Importing HTML Reports

Already have reports from Tableau, Crystal Reports, SSRS, or Power BI? Just export as HTML and upload to Scoop - or forward the email directly. Scoop intelligently extracts tables from any HTML report, handling complex layouts automatically.

Supported BI Tools

Scoop can import HTML exports from any tool that generates standard HTML tables:

How It Works

When you upload an HTML file, Scoop automatically:

1. Parses the HTML using industry-standard parsing
2. Extracts all tables found in the document
3. Handles complex layouts:
   • Rowspan (cells spanning multiple rows)
   • Colspan (cells spanning multiple columns)
   • Nested tables (tables within table cells)
4. Detects column types (numbers, dates, text)
5. Creates a clean dataset ready for analysis

Quick Start

Option 1: Direct Upload

1. Export your report as HTML from your BI tool
2. Navigate to Sources in Scoop
3. Click New Dataset > Upload File
4. Select your HTML file
5. Scoop extracts tables automatically

Option 2: Email Forwarding

1. Configure your BI tool to email reports as HTML
2. Forward the email to your Scoop inbox address
3. Scoop processes the HTML attachment automatically

See Email Automated Imports for email setup details.

What Gets Extracted

Scoop extracts data from standard HTML table elements:

<table>
  <thead>
    <tr><th>Column 1</th><th>Column 2</th></tr>
  </thead>
  <tbody>
    <tr><td>Value 1</td><td>Value 2</td></tr>
  </tbody>
</table>

Handling Complex Tables

Rowspan Example: If a cell spans multiple rows, Scoop duplicates the value for each row:

Nested Tables: Tables within tables are extracted as separate datasets, allowing you to analyze both the outer summary and inner details.

Best Practices

For Best Results

1. Use "Save as HTML" rather than "Print to PDF" - HTML preserves table structure
2. Include column headers - Helps Scoop identify column names
3. Avoid merged cells when possible - Simple tables extract more cleanly
4. Export data tables, not charts - Scoop extracts tabular data, not images

Exporting from Common Tools

Tableau:

1. Open your worksheet or dashboard
2. File > Export > HTML
3. Choose "Full" or "Data" (Data gives cleaner tables)

Crystal Reports:

1. Open your report
2. File > Export
3. Select "HTML 4.0" format
4. Save and upload to Scoop

SSRS:

1. Run your report
2. Click Export dropdown
3. Select "HTML 4.0" or "Web archive"
4. Save and upload to Scoop

Power BI:

1. Publish report to Power BI Service
2. Export visual as data table
3. Or use "Publish to web" and save the page

Troubleshooting

No Tables Found

Problem: Scoop says no tables were found in the HTML file.

Causes:

• The report uses CSS/div layouts instead of HTML tables
• The HTML is JavaScript-rendered (tables generated by scripts)
• The file is actually a different format (PDF, image)

Solutions:

• Try a different export format from your BI tool
• Use "Export as Data" options when available
• Check the HTML file in a text editor - look for <table> tags

Missing Data

Problem: Some rows or columns are missing from the extracted data.

Causes:

• Complex nested table structures
• Hidden rows or columns in the original
• Very wide tables truncated on export

Solutions:

• Simplify the report layout before exporting
• Export specific data ranges rather than entire dashboards
• Check the original HTML for hidden elements

Garbled Text

Problem: Text appears mangled or concatenated incorrectly.

Causes:

• Email clients (Apple Mail, Gmail) sometimes split text into spans
• Character encoding issues

Solutions:

• Scoop automatically fixes common email text mangling
• Ensure the HTML file is saved with UTF-8 encoding
• Try uploading directly rather than via email

Wrong Column Types

Problem: Numbers are treated as text, or dates aren't recognized.

Causes:

• Formatting characters (currency symbols, commas)
• Non-standard date formats

Solutions:

• Scoop handles most common formats automatically
• Use the column configuration in Scoop to set correct types
• Consider cleaning data in the source before export

Automation Tips

Scheduled Report Emails

Many BI tools can schedule report emails. Configure them to:

1. Send as HTML (not PDF)
2. Include table data (not just charts)
3. Use consistent subject lines (for inbox routing)

Using SCOOP_DATE()

Override the inferred date by including in the email subject:

Weekly Sales Report SCOOP_DATE(2024-01-15)

This ensures the data is timestamped correctly for snapshotting.

Comparison: HTML vs Other Formats

Recommendation: When exporting from BI tools, HTML is often the best choice because it preserves table structure while remaining easy to process.

Related Resources

• Email Automated Imports - Set up automated report ingestion
• Grouped Report Handling - For reports with subtotals
• Best Practices for Source Reports