We know many VC and PE firms love Excel; it’s where modeling, valuations, portfolio tracking, and more all come together. That’s why, alongside our in-app analysis and visualization tools, we built an Excel Add-In. Now, with Excel Push (SM.PUSH), firms can push data into Standard Metrics with a simple formula and without manual uploads or exports.
What Is Excel Push?
Excel Push allows you to update metrics stored in Standard Metrics directly from Excel. Using the formula =SM.PUSH, you can send actuals, budgets, or other calculated data straight into your firm’s account – securely and instantly.
This functionality was built in response to feedback from customers who rely on Excel for modeling, valuations, or QA but wanted a faster way to sync those results back into Standard Metrics.
SM.PUSH works alongside SM.GET in the same workbook, so you can pull data, make changes, and push it back all in one place.
Installing the Excel Add-In
In order to use the Excel Push feature you'll first need to install the Standard Metrics Add-In on Excel. If you have the Add-In installed, you can skip this section.
Step 1: Install or Update the Add-In
If you don’t have the Add-In yet, install it via the Microsoft App Store.
If you already have the Add-In installed, verify you have the correct version: at the bottom of the Sign In page in the add-in footer you should see version v13bc180 or later.
To update, click the “i” icon in the Add-In, select Clear Web Cache, and click Reload.
Step 2: Get Your API Credentials
Log in to Standard Metrics in your browser.
Go to Settings → Developer Settings → Add Application.
Fill out the form and click Add Application.
Copy your Client ID and Client Secret immediately – they can’t be retrieved later.
Step 3: Connect Excel to Standard Metrics
Open the Standard Metrics Add-In in Excel.
Enter your Client ID and Client Secret.
Click Log In.
Once connected, you can use both SM.GET and SM.PUSH formulas in Excel.
How to Use Excel Push
Step 1: Create a Push Formula
Use the Formula Builder in the add-in:
Click on Push in the add-in panel
Select the company, metric, cadence (Monthly/Quarterly/Yearly), date, and enter the value
Click Add Push Formula
The formula will be added to your selected cell
You can also type the formula manually:
=SM.PUSH("Company Name", "Metric Name", "Quarterly", "Q2 FY2025", "Value", "USD")Step 2: Review Changes
Open the Pushes page in the Add-In.
You’ll see all your queued changes in the Queued Changes table.
Review each entry – any errors will be underlined and show details when you hover over them.
Step 3: Apply changes to Standard Metrics
In the Queued Changes table, click Apply.
Valid changes will be sent to Standard Metrics and removed from the queue.
Any entries with errors will remain in the queue for you to fix.
Data written to Standard Metrics via SM.PUSH will be shown as “Created by [User]” where [User] is the user account who created the API credentials.
Note: Changes typically can be viewed in the Standard Metrics web application immediately (e.g.: in the metrics tab of the portfolio company). However it takes an average of 30 seconds for them to appear if you’re using SM.GET formulas to read that same data back (see Known Limitations below).
How do I fix errors in my queued changes?
If you see an error:
In the cell: Select the cell with the SM.PUSH formula and hover over the ⚠️ warning icon (don’t click, just hover)
In the Push Page: Hover over the underlined metric name in the Queued Changes table to see the error details
Common errors include:
Wrong company name or spelling
Invalid metric name or incorrect capitalization
Invalid date format
Wrong data type (e.g., text where a number is expected)
Invalid currency code
To fix: update your formula with the correct values, and the queue will automatically update.
Can I delete queued changes?
Yes! If you have changes queued that you don’t want to apply:
Go to the Push Page in the add-in
Click Delete in the Queued Changes table
All queued changes will be removed
Note: Currently, the Delete button removes ALL queued changes, even if you’ve filtered the table to show only certain items.
Can I update a value I already queued?
Yes. If you queue a change for the same company, metric, and date:
The new value will override the previous queued value
Only the most recent value will be in the queue
How do currency codes work?
Currency codes must be valid 3-letter ISO codes (https://www.iban.com/currency-codes):
✅ Correct: USD, EUR, GBP, JPY
❌ Incorrect: Euro, YEN, XXX, invalid
You can also reference a cell containing the currency code in your formula.
Supported Data Types and Formats
Numbers: up to 16 digits
Text: cannot be blank or whitespace only (e.g., “Approved”)
Percentages: accepted as 0.25 or 25%
Dates: accepted as “2025-03-31” or “Q2 FY2025” (future dates not allowed)
Currency: must be a valid ISO 3-letter code (e.g., USD, EUR)
Budgets: use a case-sensitive budget name if applicable (e.g., “Base Case”)
True Excel Interoperability
Excel Push marks the next step in our commitment to interoperability. With both SM.GET and SM.PUSH, you can now read and write data bi-directionally—working where you’re most comfortable, without friction.
Download the Standard Metrics Excel Add-In from the Microsoft App Store or schedule a demo with our team to learn more.
Quick Reference: Common Error Messages
Error Message | What It Means | How to Fix |
“Company not found” | Company name doesn’t match exactly | Use Formula Builder or check spelling/capitalization |
“Metric not found” | Metric name doesn’t match exactly | Verify metric name in Standard Metrics, check capitalization |
“Invalid date format” | Date isn’t in a recognized format | Use MM/DD/YYYY, Q1 2025, or FY2025 format |
“Date is in the future” | You’re trying to push data for a date that hasn’t occurred | Check your date, especially if using fiscal periods |
“Invalid currency code” | Currency code isn’t valid | Use 3-letter ISO code in uppercase (USD, EUR, etc.) |
“Invalid value type” | Value doesn’t match expected data type | Check if metric expects number vs. text |
“Value exceeds maximum digits” | Number has more than 16 digits | Reduce number size or check for errors |
“Budget not found” | Budget name doesn’t exist for this company | Verify budget name in Standard Metrics or use empty string |
“A value used in the formula is of the wrong data type.” | The parameters to the =SM.PUSH function are of the wrong type or missing. | Verify you have at least the first five parameters (aka company, metric, cadence, date, value) and they are valid values. |
Didn't find what you were looking for? Feel free to reach out to support@standardmetrics.io.