How to deploy a spreadsheet as a web app

Why deploy a spreadsheet instead of sharing the file?

Shared spreadsheets break in predictable ways: two people overwrite each other's edits, formulas get deleted, there is no record of who changed what, and everyone with the link can see every column. Deploying it as a web app gives you:

• Logins and roles. Each person sees and edits only what they should.
• A real database. Validation on every field, so "March" never ends up in a date column again.
• An audit trail. Every change is recorded with who made it and when.
• Forms instead of rows. People submit clean entries instead of typing into a grid.
• One live URL. No more v7_FINAL_final.xlsx.

Step 1: Export your spreadsheet

From Excel, save as .xlsx or .csv. From Google Sheets, use File, then Download, then CSV or Excel. Review each tab and map it deliberately to models and relations; formulas, macros, formatting, and permissions do not automatically become app behavior.

Step 2: Attach it in an external MCP client

Connect Claude, ChatGPT, Cursor, or Codex to Benmore over MCP, attach the spreadsheet in that client, and say what you want in plain language. For example:

"This is our equipment checkout log. Turn it into an app where staff log in, check equipment in and out, and managers see an overview dashboard. Email me when anything is overdue."

The external AI client reads the columns and uses Benmore's MCP tools to create the schema, import rows, and assemble list views, forms, dashboards, and login pages. You steer the work in that client's conversation and review the result in the Benmore workspace.

Step 3: Validate the import

Before importing, confirm column types, dates/timezones, required values, duplicate handling, and foreign-key mapping. Ask the agent to read api(at:"import"), report accepted/rejected row counts, and compare totals and representative records with the original file. A successful request with zero processed rows is not a successful import.

Test each role with separate accounts, including a user who must not see another user's records. Implement the necessary forms, editable tables, and export controls; these are app UI features you verify, not an automatic copy of the spreadsheet.

Step 4: Share the verified production app

Review the development URL returned by the platform, then follow the release workflow to promote and publish. Configure user access before inviting teammates. Promotion moves source, not imported dev rows: plan the production import separately and verify its counts. Add and test Excel export where your app needs it.

Frequently asked questions

Can I import an existing Excel or Google Sheets file?

Yes. Attach .xlsx or .csv files in an external MCP client such as Claude or ChatGPT and ask it to import the rows into typed tables.

Can people still edit data in a table view?

Yes. Ask your agent to build and verify table views, inline editing, and forms for your workflow. Spreadsheet formulas and macros need explicit equivalents.

Is it secure?

Every app gets HTTPS, authenticated sessions, role-based access control, rate limiting, and an audit log of every change. Data lives in your app's own isolated database.

How much does it cost?

Benmore prices plans by app capacity and publishing, not per prompt or per seat. There is a free tier to build and test, and paid plans when you go to production. See pricing.

Do I need to know how to code?

No. Describe what you want in an external MCP client; it writes and deploys through Benmore. Developers can also work from the terminal with the Benmore CLI.