# Export Templates

# Introduction

The WithExportTemplate concern lets you base an export on an existing spreadsheet file. Instead of starting from a blank workbook, Laravel Excel loads the template file and writes your data into it — preserving existing styles, formulas, page setup, additional sheets, and any other content defined in the template.

# Basic usage

Implement WithExportTemplate and return the absolute path to the template file from exportTemplate():

namespace App\Exports;

use Maatwebsite\Excel\Concerns\Exportable;
use Maatwebsite\Excel\Concerns\FromArray;
use Maatwebsite\Excel\Concerns\WithCustomStartCell;
use Maatwebsite\Excel\Concerns\WithExportTemplate;

class ReportExport implements FromArray, WithCustomStartCell, WithExportTemplate
{
    use Exportable;

    public function array(): array
    {
        return [
            ['Patrick', 'Brouwers'],
            ['Taylor', 'Otwell'],
        ];
    }

    public function startCell(): string
    {
        return 'A3';
    }

    public function exportTemplate(): string
    {
        return storage_path('templates/report.xlsx');
    }
}
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29

In this example the template already has a title in A1, a formula in C3 and landscape page orientation. Those are preserved in the output; only rows from A3 downward are written by the export.

# What is preserved

Everything in the template file is kept unless your export explicitly overwrites it:

  • Styles and formatting — fonts, borders, fills, number formats
  • Formulas — cells with formulas remain intact
  • Page setup — orientation, margins, print area
  • Additional sheets — extra worksheets in the template are carried over to the output

# Combining with WithMultipleSheets

When your export uses WithMultipleSheets, each sheet in the export is written into the corresponding worksheet in the template (by position). Any template worksheets beyond the number of export sheets are preserved as-is.

class MultiSheetReportExport implements WithMultipleSheets, WithExportTemplate
{
    use Exportable;

    public function sheets(): array
    {
        return [
            new DataSheet,
            new SummarySheet,
        ];
    }

    public function exportTemplate(): string
    {
        return storage_path('templates/multi-sheet-report.xlsx');
    }
}
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17

# Queued exports

WithExportTemplate works with queued exports. The template path is resolved when the first chunk job runs.

class QueuedReportExport implements FromQuery, ShouldQueue, WithExportTemplate
{
    use Exportable, Queueable;

    public function query(): Builder
    {
        return Report::query();
    }

    public function exportTemplate(): string
    {
        return storage_path('templates/report.xlsx');
    }
}
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14

Make sure the template file exists and is readable when the job runs. If you store templates on a remote disk, copy them to local storage first or use an absolute local path.

← Presentation →