Answers to common questions about managing documents in DataSnipper for Excel.
Can I edit source documents within DataSnipper?
You can rename documents and pages, rotate pages, and add comments to source documents. You cannot edit the actual content within the PDF itself.
Can DataSnipper read password-protected files?
Yes. When importing a password-protected file, DataSnipper will prompt you for the password. Once imported, the document is no longer password-protected inside DataSnipper. Tip: password-protect the Excel workbook itself if the embedded documents should remain protected.
How does importing documents work?
If "Include PDFs in Excel" is enabled (the default): imported documents are copied and embedded in the Excel file. Anyone with DataSnipper can view them, and the original files are not linked — changes to the originals have no effect on the embedded versions.
If "Include PDFs in Excel" is turned off: DataSnipper references the original file at its stored location rather than embedding it. The document is not in the Excel file itself, so other users can only view it if they have access to the same file path. Changes to the original document will be reflected in DataSnipper.
Can I use DataSnipper without internet access?
Yes. Most DataSnipper functionality works offline because it is a local application. Features that require an internet connection are OCR (Text Recognition), the Getting Started panel, and the Feedback button.
What should I do if Excel becomes slow after importing many documents?
Three options, in order of recommendation:
Compress documents: go to DataSnipper, then Documents, then Remove, then Compress imported documents. Best done after OCR and before snipping.
Switch off "Include PDFs in Excel": this reduces workbook size. Do this before snipping, and switch it back on when sharing with colleagues so the documents are included.
Remove files: go to DataSnipper, then Documents, then Remove, then choose to remove specific documents or pages without Snips.
What happens if I import two documents with the same filename?
Only the first document will be imported. DataSnipper does not allow multiple documents with the same name. Rename the first document in the Document Viewer before importing the second one.
By default, DataSnipper stores any documents that you import into a workbook inside the workbook itself. It does this by serializing the documents into byte strings and storing them inside Custom XML objects.
This has benefits, such as being able to share workbooks with imported documents seamlessly with colleagues. However, it also increases the size of the workbook. Depending on the number of imported documents, this can affect workbook performance.
Referencing documents at their storage location
DataSnipper can instead reference documents at their storage location, so the documents do not need to be stored inside the workbook. You can toggle this option using the slider in the DataSnipper ribbon.
With this slider toggled off, DataSnipper references the documents at their original storage location. The documents are no longer stored inside the workbook, which can improve performance when working with large sets of supporting documentation.
Important
When this setting is turned off, DataSnipper references the supporting documents at the storage location relative to the active workbook. For example, if a workbook is stored at C:/ and the imported documents are stored at C:/Documents, the relative filepath is /Documents.
For DataSnipper to reference these documents, the relative filepath must stay the same. This is an important consideration when you want to share DataSnipper workbooks with other people.
Workbook sharing best practice
If documents are not stored inside the workbook, it is best practice to create a ZIP folder containing the active workbook and the supporting documentation before sharing. This ensures that when a second user receives the workbook and supporting documentation, the relative filepath stays the same and DataSnipper can locate the documents.
If you have any questions about this functionality, contact our support team at [email protected].