--- title: "XL Docs setup" slug: "xl-docs-setup" updated: 2026-10-09T18:21:09Z published: 2026-10-09T18:21:09Z canonical: "help.quickbase.com/xl-docs-setup" --- > ## Documentation Index > Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://help.quickbase.com/llms.txt > Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further. # XL Docs setup The **XL Docs Setup** step is one of the last steps of the wizard. Here you give the details of the documents you want to create: which table the content comes from, what file format the output should be, which template to start from, and where to store the documents—there are more options than a file attachment field. The step has these fields, each with a **?** icon beside it that shows help in the wizard: 1. **Select a Table:** the table you want to create documents from. The list starts with the placeholder *Select a Table*. 2. **Output File Type:** **XLSX** (selected by default), **PDF**, or **CSV**. Every format can be saved in the file attachment field and streamed back to the user's browser. See [Output and storage](https://help.quickbase.com/quickbase-extensions/docs/en/xl-docs-output-and-storage). 3. **Template to Use:** the Excel workbook used to create the documents. Choose one of the options: - **Use Standard Sample Template** (selected by default)—start from a sample workbook, which you can replace later. - **Upload Custom Template**—upload your own workbook (*.xls*, *.xlsx*, or *.xlsm*). You can use an *.xlsm* template, but not all macros are supported, so some macros may not work. - **Use an Existing Template**—shown only when your app already has a **Document Templates** table, for example because you've installed XL Docs on another table in the same app. An **Existing Template Record ID#** box appears: enter the Record ID# of the template record you want to use. Select **Finish** to install, or **Previous** to go back. To set up the template after installation, see [Build a document template](https://help.quickbase.com/quickbase-extensions/docs/en/xl-docs-build-a-template). ## Setup type—bulk document generation When you choose **Bulk Document Generation** in the [Setup Type step](https://help.quickbase.com/quickbase-extensions/docs/en/xl-docs-setup-type), the XL Docs Setup step has two more options, between **Template to Use** and **Advanced Settings**: 1. **Filtering Criteria**—how XL Docs finds the records to create documents for. Neither option is selected at first; choose one: - **Select a Report**—choose a report on the selected table from the **Select a Report** list. When a run starts, documents are created for the records in that report. - **Filter By Query**—build a query that selects the records. When a run starts, documents are created for the records that match the query at that time. 2. **Merge Output Files** (checkbox)—after XL Docs creates the documents found by the **Filtering Criteria**, it merges them all into a single file and saves it on the **XL Docs Batch Processing** control record the run was started from. > [!NOTE] > Note > > Merging works only when the **Output File Type** is **PDF**. The **Use a Repository Table** option isn't offered in bulk mode. Bulk document generation also adds the [Application Token step](https://help.quickbase.com/quickbase-extensions/docs/en/application-token-step) before **Finish**. For how bulk runs work after installation, see [Batch processing](https://help.quickbase.com/quickbase-extensions/docs/en/xl-docs-batch-processing). ## Advanced settings Select **Advanced Settings** to expand these options: 1. **Select a Cloud Storage Type:** store the documents in cloud storage instead of in file attachment fields. Choose **None** (the default), or: To connect Amazon S3 or Dropbox, see [Cloud provider overview and setup](https://help.quickbase.com/quickbase-extensions/docs/en/cloud-provider-overview). - **Amazon S3**—you'll enter your Amazon S3 details in an extra step, described on the [**Amazon S3 setup**](https://help.quickbase.com/quickbase-extensions/docs/en/cloud-provider-amazon-s3-setup) page. You need your AWS account information. - **Dropbox**—store the documents in Dropbox. See [Dropbox setup](https://help.quickbase.com/quickbase-extensions/docs/en/cloud-provider-dropbox-setup). A repository table can't be used with Dropbox. 2. **Use a Repository Table** (checkbox, single document generation only): a separate table in your app that holds all the documents created, so every file is in one place. Checking it adds the **Repository Table Setup** step. A repository table can't be used with Dropbox, so choose **None** or **Amazon S3** as the cloud storage type. Read more on the [**Repository Table Step**](https://help.quickbase.com/quickbase-extensions/docs/en/repository-table-step) page. ## Messages on this step These messages appear on the **XL Docs Setup** step when you continue and something needs fixing. | **Message** | **What to do** | | --- | --- | | *Please select a table.* | Choose a table in **Select a Table**. | | *The usertoken selected does not have permissions to create fields in the table. XL Docs needs permissions to create fields in order to continue the setup.* | The user token you chose in the [Authorization](https://help.quickbase.com/quickbase-extensions/docs/en/step-2-authorization) step belongs to a user who can't add fields to that table. Use a token for a user who can (for example, an app admin), or give the user that permission in Quickbase, then try again. | | *Please upload a valid file for the custom template.* | With **Upload Custom Template**, choose an *.xls*, *.xlsx*, or *.xlsm* workbook to upload. | | *Must supply a Record ID# for the existing template.* | With **Use an Existing Template**, enter the template's Record ID# in **Existing Template Record ID#**. | | *No filtering mode was selected. Please select a filtering mode.* | Bulk setup only. Choose **Select a Report** or **Filter By Query** under **Filtering Criteria**. | | *Report-mode selected, but no report chosen. Please choose a report.* | Choose a report in the **Select a Report** list. | | *Query-mode selected, but query is blank. Please fill in a query.* | Add at least one condition to the query. | For messages you see when creating documents after setup, see [XL Docs messages and troubleshooting](https://help.quickbase.com/quickbase-extensions/docs/en/xl-docs-messages). Next: [XL Docs finish](https://help.quickbase.com/quickbase-extensions/docs/en/xl-docs-finish).