From a cell to the records you need.

A connection tells CellLens which database to reach. A lookup defines which table or query to read, how to match your Excel value and which columns to show. You can reuse one connection in several lookups.

You need Windows and desktop Excel, the Microsoft prerequisites listed on the product page, network access to the database and credentials approved by your administrator. Ask for a database account with read-only access to the tables or views you need.

1. Download CellLens from the product page and close Excel. If .NET Framework 4.8 is missing, choose Download and install in Setup. Internet access and administrator approval are required. If a restart is needed, save your work, restart Windows and reopen the installer. Reopen Excel after CellLens finishes installing.
2. Open the CellLens ribbon tab and choose Settings.
3. Have a known product code ready in a worksheet cell. Preserve leading zeros by storing codes as text where needed.

The examples below use two independent connections: Inventory demo — SQL Server and Sales demo — PostgreSQL. These demo databases are not included with the add-in.

1. Open Settings → Connections and choose Add. Use a name such as Inventory or Customer orders.
2. Open the connection editor and choose the database type. Enter the server, database and authentication details supplied by your administrator.
3. Use Test connection. A successful test confirms access to the server; permissions for a specific table still matter.
4. Save the connection and apply your settings. Repeat for the second source.

SQL Server: use the configured server or instance and either database credentials or Windows authentication. PostgreSQL: provide the server, port, database and user; tables are usually qualified by a schema such as public. MySQL and Firebird connections are also supported.

Keep certificate validation enabled for SQL Server and PostgreSQL. The option to trust a server certificate should only be used for a server your administrator has verified. Saved passwords use Windows user protection; each Windows user needs their own access configuration.

1. Go to Settings → Lookups, add a lookup and name it Product & stock.
2. Choose the inventory connection and Simple mode.
3. Select the Table / view, for example dbo.stock_variants. Use Refresh from database if the table or column list needs updating.
4. Choose Exact under Match mode.
5. Move the SKU column into the right-hand list and mark it under Search on. This is the field matched against the selected Excel value.
6. Add the other columns you want to read. Set a practical Result limit, such as 50; the allowed range is 1–500.
7. Confirm the editor and apply the Settings changes.

SKU is the search field in this example. To search by another field, click its circle under Search on, save, and select the corresponding value in Excel. See how to change the search field for a step-by-step example.

One SKU can return several rows. In the sample stock table, each row represents a colour, size and location. Eight matching rows are eight stock records for the same product.

The connection becomes fixed once a table is chosen. For a different source, create another lookup; if the same database moves server, update its connection settings.

In Columns to show, the left list contains available database fields. The right list contains the columns your lookup will display.

1. Select a field on the left and click ▶ to include it. A double-click on the available field also adds it. Use Ctrl or Shift to select several fields.
2. Select a field on the right and click ◀ to stop showing it.
3. Use ▲ and ▼ beside the chosen list to move a column earlier or later. The list from top to bottom becomes the result table from left to right.
4. Keep the SKU near the beginning, then group descriptive fields and quantities. Save the lookup to retain this order.

Leaving the right list empty means show all columns, not show none. For a predictable layout, select the columns explicitly. Moving columns in these lists does not change the database schema.

1. Double-click a column in the right-hand chosen list.
2. Enter the heading the panel should show: for example, change available_qty to Available.
3. Press Enter or click away to finish. Press Esc to cancel the edit.
4. Save the lookup. Clear a custom heading to restore the original database name.

This changes the displayed heading only. The lookup still reads the original database field. In Advanced mode, use SQL column aliases for the headings, as shown below.

Search on chooses the database field to search. CellLens compares the value of your selected Excel cell with that field. In the screenshot, the filled circle beside SKU means the lookup searches by product code.

1. To search by a different field, find it in the right-hand Shown in the panel list. If it is missing, add it from the available columns with ▶.
2. Click its circle under Search on. The previous selection clears automatically: Simple mode uses one search field per lookup.
3. Save the lookup and apply the Settings changes. In Excel, select a cell containing a value for the new field.

Example: select warehouse (Location) under Search on and keep Exact as the match mode. A cell containing Main showroom then returns stock records for that location, across matching products, up to the configured Result limit. A cell containing a SKU still searches the Location field until you change the setting back. You can save separate lookups for different search fields.

The search box above the available columns narrows the list of field names while you configure the lookup. It does not filter the returned records. Clear it to see all available fields again.

• Exact: use a complete product or order code. This is the best starting point for SKU lookups.
• Starts with: use a prefix when you want several related codes.
• Contains: use part of a value when the code is embedded in longer text. It may return many matches and can be slower on large tables.

The Search on mark identifies the one field used for this match. Text comparisons also depend on the database’s collation and data types.

For additional record conditions such as available stock greater than zero or confirmed orders only, use a database view prepared by your administrator or an Advanced SQL lookup with a WHERE condition. The Simple column search is not a general record filter.

In the chosen columns list, click the mark under Order by for a column. Repeated clicks cycle through ascending → descending → no sorting.

1. Click Colour first: its number is 1, the primary sort.
2. Click Size next: 2 sorts rows that share the same colour.
3. Click Location next: 3 breaks the remaining ties.

To change the priority, remove the affected sort marks and add them again in the desired sequence. Moving a display column with ▲ or ▼ changes the column layout; it does not redefine the sort priority.

For recent orders first, set Order date to descending. The A–Z control above the available fields only sorts that field list, not the query results. With a result limit, choose a meaningful sort so the returned subset is useful. In Advanced mode, write the desired ORDER BY in SQL.

1. Select a worksheet cell with a known SKU, such as TESSA74X.
2. Click CellLens → Lookup. The active lookup reads the selected value and displays its matching records.
3. Open the panel’s gear menu and select Product & stock or another saved lookup.
4. Select another SKU. If selection-following is enabled in your settings, the panel follows it; otherwise, run Lookup again.
5. Use Refresh in the panel menu when you want to request the data again.

Read the footer to confirm the value being looked up, the returned record count and whether the result came from a live database or cache. A result limit can mean the displayed rows are only part of the matches.

The demo’s stock lookup and customer-orders lookup read different databases. Switching lookups keeps you in Excel; it does not merge the sources into one table.

Create a second lookup called Customer orders using your sales connection. In Simple mode, choose its order table or view, mark SKU under Search on, then show Order, Customer, Order date, Quantity, Unit price and Status. Sort the order date descending.

Keep the two lookups clearly named. Your stock lookup can use SQL Server while the orders lookup uses PostgreSQL. Each requires its own valid connection and access to its own tables.

Test both using a SKU that exists in each source. A stock record does not imply that there are any orders for that SKU.

Use Advanced mode when the Simple table picker is not enough. Duplicate a working lookup first so you can keep the original. Select the correct connection, switch Mode to Advanced and enter a query that uses that database’s SQL syntax.

Write @value where the selected Excel value belongs, without quotes around it. CellLens sends it as a bound parameter. Do not paste a changing SKU into the query text.

This illustrative PostgreSQL query assumes your administrator has created the table and columns shown here. Adapt their names to your database before using it:

SELECT sku AS "SKU",
       customer_name AS "Customer",
       order_date AS "Order date",
       quantity AS "Qty",
       unit_price AS "Unit EUR",
       quantity * unit_price AS "Total EUR",
       status AS "Status"
FROM public.order_lines
WHERE sku = @value
  AND status = 'Confirmed'
ORDER BY order_date DESC, order_id DESC

• SELECT defines the columns and their left-to-right order.
• AS gives a field a readable heading.
• WHERE sku = @value matches the selected cell; the second condition restricts the orders to Confirmed.
• ORDER BY sorts the result. Add a stable tie-breaker when dates can be equal.

SQL Server uses its own schema and quoting conventions, such as dbo.order_lines and AS [Customer]. Use the syntax appropriate to the chosen connection. A JOIN normally combines tables reachable by that same connection; selecting a lookup does not automatically join SQL Server with PostgreSQL.

Keep queries read-only, retain a sensible result limit and ask your database administrator to review joins and performance on large tables. A read-only database account is the appropriate permission boundary. Save, run the lookup for a known code and check its rows and totals before relying on it.

Open the gear menu and choose Move panel to, or set the docking position and dimensions in Settings → Panel. A top panel suits wide order tables; a right-side panel keeps results alongside the worksheet.

Resize columns by dragging their header boundaries. Right-click a result column header to choose a column colour. Use colour sparingly for fields such as SKU or Available. For a saved column order and readable headings, edit the lookup’s Columns to show list.

Use Open in window in the gear menu when you want a separate viewer. The worksheet stays available while you read the results.

Reading records in CellLens does not edit the database. In the docked panel, Write value to sheet and the double-click action can insert a result value into Excel when that action is enabled in Settings.

Select the intended destination in Excel before using the write action. Check the active cell, especially if it contains the SKU you used for the lookup, and save the workbook if you want to retain an inserted value. Use a single click when you only want to select a result for reading.

No matching records

Confirm the SKU, Search on field, Match mode, selected table and connection. Check spaces, leading zeros and whether that code actually exists in this source.

Only one row appears

The chosen table may hold one product summary per SKU. For colour, size, location or order lines, choose a table or view that actually contains those separate records. Also check Result limit.

A field is missing

Clear the field-list search, refresh from the database and check the selected columns. In Advanced mode, check SELECT and its aliases.

The database test fails

Check server details, VPN/network access, credentials, certificates and permissions with your administrator.

Advanced SQL returns an error

Check schema and field names, database-specific syntax and the unquoted @value parameter. Confirm that the selected account can read every referenced table or view.

Results look incomplete or old

Check the result limit, sort order and footer cache indicator; use Refresh and verify the source data.

If you need help, send your CellLens and Excel versions, database type, exact error message and the steps to reproduce it to hello@rigacell.com. About includes Save diagnostics…. Review any file or screenshot before sharing it and remove passwords and customer data.