Work order template for Excel and Google Sheets

You can get a work order into Excel or Google Sheets without building a template: fill in the work order generator, select Download CSV and open the file in your spreadsheet. The download is a CSV file, a plain format every spreadsheet program reads, not an Excel workbook. This guide explains what the file contains and how to turn it into a running list of all your work orders.

How to get the file

1. Open the work order generator and fill in the work order. Load example shows sample data if you want to see the result first.
2. Select Download CSV. The file is named after your work order number.
3. Open it:
   • Excel: open the file directly, then choose Save As to keep it as an Excel workbook.
   • Google Sheets: choose File, then Import, upload the file and import it as a new sheet.

Everything happens in your browser. Nothing you type is sent to a server.

What the file contains

The file has one row for each task, each material and each checklist item, plus one row for the notes. The first column, row_type, says which kind of row it is: task, material, checklist or notes.

Every row repeats the work order's details, so each row makes sense alone:

• work_order_number, title
• asset_name, asset_id, location
• priority, date, due_date
• assigned_to, requested_by

The remaining columns describe the line itself:

• line_number: the position of the task, material or checklist item.
• description: the task, the material name, the checklist item or the notes.
• quantity, unit_cost, line_total, currency: filled in for materials. Costs are in US dollars.

Keep all your work orders in one sheet

Because every row carries the work order number, you can paste the rows from each file into the same sheet and build a register of all your jobs:

1. Keep the header row from the first file.
2. For each new work order, paste its rows below, without the header.
3. Use your spreadsheet's filter on work_order_number, asset_id or due_date to find what you need.

Filtering row_type to task shows every task across all jobs; filtering it to material shows what was used.

Good to know

• Text stays text. If something you typed starts with a character a spreadsheet would treat as a formula, such as an equals sign, the file puts an apostrophe in front so it shows as text.
• Dates are written as year, month and day, such as 2027-01-15, which spreadsheets sort correctly.
• The printed layout is separate. For a work order that looks like a form, use Print or save as PDF in the generator, or print the blank work order form.

Limits

• It is not an Excel template file. There are no formulas, colors or print layout in the CSV; it holds the data.
• The spreadsheet does not update by itself. Each download is a copy of one work order at that moment.
• A spreadsheet does not assign or remind. It lists the work; it does not notify anyone or track who changed what.

Related

For the equipment's history in a spreadsheet, see the maintenance log template for Excel.

Common questions

Is the work order template a downloadable Excel file?

No. The work order generator downloads a CSV file, a plain format that Excel, Google Sheets and other spreadsheet programs open directly. Once it is open you can save it as an Excel workbook.

How do I open the work order CSV in Google Sheets?

In Google Sheets, choose File, then Import, upload the CSV file and import it as a new sheet. Each task, material and checklist item appears on its own row.

Can I keep all my work orders in one spreadsheet?

Yes. Paste the rows from each CSV into the same sheet. Every row carries the work order number, so you can filter or sort by job, by asset ID or by due date.