Convert text to an Organization data type

In Excel, the Organization data type is used to turn a list of company or organization names into rich data with additional information such as employee count, location, industry, and more. This is part of Excel’s Data Types feature, which connects to online data sources to provide rich information beyond just the name of an organization.

Here’s how to convert text to an Organization data type in Excel:

Steps to Convert Text to the Organization Data Type

1. Enter the Organization Names in Cells:
   • Type a list of organization names (e.g., company names) into a column in your worksheet.
2. Select the Cells Containing the Organization Names:
   • Click and drag to select the cells that contain the organization names you want to convert to the Organization data type.
3. Convert to Organization Data Type:
   • Go to the Data tab in the Ribbon.
   • In the Data Types group, click on Organizations. Excel will attempt to recognize the organization names and match them to online data.
4. Check for Successful Conversion:
   • If the text is successfully converted to the Organization data type, the cell will display an icon of a building (which represents an organization).
   • The cell now contains more than just text; it’s linked to rich data.
5. Extract Additional Information:
   • After converting to the Organization data type, you can pull additional information from the linked data.
   • Click on a cell with the Organization data type.
   • A small Insert Data button will appear on the right side of the cell. Click this button to open a list of available fields such as Employee Count, Industry, Headquarters Location, Revenue, and more.
   • Select the data you want to add (e.g., Employee Count) and press Enter. This will populate the adjacent cell with the information.
6. Refresh Data:
   • If the data in the Organization data type gets updated or you need to refresh it, simply select the cell or range and go to Data > Refresh All to pull the latest information.

Important Notes:

• Availability: The Organization data type is available in Excel for Microsoft 365 or Excel 2021 (and later). It requires an internet connection to access the external data source.
• Data Fields: Depending on the organization, different fields (e.g., revenue, headquarters) will be available. Not all fields will be available for every organization.
• Error Handling: If Excel cannot match an organization name to a valid record in its data source, the cell may remain in text format or show an error.

By converting organization names to this data type, you can enrich your workbook with detailed, real-time information and better analyze business data across multiple companies.