
      "price": 99,
      "amount": 396,
      "status": "In stock"
    },
    {
      "name": "Antivirus",
      "category": "Software",
      "qty": 0,
      "price": 45,
      "amount": 135,
      "status": "Out of stock"
    },
    {
      "name": "Cloud backup",
      "category": "Software",
      "qty": 1,
      "price": 60,
      "amount": 60,
      "status": "In stock"
    },
    {
      "name": "Installation",
      "category": "Services",
      "qty": 1,
      "price": 50,
      "amount": 50,
      "status": "Backorder"
    },
    {
      "name": "Training",
      "category": "Services",
      "qty": 1,
      "price": 30,
      "amount": 30,
      "status": "In stock"
    },
    {
      "name": "Maintenance",
      "category": "Services",
      "qty": 0,
      "price": 9,
      "amount": 9,
      "status": "Out of stock"
    }
  ]
}

template.xlsxDownload

XLSX template with an inline condition and a drop row condition

Cells of the first sheet of template.xlsx
Row	A	B	C
1	{d.title}
3	PRODUCT	QUANTITY	ALERT
4	{d.products[i].name}{d.products[i].qty:ifEQ(0):drop(row)}	{d.products[i].qty:formatN}	{d.products[i].qty:ifLT(5):show('Reorder'):elseShow('OK')}
5	{d.products[i+1].name}

report.xlsxDownload

Excel report without the products out of stock

Cells of the first sheet of report.xlsx
Row	A	B	C
1	Q3 2026 sales
3	PRODUCT	QUANTITY	ALERT
4	Laptop	12	OK
5	27-inch monitor	25	OK
6	Keyboard	60	OK
7	Mouse	80	OK
8	Office license	4	Reorder
9	Cloud backup	1	Reorder
10	Installation	1	Reorder
11	Training	1	Reorder

Learn more about inline conditions and smart conditions.

Totals

Aggregators compute totals without Excel formulas. :aggSum sums a column, :aggSum(.category) sums each category, and :cumSum prints a running total. Add :formatN to get native numbers. Totals match the rows after sorting or filtering, and stay correct in PDF and CSV outputs.

DataTemplateResult

data.jsonDownload

{
  "title": "Q3 2026 sales",
  "total": 21140,
  "products": [
    { "name": "Laptop",          "category": "Hardware", "qty": 12, "price": 950, "amount": 11400, "status": "In stock" },
    { "name": "27-inch monitor", "category": "Hardware", "qty": 25, "price": 240, "amount": 6000,  "status": "Out of stock" },
    { "name": "Keyboard",        "category": "Hardware", "qty": 60, "price": 35,  "amount": 2100,  "status": "In stock" },
    { "name": "Mouse",           "category": "Hardware", "qty": 80, "price": 12,  "amount": 960,   "status": "Backorder" },
    { "name": "Office license",  "category": "Software", "qty": 4,  "price": 99,  "amount": 396,   "status": "In stock" },
    { "name": "Antivirus",       "category": "Software", "qty": 3,  "price": 45,  "amount": 135,   "status": "Out of stock" },
    { "name": "Cloud backup",    "category": "Software", "qty": 1,  "price": 60,  "amount": 60,    "status": "In stock" },
    { "name": "Installation",    "category": "Services", "qty": 1,  "price": 50,  "amount": 50,    "status": "Backorder" },
    { "name": "Training",        "category": "Services", "qty": 1,  "price": 30,  "amount": 30,    "status": "In stock" },
    { "name": "Maintenance",     "category": "Services", "qty": 1,  "price": 9,   "amount": 9,     "status": "Out of stock" }
  ]
}

template.xlsxDownload

XLSX template with aggSum and cumSum aggregators

Cells of the first sheet of template.xlsx
Row	A	B	C	D	E
1	{d.title}
3	PRODUCT	CATEGORY	AMOUNT	RUNNING TOTAL	CATEGORY TOTAL
4	{d.products[i].name}	{d.products[i].category}	{d.products[i].amount:formatN}	{d.products[i].amount:cumSum:formatN}	{d.products[i].amount:aggSum(.category):formatN}
5	{d.products[i+1].name}
6	Total		{d.products[].amount:aggSum:formatN}

report.xlsxDownload

Excel report with running totals and totals per category

Cells of the first sheet of report.xlsx
Row	A	B	C	D	E
1	Q3 2026 sales
3	PRODUCT	CATEGORY	AMOUNT	RUNNING TOTAL	CATEGORY TOTAL
4	Laptop	Hardware	11400	11400	20460
5	27-inch monitor	Hardware	6000	17400	20460
6	Keyboard	Hardware	2100	19500	20460
7	Mouse	Hardware	960	20460	20460
8	Office license	Software	396	20856	591
9	Antivirus	Software	135	20991	591
10	Cloud backup	Software	60	21051	591
11	Installation	Services	50	21101	89
12	Training	Services	30	21131	89
13	Maintenance	Services	9	21140	89
14	Total		21140

Aggregators are an Enterprise feature. Learn more about aggregators.

Formulas

PRE-RELEASE v5.18.0+ Add {o.preReleaseFeatureIn=5018000} to the template. Without it, formulas, merged cells, conditional formatting, data validations, tables, charts, pivot tables, hyperlinks, named ranges, the print area and page breaks do not follow the rows added by loops. Learn more

Carbone updates formulas the way Excel does when you insert rows:

A formula in the repeated row follows its row: =B4*C4 becomes =B5*C5 on the next row.
A total below the loop covers all the generated rows: =SUM(D4:D5) becomes =SUM(D4:D13).
An absolute reference follows its cell: $B$9, the VAT rate below the table, becomes $B$17.

Excel recalculates the workbook when you open the file.

DataTemplateResult

data.jsonDownload

{
  "title": "Q3 2026 sales",
  "total": 21140,
  "products": [
    { "name": "Laptop",          "category": "Hardware", "qty": 12, "price": 950, "amount": 11400, "status": "In stock" },
    { "name": "27-inch monitor", "category": "Hardware", "qty": 25, "price": 240, "amount": 6000,  "status": "Out of stock" },
    { "name": "Keyboard",        "category": "Hardware", "qty": 60, "price": 35,  "amount": 2100,  "status": "In stock" },
    { "name": "Mouse",           "category": "Hardware", "qty": 80, "price": 12,  "amount": 960,   "status": "Backorder" },
    { "name": "Office license",  "category": "Software", "qty": 4,  "price": 99,  "amount": 396,   "status": "In stock" },
    { "name": "Antivirus",       "category": "Software", "qty": 3,  "price": 45,  "amount": 135,   "status": "Out of stock" },
    { "name": "Cloud backup",    "category": "Software", "qty": 1,  "price": 60,  "amount": 60,    "status": "In stock" },
    { "name": "Installation",    "category": "Services", "qty": 1,  "price": 50,  "amount": 50,    "status": "Backorder" },
    { "name": "Training",        "category": "Services", "qty": 1,  "price": 30,  "amount": 30,    "status": "In stock" },
    { "name": "Maintenance",     "category": "Services", "qty": 1,  "price": 9,   "amount": 9,     "status": "Out of stock" }
  ]
}

template.xlsxDownload

XLSX template with Excel formulas in the repeated row and in the total

Cells of the first sheet of template.xlsx
Row	A	B	C	D	E	F
1	{d.title}
2	{o.preReleaseFeatureIn=5018000}
3	PRODUCT	QUANTITY	PRICE	AMOUNT	INCL. VAT	RUNNING TOTAL
4	{d.products[i].name}	{d.products[i].qty:formatN}	{d.products[i].price:formatN}	=B4*C4	=D4*(1+$B$9)	=SUM($D$4:D4)
5	{d.products[i+1].name}	{d.products[i+1].qty:formatN}	{d.products[i+1].price:formatN}	=B5*C5	=D5*(1+$B$9)	=SUM($D$4:D5)
6	Total			=SUM(D4:D5)	=SUM(E4:E5)
9	VAT rate	0.2

report.xlsxDownload

Excel formulas computed on every generated row

Cells of the first sheet of report.xlsx
Row	A	B	C	D	E	F
1	Q3 2026 sales
3	PRODUCT	QUANTITY	PRICE	AMOUNT	INCL. VAT	RUNNING TOTAL
4	Laptop	12	950	=B4*C4	=D4*(1+$B$17)	=SUM($D$4:D4)
5	27-inch monitor	25	240	=B5*C5	=D5*(1+$B$17)	=SUM($D$4:D5)
6	Keyboard	60	35	=B6*C6	=D6*(1+$B$17)	=SUM($D$4:D6)
7	Mouse	80	12	=B7*C7	=D7*(1+$B$17)	=SUM($D$4:D7)
8	Office license	4	99	=B8*C8	=D8*(1+$B$17)	=SUM($D$4:D8)
9	Antivirus	3	45	=B9*C9	=D9*(1+$B$17)	=SUM($D$4:D9)
10	Cloud backup	1	60	=B10*C10	=D10*(1+$B$17)	=SUM($D$4:D10)
11	Installation	1	50	=B11*C11	=D11*(1+$B$17)	=SUM($D$4:D11)
12	Training	1	30	=B12*C12	=D12*(1+$B$17)	=SUM($D$4:D12)
13	Maintenance	1	9	=B13*C13	=D13*(1+$B$17)	=SUM($D$4:D13)
14	Total			=SUM(D4:D13)	=SUM(E4:E13)
17	VAT rate	0.2

Named ranges cover the generated rows too. Carbone does not change formulas that contain Carbone tags or use INDIRECT.

Merged cells

PRE-RELEASE v5.18.0+ Add {o.preReleaseFeatureIn=5018000} to the template. A sheet that uses :mergeCell gets this feature without the tag.

Merged cells in the repeated row are copied to each row, like the product in columns A and B. Merged cells below the loop move down, like the total.

:mergeCell merges the consecutive cells of a column that have the same value. {d.products[i].category:mergeCell} prints each category once, in one cell merged over its products.

DataTemplateResult

data.jsonDownload

{
  "title": "Q3 2026 sales",
  "total": 21140,
  "products": [
    { "name": "Laptop",          "category": "Hardware", "qty": 12, "price": 950, "amount": 11400, "status": "In stock" },
    { "name": "27-inch monitor", "category": "Hardware", "qty": 25, "price": 240, "amount": 6000,  "status": "Out of stock" },
    { "name": "Keyboard",        "category": "Hardware", "qty": 60, "price": 35,  "amount": 2100,  "status": "In stock" },
    { "name": "Mouse",           "category": "Hardware", "qty": 80, "price": 12,  "amount": 960,   "status": "Backorder" },
    { "name": "Office license",  "category": "Software", "qty": 4,  "price": 99,  "amount": 396,   "status": "In stock" },
    { "name": "Antivirus",       "category": "Software", "qty": 3,  "price": 45,  "amount": 135,   "status": "Out of stock" },
    { "name": "Cloud backup",    "category": "Software", "qty": 1,  "price": 60,  "amount": 60,    "status": "In stock" },
    { "name": "Installation",    "category": "Services", "qty": 1,  "price": 50,  "amount": 50,    "status": "Backorder" },
    { "name": "Training",        "category": "Services", "qty": 1,  "price": 30,  "amount": 30,    "status": "In stock" },
    { "name": "Maintenance",     "category": "Services", "qty": 1,  "price": 9,   "amount": 9,     "status": "Out of stock" }
  ]
}

template.xlsxDownload

XLSX template with merged cells and the mergeCell formatter

Cells of the first sheet of template.xlsx
Row	A	C	D	E
1	{d.title}
3	PRODUCT	CATEGORY	QUANTITY	AMOUNT
4	{d.products[i].name}	{d.products[i].category:mergeCell}	{d.products[i].qty:formatN}	{d.products[i].amount:formatN}
5	{d.products[i+1].name}	{d.products[i+1].category}	{d.products[i+1].qty:formatN}	{d.products[i+1].amount:formatN}
6	Total			{d.total:formatN}

report.xlsxDownload

Excel categories merged vertically by Carbone

Cells of the first sheet of report.xlsx
Row	A	C	D	E
1	Q3 2026 sales
3	PRODUCT	CATEGORY	QUANTITY	AMOUNT
4	Laptop	Hardware	12	11400
5	27-inch monitor		25	6000
6	Keyboard		60	2100
7	Mouse		80	960
8	Office license	Software	4	396
9	Antivirus		3	135
10	Cloud backup		1	60
11	Installation	Services	1	50
12	Training		1	30
13	Maintenance		1	9
14	Total			21140

Pass a parent to merge only within a group. {d.products[i].status:mergeCell(.category)} merges identical statuses within the same category. You can pass several parents: :mergeCell(.country, .region).
:mergeCell must be the last formatter of the tag.
A cell merged horizontally in the template keeps its width and grows down.
Available in XLSX templates only for now. The rows must be consecutive, so a loop that repeats two rows per item is not merged.

Conditional formatting

PRE-RELEASE v5.18.0+ Add {o.preReleaseFeatureIn=5018000} to the template.

Define the rules on the repeated row, and Carbone extends them to every generated row. In this example, quantities above 50 are green, a formula rule highlights out-of-stock products, prices get a color scale, and amounts get data bars. The rule on the total moves with the total.

DataTemplateResult

data.jsonDownload

{
  "title": "Q3 2026 sales",
  "total": 21140,
  "products": [
    { "name": "Laptop",          "category": "Hardware", "qty": 12, "price": 950, "amount": 11400, "status": "In stock" },
    { "name": "27-inch monitor", "category": "Hardware", "qty": 25, "price": 240, "amount": 6000,  "status": "Out of stock" },
    { "name": "Keyboard",        "category": "Hardware", "qty": 60, "price": 35,  "amount": 2100,  "status": "In stock" },
    { "name": "Mouse",           "category": "Hardware", "qty": 80, "price": 12,  "amount": 960,   "status": "Backorder" },
    { "name": "Office license",  "category": "Software", "qty": 4,  "price": 99,  "amount": 396,   "status": "In stock" },
    { "name": "Antivirus",       "category": "Software", "qty": 3,  "price": 45,  "amount": 135,   "status": "Out of stock" },
    { "name": "Cloud backup",    "category": "Software", "qty": 1,  "price": 60,  "amount": 60,    "status": "In stock" },
    { "name": "Installation",    "category": "Services", "qty": 1,  "price": 50,  "amount": 50,    "status": "Backorder" },
    { "name": "Training",        "category": "Services", "qty": 1,  "price": 30,  "amount": 30,    "status": "In stock" },
    { "name": "Maintenance",     "category": "Services", "qty": 1,  "price": 9,   "amount": 9,     "status": "Out of stock" }
  ]
}

template.xlsxDownload

XLSX template with conditional formatting rules on the repeated row

Cells of the first sheet of template.xlsx
Row	A	B	C	D	E	F
1	{d.title}
2	{o.preReleaseFeatureIn=5018000}
3	PRODUCT	CATEGORY	QUANTITY	PRICE	AMOUNT	STATUS
4	{d.products[i].name}	{d.products[i].category}	{d.products[i].qty:formatN}	{d.products[i].price:formatN}	{d.products[i].amount:formatN}	{d.products[i].status}
5	{d.products[i+1].name}
6	Total				{d.total:formatN}

report.xlsxDownload

Excel conditional formatting, color scale and data bars on every row

Cells of the first sheet of report.xlsx
Row	A	B	C	D	E	F
1	Q3 2026 sales
3	PRODUCT	CATEGORY	QUANTITY	PRICE	AMOUNT	STATUS
4	Laptop	Hardware	12	950	11400	In stock
5	27-inch monitor	Hardware	25	240	6000	Out of stock
6	Keyboard	Hardware	60	35	2100	In stock
7	Mouse	Hardware	80	12	960	Backorder
8	Office license	Software	4	99	396	In stock
9	Antivirus	Software	3	45	135	Out of stock
10	Cloud backup	Software	1	60	60	In stock
11	Installation	Services	1	50	50	Backorder
12	Training	Services	1	30	30	In stock
13	Maintenance	Services	1	9	9	Out of stock
14	Total				21140

Tables and filters

PRE-RELEASE v5.18.0+ Add {o.preReleaseFeatureIn=5018000} to the template.

An Excel table (Insert > Table) on the loop grows with the data. Banded rows, filter buttons and structured references like =SUM(Sales[Amount]) cover all the generated rows.

DataTemplateResult

data.jsonDownload

{
  "title": "Q3 2026 sales",
  "total": 21140,
  "products": [
    { "name": "Laptop",          "category": "Hardware", "qty": 12, "price": 950, "amount": 11400, "status": "In stock" },
    { "name": "27-inch monitor", "category": "Hardware", "qty": 25, "price": 240, "amount": 6000,  "status": "Out of stock" },
    { "name": "Keyboard",        "category": "Hardware", "qty": 60, "price": 35,  "amount": 2100,  "status": "In stock" },
    { "name": "Mouse",           "category": "Hardware", "qty": 80, "price": 12,  "amount": 960,   "status": "Backorder" },
    { "name": "Office license",  "category": "Software", "qty": 4,  "price": 99,  "amount": 396,   "status": "In stock" },
    { "name": "Antivirus",       "category": "Software", "qty": 3,  "price": 45,  "amount": 135,   "status": "Out of stock" },
    { "name": "Cloud backup",    "category": "Software", "qty": 1,  "price": 60,  "amount": 60,    "status": "In stock" },
    { "name": "Installation",    "category": "Services", "qty": 1,  "price": 50,  "amount": 50,    "status": "Backorder" },
    { "name": "Training",        "category": "Services", "qty": 1,  "price": 30,  "amount": 30,    "status": "In stock" },
    { "name": "Maintenance",     "category": "Services", "qty": 1,  "price": 9,   "amount": 9,     "status": "Out of stock" }
  ]
}

template.xlsxDownload

XLSX template with an Excel table named Sales on the loop

Cells of the first sheet of template.xlsx
Row	A	B	C	D	E	F
1	{d.title}
2	{o.preReleaseFeatureIn=5018000}
3	Product	Category	Quantity	Price	Amount	Status
4	{d.products[i].name}	{d.products[i].category}	{d.products[i].qty:formatN}	{d.products[i].price:formatN}	{d.products[i].amount:formatN}	{d.products[i].status}
5	{d.products[i+1].name}
8				Table total	=SUM(Sales[Amount])

report.xlsxDownload

Excel table with banded rows extended to all products

Cells of the first sheet of report.xlsx
Row	A	B	C	D	E	F
1	Q3 2026 sales
3	Product	Category	Quantity	Price	Amount	Status
4	Laptop	Hardware	12	950	11400	In stock
5	27-inch monitor	Hardware	25	240	6000	Out of stock
6	Keyboard	Hardware	60	35	2100	In stock
7	Mouse	Hardware	80	12	960	Backorder
8	Office license	Software	4	99	396	In stock
9	Antivirus	Software	3	45	135	Out of stock
10	Cloud backup	Software	1	60	60	In stock
11	Installation	Services	1	50	50	Backorder
12	Training	Services	1	30	30	In stock
13	Maintenance	Services	1	9	9	Out of stock
16				Table total	=SUM(Sales[Amount])

AutoFilters and data validation rules (drop-down lists, whole numbers...) on the repeated row extend the same way. When the source of a drop-down list is below the loop, the list follows the source cells as they move down.

Charts

PRE-RELEASE v5.18.0+ Add {o.preReleaseFeatureIn=5018000} to the template.

A native Excel chart whose series use the cells of the loop shows all the generated rows. A chart placed below the loop moves down with the rows.

DataTemplateResult

data.jsonDownload

{
  "title": "Q3 2026 sales",
  "total": 21140,
  "products": [
    { "name": "Laptop",          "category": "Hardware", "qty": 12, "price": 950, "amount": 11400, "status": "In stock" },
    { "name": "27-inch monitor", "category": "Hardware", "qty": 25, "price": 240, "amount": 6000,  "status": "Out of stock" },
    { "name": "Keyboard",        "category": "Hardware", "qty": 60, "price": 35,  "amount": 2100,  "status": "In stock" },
    { "name": "Mouse",           "category": "Hardware", "qty": 80, "price": 12,  "amount": 960,   "status": "Backorder" },
    { "name": "Office license",  "category": "Software", "qty": 4,  "price": 99,  "amount": 396,   "status": "In stock" },
    { "name": "Antivirus",       "category": "Software", "qty": 3,  "price": 45,  "amount": 135,   "status": "Out of stock" },
    { "name": "Cloud backup",    "category": "Software", "qty": 1,  "price": 60,  "amount": 60,    "status": "In stock" },
    { "name": "Installation",    "category": "Services", "qty": 1,  "price": 50,  "amount": 50,    "status": "Backorder" },
    { "name": "Training",        "category": "Services", "qty": 1,  "price": 30,  "amount": 30,    "status": "In stock" },
    { "name": "Maintenance",     "category": "Services", "qty": 1,  "price": 9,   "amount": 9,     "status": "Out of stock" }
  ]
}

template.xlsxDownload

XLSX template with a column chart and a pie chart on the loop cells

Cells of the first sheet of template.xlsx
Row	A	B	C	D	E	F
1	{d.title}
2	{o.preReleaseFeatureIn=5018000}
3	PRODUCT	CATEGORY	QUANTITY	PRICE	AMOUNT	STATUS
4	{d.products[i].name}	{d.products[i].category}	{d.products[i].qty:formatN}	{d.products[i].price:formatN}	{d.products[i].amount:formatN}	{d.products[i].status}
5	{d.products[i+1].name}
6	Total				{d.total:formatN}

report.xlsxDownload

Excel charts showing the 10 products generated by Carbone

Cells of the first sheet of report.xlsx
Row	A	B	C	D	E	F
1	Q3 2026 sales
3	PRODUCT	CATEGORY	QUANTITY	PRICE	AMOUNT	STATUS
4	Laptop	Hardware	12	950	11400	In stock
5	27-inch monitor	Hardware	25	240	6000	Out of stock
6	Keyboard	Hardware	60	35	2100	In stock
7	Mouse	Hardware	80	12	960	Backorder
8	Office license	Software	4	99	396	In stock
9	Antivirus	Software	3	45	135	Out of stock
10	Cloud backup	Software	1	60	60	In stock
11	Installation	Services	1	50	50	Backorder
12	Training	Services	1	30	30	In stock
13	Maintenance	Services	1	9	9	Out of stock
14	Total				21140

To draw a chart image from the data instead, use the :chart formatter.

Pivot tables

PRE-RELEASE v5.18.0+ Add {o.preReleaseFeatureIn=5018000} to the template.

Build the pivot table from the cells of the loop. In this example, it is on another sheet. Its source covers all the generated rows, and Excel refreshes it when you open the file.

DataTemplateResult

data.jsonDownload

{
  "title": "Q3 2026 sales",
  "total": 21140,
  "products": [
    { "name": "Laptop",          "category": "Hardware", "qty": 12, "price": 950, "amount": 11400, "status": "In stock" },
    { "name": "27-inch monitor", "category": "Hardware", "qty": 25, "price": 240, "amount": 6000,  "status": "Out of stock" },
    { "name": "Keyboard",        "category": "Hardware", "qty": 60, "price": 35,  "amount": 2100,  "status": "In stock" },
    { "name": "Mouse",           "category": "Hardware", "qty": 80, "price": 12,  "amount": 960,   "status": "Backorder" },
    { "name": "Office license",  "category": "Software", "qty": 4,  "price": 99,  "amount": 396,   "status": "In stock" },
    { "name": "Antivirus",       "category": "Software", "qty": 3,  "price": 45,  "amount": 135,   "status": "Out of stock" },
    { "name": "Cloud backup",    "category": "Software", "qty": 1,  "price": 60,  "amount": 60,    "status": "In stock" },
    { "name": "Installation",    "category": "Services", "qty": 1,  "price": 50,  "amount": 50,    "status": "Backorder" },
    { "name": "Training",        "category": "Services", "qty": 1,  "price": 30,  "amount": 30,    "status": "In stock" },
    { "name": "Maintenance",     "category": "Services", "qty": 1,  "price": 9,   "amount": 9,     "status": "Out of stock" }
  ]
}

template.xlsxDownload

XLSX template with the source data of a pivot table

template.xlsx · Pivot

XLSX template with the source data of a pivot table, Pivot sheet

Cells of the first sheet of template.xlsx
Row	A	B	C	D	E	F
1	{d.title}
2	{o.preReleaseFeatureIn=5018000}
3	Product	Category	Quantity	Price	Amount	Status
4	{d.products[i].name}	{d.products[i].category}	{d.products[i].qty:formatN}	{d.products[i].price:formatN}	{d.products[i].amount:formatN}	{d.products[i].status}
5	{d.products[i+1].name}
6	Total				{d.total:formatN}

report.xlsx · PivotDownload

Excel pivot table with the sales of each category, Pivot sheet

Cells of the first sheet of report.xlsx
Row	A	B	C	D	E	F
1	Q3 2026 sales
3	Product	Category	Quantity	Price	Amount	Status
4	Laptop	Hardware	12	950	11400	In stock
5	27-inch monitor	Hardware	25	240	6000	Out of stock
6	Keyboard	Hardware	60	35	2100	In stock
7	Mouse	Hardware	80	12	960	Backorder
8	Office license	Software	4	99	396	In stock
9	Antivirus	Software	3	45	135	Out of stock
10	Cloud backup	Software	1	60	60	In stock
11	Installation	Services	1	50	50	Backorder
12	Training	Services	1	30	30	In stock
13	Maintenance	Services	1	9	9	Out of stock
14	Total				21140

Until the pivot table is refreshed, the file keeps the pivot values of the template. An application that does not refresh pivot tables when it opens a file shows these template values.

Hyperlinks

PRE-RELEASE v5.18.0+ Add {o.preReleaseFeatureIn=5018000} to the template.

A link in the repeated row is copied to each row. A link to a cell of the workbook, like "Go to total", still targets that cell after the rows are added. A link below the loop moves with its cell.

DataTemplateResult

data.jsonDownload

{
  "title": "Q3 2026 sales",
  "total": 21140,
  "products": [
    { "name": "Laptop",          "category": "Hardware", "qty": 12, "price": 950, "amount": 11400, "status": "In stock" },
    { "name": "27-inch monitor", "category": "Hardware", "qty": 25, "price": 240, "amount": 6000,  "status": "Out of stock" },
    { "name": "Keyboard",        "category": "Hardware", "qty": 60, "price": 35,  "amount": 2100,  "status": "In stock" },
    { "name": "Mouse",           "category": "Hardware", "qty": 80, "price": 12,  "amount": 960,   "status": "Backorder" },
    { "name": "Office license",  "category": "Software", "qty": 4,  "price": 99,  "amount": 396,   "status": "In stock" },
    { "name": "Antivirus",       "category": "Software", "qty": 3,  "price": 45,  "amount": 135,   "status": "Out of stock" },
    { "name": "Cloud backup",    "category": "Software", "qty": 1,  "price": 60,  "amount": 60,    "status": "In stock" },
    { "name": "Installation",    "category": "Services", "qty": 1,  "price": 50,  "amount": 50,    "status": "Backorder" },
    { "name": "Training",        "category": "Services", "qty": 1,  "price": 30,  "amount": 30,    "status": "In stock" },
    { "name": "Maintenance",     "category": "Services", "qty": 1,  "price": 9,   "amount": 9,     "status": "Out of stock" }
  ]
}

template.xlsxDownload

XLSX template with hyperlinks on the repeated row and below the loop

Cells of the first sheet of template.xlsx
Row	A	B	C	D	E	F
1	{d.title}
2	Go to total	{o.preReleaseFeatureIn=5018000}
3	PRODUCT	CATEGORY	QUANTITY	PRICE	AMOUNT	STATUS
4	{d.products[i].name}	{d.products[i].category}	{d.products[i].qty:formatN}	{d.products[i].price:formatN}	{d.products[i].amount:formatN}	{d.products[i].status}
5	{d.products[i+1].name}
6	Total				{d.total:formatN}
8	Documentation

report.xlsxDownload

Cells of the first sheet of report.xlsx
Row	A	B	C	D	E	F
1	Q3 2026 sales
2	Go to total
3	PRODUCT	CATEGORY	QUANTITY	PRICE	AMOUNT	STATUS
4	Laptop	Hardware	12	950	11400	In stock
5	27-inch monitor	Hardware	25	240	6000	Out of stock
6	Keyboard	Hardware	60	35	2100	In stock
7	Mouse	Hardware	80	12	960	Backorder
8	Office license	Software	4	99	396	In stock
9	Antivirus	Software	3	45	135	Out of stock
10	Cloud backup	Software	1	60	60	In stock
11	Installation	Services	1	50	50	Backorder
12	Training	Services	1	30	30	In stock
13	Maintenance	Services	1	9	9	Out of stock
14	Total				21140
16	Documentation

To build the address of a link from the data, see dynamic hyperlinks.

Pictures

Insert a temporary picture and write the tag in its alt text (right-click > Edit Alt Text), like {d.logo}. Carbone replaces it with the image from the data, given as a public URL or a Base64 data URI. The image is stretched to the size of the temporary picture, so give the temporary picture the same proportions as your images.

DataTemplateResult

data.jsonDownload

{
  "company": "Acme Corporation",
  "manager": "Jane Smith",
  "region": "North America",
  "period": "July to September 2026",
  "logo": "https://carbone.io/img/carbone_icon_v3_github.png"
}

template.xlsxDownload

Cells of the first sheet of template.xlsx
Row	A	B
1	{d.company}
3	Sales manager	{d.manager}
4	Region	{d.region}
5	Period	{d.period}

report.xlsxDownload

Cells of the first sheet of report.xlsx
Row	A	B
1	Acme Corporation
3	Sales manager	Jane Smith
4	Region	North America
5	Period	July to September 2026

Loops do not repeat pictures. A picture in the repeated row stays on the first row. With the pre-release tag, pictures and comments below the loop move down with the rows. Learn more about pictures.

Barcodes

Barcodes are pictures too. Write the :barcode formatter in the alt text of a temporary picture. {d.ean:barcode(ean13, scale:6)} draws the EAN-13 code of the product, and {d.url:barcode(qrcode, scale:6)} draws a QR code of its web page.

DataTemplateResult

data.jsonDownload

{
  "name": "Laptop Pro 14",
  "sku": "LAP-14-2026",
  "ean": "4006381333931",
  "price": 950,
  "url": "https://carbone.io/documentation/design/template-formats/xlsx.html"
}

template.xlsxDownload

XLSX template with barcode and QR code placeholders

Cells of the first sheet of template.xlsx
Row	A	B
1	{d.name}
3	SKU	{d.sku}
4	EAN	{d.ean}
5	Price	{d.price:formatN}

report.xlsxDownload

Excel report with an EAN-13 barcode and a QR code

Cells of the first sheet of report.xlsx
Row	A	B
1	Laptop Pro 14
3	SKU	LAP-14-2026
4	EAN	4006381333931
5	Price	950

The barcode is stretched to the size of the temporary picture, so keep the proportions of the barcode (square for a QR code). scale sets the resolution, from 1 to 10 (3 by default). Learn more about the barcode types and options.

Translations

Write static text in {t( )} tags, and add the :t formatter to translate values from the data. Carbone uses the translations for the lang of the report. This example uses "lang": "fr-fr" and the dictionary in the Translations tab.

DataTranslationsTemplateResult

data.jsonDownload

{
  "title": "Q3 2026 sales",
  "total": 21140,
  "products": [
    { "name": "Laptop",          "category": "Hardware", "qty": 12, "price": 950, "amount": 11400, "status": "In stock" },
    { "name": "27-inch monitor", "category": "Hardware", "qty": 25, "price": 240, "amount": 6000,  "status": "Out of stock" },
    { "name": "Keyboard",        "category": "Hardware", "qty": 60, "price": 35,  "amount": 2100,  "status": "In stock" },
    { "name": "Mouse",           "category": "Hardware", "qty": 80, "price": 12,  "amount": 960,   "status": "Backorder" },
    { "name": "Office license",  "category": "Software", "qty": 4,  "price": 99,  "amount": 396,   "status": "In stock" },
    { "name": "Antivirus",       "category": "Software", "qty": 3,  "price": 45,  "amount": 135,   "status": "Out of stock" },
    { "name": "Cloud backup",    "category": "Software", "qty": 1,  "price": 60,  "amount": 60,    "status": "In stock" },
    { "name": "Installation",    "category": "Services", "qty": 1,  "price": 50,  "amount": 50,    "status": "Backorder" },
    { "name": "Training",        "category": "Services", "qty": 1,  "price": 30,  "amount": 30,    "status": "In stock" },
    { "name": "Maintenance",     "category": "Services", "qty": 1,  "price": 9,   "amount": 9,     "status": "Out of stock" }
  ]
}

translations.jsonDownload

{
  "fr-fr": {
    "Quarterly sales": "Ventes du trimestre",
    "Product": "Produit",
    "Category": "Catégorie",
    "Quantity": "Quantité",
    "Status": "Statut",
    "Hardware": "Matériel",
    "Software": "Logiciel",
    "Services": "Services",
    "In stock": "En stock",
    "Out of stock": "Rupture",
    "Backorder": "En commande"
  }
}

template.xlsxDownload

Cells of the first sheet of template.xlsx
Row	A	B	C	D
1	{t(Quarterly sales)}
3	{t(Product)}	{t(Category)}	{t(Quantity)}	{t(Status)}
4	{d.products[i].name}	{d.products[i].category:t}	{d.products[i].qty:formatN}	{d.products[i].status:t}
5	{d.products[i+1].name}

report.xlsxDownload

Excel report translated in French by Carbone

Cells of the first sheet of report.xlsx
Row	A	B	C	D
1	Ventes du trimestre
3	Produit	Catégorie	Quantité	Statut
4	Laptop	Matériel	12	En stock
5	27-inch monitor	Matériel	25	Rupture
6	Keyboard	Matériel	60	En stock
7	Mouse	Matériel	80	En commande
8	Office license	Logiciel	4	En stock
9	Antivirus	Logiciel	3	Rupture
10	Cloud backup	Logiciel	1	En stock
11	Installation	Services	1	En commande
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Prepare two files: an XLSX template with Carbone tags, like {d.name}, and the JSON data to populate it. You can use the files of the Loops example.
Generate the PDF in one of three ways:
- Use an official Carbone integration, like N8N, Make, Zapier, Airtable or Bubble.
- Use a Carbone SDK: Node.js, Go, Python, Java, JavaScript or PHP.
- Send a POST /render/template HTTP request to the Carbone API, like this curl command:

curl --location --request POST 'https://api.carbone.io/render/template?download=true' \
  --header 'carbone-version: 5' \
  --header 'Content-Type: application/json' \
  --header 'Authorization: Bearer API_TOKEN' \
  --data-raw "{
    \"data\": $(cat loops-data.json),
    \"template\": \"$(base64 -i loops-template.xlsx)\",
    \"convertTo\": \"pdf\"
  }" \
  --output report.pdf

💡 Linux users: replace base64 -i loops-template.xlsx with base64 -w 0 loops-template.xlsx

Key parameters

Parameter	Description
`template`	Your XLSX template, encoded as a Base64 string.
`data`	JSON data used to populate the template.
`convertTo`	`"pdf"`, or another output format: `"xlsx"` (by default), `"ods"`, `"csv"`...
`converter`	Optional: LibreOffice `"L"` (default) or OnlyOffice `"O"`. See converters.
`?download=true`	Query parameter to download the document as a stream.
`Authorization`	Header required for the Carbone Cloud API. Get your API key here.

Each sheet is printed with its own page setup: print area, orientation, scaling, headers and footers. For more details, refer to the Carbone API Documentation.

Row	A	B	C
1	{d.title}
3	MONTH	{d.months[i].name}	{d.months[i+1]}
4	Orders	{d.months[i].orders:formatN}	{d.months[i+1]}
5	Amount	{d.months[i].amount:formatN}	{d.months[i+1]}

XLSX templates

Basic

Loops

Sort and filter

Nested loops

Horizontal loops

Numbers and dates

Conditions

Totals

Formulas

Merged cells

Conditional formatting

Tables and filters

Charts

Pivot tables

Hyperlinks

Pictures

Barcodes

Translations

Page layout

Sheets

Convert XLSX to PDF