Legacy export
The older template-based Excel export, kept for compatibility.
The legacy export is the original Excel format Specbook supported. It works by stamping data into a fixed Excel template (provided by the team). The newer Miivo workbook export is generally preferred, it's polished, programmatically generated, and easier to maintain, but the legacy format is still available for workflows or customers that depend on the template's exact layout.
When to use it
- A customer has standardised on the template's exact format.
- A trade or supplier expects fields in specific cells of a known sheet.
If neither applies, use the Miivo workbook export instead.
Generate
Open the project.
Click Export in the project header.
Pick Legacy as the format.
Add a version label.
Generate; download from the export history.
How it works
The legacy export merges your project's data into the team-provided Excel template. Each category sheet has a known structure, the exporter writes item values into specific columns starting at a known header row.
Field-to-cell mapping is baked into each category's schema:
- Sheet name, matches the legacy template (case-sensitive, including any trailing spaces).
- Column letter, the column where the field's values are written.
- Header row, values write to (header row + 1) onwards.
- Dynamic rows, for sheets with variable item counts (Tile, Appliances, Paint), the exporter inserts new rows below the header as needed.
Limitations
- Custom columns added via customize columns don't appear in the legacy export. Only standard columns mapped in the schema are written.
- Hidden standard columns are still written (the legacy export ignores hide/show settings).
- Image attachments are embedded at the per-category gutter column, same as the Miivo workbook.
- The legacy export is XLSX-only. PDF output was removed in an earlier release.