Turn an Excel employee list into an org chart
If your team already lives in a spreadsheet (an HR export, a headcount plan, a list someone keeps by hand), you already have an org chart. It just hasn't been drawn. Paste the columns into OrgTree.app's people sheet and each row becomes a person, each manager name becomes a reporting line, and the tree lays itself out.
Paste your list: free, no signup
Open the editor, click the first cell of the people sheet, and paste. The org chart draws itself from your rows.
Create Your Org Chart FreeHow to lay out the spreadsheet
Arrange four columns in this order, one row per person, then copy them (without the header row):
- Name: must be unique; add an initial if two people share a name.
- Department: the group that colours the branch (Sales, Finance). Can be left blank for people who inherit their manager's.
- Role: the job title shown under the name.
- Reports To: the manager's name, exactly as it appears in the Name column. Blank for the person at the top.
What happens when you paste
The whole paste resolves in one pass and lands as a single undo step. A manager may appear on a later row than the people who report to them, so there is no need to sort the export first.
Nothing is guessed at. A row whose name duplicates someone already on the chart is skipped with a warning, and a Reports To name that matches nobody leaves that person unattached, with a warning naming the missing manager. Fix the cell and the line appears.
Working from an HR export
Most HR systems export employees with a manager column, but it often holds an ID or an email rather than a name. Add a lookup column in Excel that turns the manager ID into the manager's name, then copy that column as Reports To.
Contact details are optional extra columns in the sheet (email, phone, LinkedIn) and are stored with the person without being drawn on the chart.
Frequently asked questions
Can I import a CSV file?
Open the CSV in Excel or Google Sheets, select the Name, Department, Role, and Reports To columns, and paste them into the people sheet. Each row becomes a person.
Does the manager need to appear before their reports?
No. Reporting lines are resolved across the whole paste, so managers can be on any row.
What if my export has manager IDs instead of names?
Add a lookup column (VLOOKUP or XLOOKUP) that turns each manager ID into a name, and paste that as the Reports To column.
Can I keep editing after pasting?
Yes. The people sheet stays editable: change a Reports To cell and the person and their whole branch move under the new manager.
Ready to chart your team?
The editor opens with a starter org chart. List your people one per row, and the chart rebuilds itself as you type. No signup required to get started.
Create Your Org Chart Free