How to Bulk Update SQL Server from Excel: The Complete Guide

Option 1: Generate UPDATE Statements

The simplest approach: use Excel formulas to build SQL UPDATE statements.

If Column A has the ID and Column B has the new value:

="UPDATE MyTable SET ColumnName = '"&B2&"' WHERE ID = "&A2&";"

Drag down, copy the resulting SQL, paste into SQL Server Management Studio, review, execute.

Pros: Works anywhere, no special tools needed.
Cons: Manual, error-prone, doesn't scale well past a few hundred rows.

Option 2: The Import/Export Wizard

SQL Server Management Studio includes an Import/Export Wizard that can read Excel files.

Right-click database → Tasks → Import Data. Choose Excel as source, SQL Server as destination.

For updates (not inserts), you'd typically import to a staging table, then run UPDATE...FROM to merge with the target table.

Pros: Built into SSMS, handles large datasets.
Cons: Doesn't do updates directly, requires staging table workflow.

Option 3: Linked Server + OPENROWSET

If your SQL Server can access the Excel file (network share, for example):

UPDATE t SET t.Column = e.Column FROM MyTable t JOIN OPENROWSET('Microsoft.ACE.OLEDB.12.0', 'Excel 12.0;Database=C:\\path\\file.xlsx', 'SELECT * FROM [Sheet1$]') e ON t.ID = e.ID

Pros: Single query does the update.
Cons: Requires ACE provider installed on server, file path access, security configuration.

Option 4: SSIS Package

SQL Server Integration Services can be configured to read Excel and update tables with full error handling, logging, and scheduling.

Pros: Enterprise-grade, automatable, handles errors gracefully.
Cons: Complex setup, requires SSIS knowledge, overkill for ad-hoc updates.

Common Pitfalls

• Data type mismatches: Excel might store numbers as text, causing SQL errors
• NULL handling: Empty cells vs. actual NULLs behave differently
• Transaction size: 100,000 UPDATE statements in one batch can lock tables
• No rollback plan: Always backup or use transactions for large updates

Official Resources

• UPDATE statement — SQL Server UPDATE syntax
• INSERT statement — SQL Server INSERT syntax