xlmerg

A simple, powerful web-based tool for merging Excel files while preserving manual data entries. Perfect for Vanta.com access exports and compliance workflows!

🎯 Perfect for Vanta.com Users:

Weekly Access Reviews Made Easy:

• Export access data from Vanta.com with updated user lists and permissions
• Preserve your manual review entries (conducted by, approved by, access decisions)
• Handle new users and tools added to your environment automatically
• Maintain compliance audit trails while updating system data

Common Vanta Workflow:

1. New employee joins → Appears in fresh Vanta export
2. New tool added → Shows up in access export with new permissions
3. Role changes → Updated in Vanta but need to preserve review history
4. xlmerg solution → Merge new data while keeping all manual review work

✨ Key Features

• 🌐 Browser-Based - No software installation required
• 🔑 Smart Matching - Uses Account name as primary key
• 🔒 Data Preservation - Blank cells don't override manual entries
• 📊 Column Mapping - Handles Vanta export structure changes
• 🎨 Change Highlighting - Visual feedback on what changed
• 💾 Instant Download - Get merged file immediately
• 🔄 Repeatable - Perfect for weekly Vanta exports

🚀 Quick Start

1. Open: xlmerg live tool or download index.html
2. Upload your old file (with manual review entries)
3. Upload your fresh Vanta export
4. Click "Merge Files Row by Row"
5. Download your merged result

That's it! No setup, no dependencies, just works.

📊 Vanta.com Usage Example

Scenario: Weekly Access Review Process

📅 Monday: Fresh Vanta Export

- New employee "Sarah Wilson" appears in AWS access
- New tool "Datadog" added to monitoring stack  
- Role changes for existing users
- Previous manual reviews need to be preserved

🔄 xlmerg Process:

1. Old File: vanta_export_2025-01-15.xlsx (with your manual reviews)
2. New File: vanta_export_2025-01-22.xlsx (fresh from Vanta)
3. xlmerg: Intelligent merge preserving manual data
4. Result: xlmerg_20250122.xlsx ready for continued reviews

✅ What xlmerg Handles:

Change Type	Old File	New File	xlmerg Result
New User	Not present	Sarah Wilson - AWS Admin	✅ Added as new row
New Tool	Not present	Datadog - Monitor access	✅ Added as new sheet/section
Role Update	John: Developer	John: Senior Developer	🔄 Role updated, reviews preserved
Manual Review	"Reviewed by: You"	"" (blank)	🔒 Your review data preserved
Access Decision	"Access: Appropriate"	"" (blank)	🔒 Your decision preserved

Real-World Benefits:

• New hires automatically appear for review
• Tool additions don't disrupt existing reviews
• Permission changes highlighted for re-review
• Audit trail maintained through all changes
• Compliance ready with complete history

🔄 Weekly Vanta Workflow

Week 1: Initial Setup

1. Export from Vanta → Download access report
2. Upload to xlmerg → Merge with any existing reviews
3. Manual reviews → Conduct access appropriateness reviews
4. Save result → Keep as baseline for next week

Week 2 and Beyond

1. Fresh Vanta export → New users, roles, tools included
2. Upload to xlmerg → Old file = last week's completed reviews
3. Auto-merge → New data added, manual reviews preserved
4. Review changes → Focus only on highlighted updates
5. Continue reviews → Complete reviews for new/changed items

When New Tools/Users Added:

• xlmerg detects new accounts automatically
• Adds to review queue with blank review fields
• Preserves existing completed reviews
• Highlights changes in existing accounts
• No manual copying or data loss risk

🧠 How xlmerg Works

Smart Merging Logic:

• Account name matching - Finds same users across files
• Column name mapping - Handles Vanta export structure changes
• Blank cell preservation - Your manual entries never get overwritten
• New data integration - Fresh system data updates automatically

Data Priority Rules:

1. Manual review data → Always preserved from old file
2. System data → Updated from new Vanta export
3. Blank cells in Vanta export → Don't override your manual work
4. New accounts/tools → Added for your review

📂 File Structure

xlmerg/
├── index.html     # Complete application (only file you need!)
├── README.md      # This guide
├── LICENSE        # MIT license
└── docs/          # Additional documentation
    └── user-guide.md

🔧 Browser Compatibility

• ✅ Chrome 80+ (Recommended)
• ✅ Firefox 75+
• ✅ Safari 13+
• ✅ Edge 80+

🛡️ Security & Privacy

• 100% local processing - no data sent to servers
• Vanta data stays secure - never leaves your computer
• No tracking - completely private
• Offline capable - works without internet

💡 Pro Tips for Vanta Users

1. Consistent naming - Use date-based file names
2. Weekly schedule - Process Vanta exports same day each week
3. Review focus - Check highlighted changes first
4. Backup strategy - Keep previous weeks for audit trail
5. Team workflow - Share merged files for collaborative reviews

🆘 Support & Issues

• 🐛 Report Bugs: GitHub Issues
• 📖 Documentation: User Guide
• 💬 Questions: GitHub Discussions

📄 License

MIT License - free for personal and commercial use.

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⭐ Star xlmerg on GitHub if it saves you time!

Built by INATIQO PTY LTD for compliance teams who need reliable, repeatable Excel merging with zero data loss.# Excel Row-by-Row Merger