Introduction to importing linking and exporting data in access

One of the most useful features of Access is its ability to interface with data from many other programs. In fact, it's difficult to summarize in a single article all the ways in which you can move data into and out of Access.

What do you want to do?

Import or link to data

• Import or link to data in another Access database

• Import database objects into the current Access database

• Import or link to data in an Excel workbook

• Import or link to data in an SQL Server database

• Link to or import data from an Azure SQL Server Database - Access 2016 only

• Import or link to data in a text file

• Import or link to data in a SharePoint list

• Link to or import from dBASE

• Link to or import data from Salesforce - Microsoft 365 Apps for enterprise, Office 365 Enterprise E3, and Office 365 Enterprise E5 only

• Link to or import data from Dynamics 365 - Microsoft 365 Apps for enterprise, Office 365 Enterprise E3, and Office 365 Enterprise E5 only

• Import or link to contacts from an Outlook address book

• Link to a Data Service

• Import data from an Access database into an Access web app - Access 2013 and Access 2016 only

• Import Access 2.0 and Access 95 databases into current versions

Export data

• Export a database object to another Access database

• Export data to Excel

• Export data to a text file

• Use mail merge to send Access data to Word

• Export Access data to a Word document

• Export data to dBASE

• Export contacts to an Outlook address book

• Export a table or query to a SharePoint site

• Export Access web app tables to SharePoint - Access 2013 and Access 2016 only

• Export Access web app tables to an Access desktop database - Access 2013 and Access 2016 only

What else should I know?

• Manage linked tables

• Save the details of an import or export operation as a specification

• Run a saved import or export specification

• Schedule an import or export specification

• Manage Data Tasks - Dialog

• Export linked data source information to Excel - Access 2016 only

• Work offline with tables that are linked to SharePoint lists