Excel → Database App
From a shared Excel file to a real database app
When the team workbook becomes the system of record, it needs what a spreadsheet can’t give: permissions, validation, history and backups. Sheetward generates all of it from the workbook itself.
A review spanning 35 years of studies found errors in 94% of business spreadsheets (Poon et al., Frontiers of Computer Science, 2024). It is rarely the author’s fault — it is the sharing model: concurrent edits, emailed copies, no field validation, no audit trail, and one person who understands the file. Your spreadsheet isn’t the problem. Sharing it is.
Sheetward turns that workbook into a database application: records live in isolated per-app storage with validated writes, role-based access and a full change history — while the workbook remains the human-readable design.
How it works
Describe the data in your workbook
Fields, data types, dropdown lists and business keys — expressed as ordinary sheets and Rules_ rows. No schema editor, no SQL.
Generate the database app
Upload the workbook. Sheetward creates the app with its own isolated dataset, validated entry forms, a searchable records grid and dashboards.
Migrate your rows
Bulk-import the records from your old file — every row is validated on the way in, and business keys update matching rows instead of duplicating them. Export everything back out whenever you want.
What "a real database" gets you
Isolated data per app
Each app’s records are fenced off from every other app — even inside the same workspace.
Validated writes
Rules run on every save, so nothing invalid is ever stored — no more silently broken rows.
Roles & permissions
Owner, editor and viewer per app, plus workspace-level admin, builder and member roles. Viewers see masked sensitive fields.
Change history & audit
Every record carries who changed it and when; workspace actions land in an audit log the admin can review.
Backups & recovery
Scheduled backups, a recycle bin for deleted records, one-click export and non-destructive restore.
Field-level encryption
Sensitive fields are encrypted before they reach the database (AES-256-GCM), and card numbers are stored last-4 only.
Why teams pick Sheetward
- No SQL, no devops — the schema comes from your workbook, and search, filters and dashboards are built in.
- Real multi-user: records, not files. No locked workbook, no v27_FINAL_final.xlsx.
- Take it with you: publish any app as a standalone bundle and run it on your own hardware, offline.
- Know your bill: flat plans, no per-user pricing, no update meters.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need to know SQL?
No. The database schema is generated from your workbook, and everything you would use SQL for — searching, filtering, reporting — is built into the app as a records grid and dashboards.
Can several people edit at once?
Yes — that is the point of moving off a shared file. Work happens per record, not per file: there is no lock to fight over and no conflicting copies, and every save is validated and attributed.
How is the data secured?
Role-based access per app, server-side masking of sensitive fields for viewer roles, field-level encryption (AES-256-GCM) before values reach the database, card numbers stored last-4 only, and an audit log of changes.
What about backups?
Scheduled backups, a recycle bin for deleted records, one-click export to Excel, CSV or JSON, and non-destructive restore — your data is yours to keep and to get back.
Is my data locked in?
No. Export everything back to Excel, CSV or JSON at any time — or publish the app as a standalone bundle and run it yourself, with the data included, independent of Sheetward hosting.