How to use VLOOKUP between workbooks in ONLYOFFICE Docs 9.1 integrated with eXo Platform 7.1?

Docs
1

Hi ONLYOFFICE Community,

I am using ONLYOFFICE Docs 9.1 integrated with eXo Platform 7.1.

I would like to ask about using VLOOKUP between two separate workbook files stored in eXo Platform.

I have two files:

  1. Data_Transaksi_VLOOKUP.xlsx
    This is the transaction workbook where I want to write the VLOOKUP formula.

  2. MasterProduk.xlsx
    This is the master data workbook that contains product codes, product names, categories, prices, and suppliers.

In Microsoft Excel, I can type a formula like =VLOOKUP(, then switch to another workbook, select the lookup range directly, and Excel automatically inserts the external workbook reference into the formula.

I tried to do the same in ONLYOFFICE Docs 9.1 Online integrated with eXo Platform 7.1, but I could not select the range from another workbook directly while writing the formula.

I also tried using an external reference formula like this:

=VLOOKUP(C4,'[MasterProduk.xlsx]MasterProduk'!$A$1:$F$100,2,FALSE)

However, it does not work as expected and sometimes returns an error.

The workaround that seems to work is:

  1. Open the master workbook.

  2. Copy the master data range.

  3. Paste it into the transaction workbook using Paste Link.

  4. Then use VLOOKUP against the linked range inside the transaction workbook.

For example:

=VLOOKUP(C4,$J$8:$N$23,2,0)

This works, but it is not very efficient because I need to insert the master data as a linked range first.

My questions are:

  1. Is it possible in ONLYOFFICE Docs 9.1 integrated with eXo Platform 7.1 to use VLOOKUP between two separate workbooks by directly selecting the source workbook/range, similar to Microsoft Excel?

  2. If yes, what are the exact steps?

  3. If not, is using Paste Link the only supported method for using external workbook data in formulas?

  4. Does this feature require additional implementation from the eXo Platform / ONLYOFFICE integration side, such as support for external reference data?

  5. Is direct range selection from another workbook while writing formulas supported in ONLYOFFICE Docs 9.1, or is it planned for a future version?

Thank you

2

Hi, thank you for the detailed description. In ONLYOFFICE online spreadsheets, work with external links between workbooks depends not only on the editor itself but also on the integration side, and for online mode this scenario must be implemented by the document management/integration service.

So in your case with ONLYOFFICE Docs integrated with eXo Platform, direct selecting of a range from another workbook while typing a formula will work correctly only if the eXo connector supports the required external reference flow.

If this logic is not implemented in the connector, external references may fail, return errors, or work only through a workaround such as Paste Link.

To clarify the situation, could you please provide the following details:

  • Are you using the official eXo connector, or a custom/self-developed integration?
  • If it is the official connector, what exact connector version are you using?
  • If it is a custom integration, please share the editor initialization config for both the source and destination spreadsheets, especially the parts related to document.referenceData and events.
  • Please also send browser DevTools screenshots from the Console and Network tabs at the moment when you try to create the external reference.

Once we have this information, we will be able to clarify whether this is an integration limitation, a configuration issue, or unexpected behavior.

Please also note that we recommend updating ONLYOFFICE Docs to the latest available version and re-checking the same scenario there, because newer builds include various improvements and fixes.