Excel Currency Converter Add-In

Excel Currency Converter is an add-in that provides exchange rates and currency conversion of Excel data for 162 currencies worldwide. The converter connects to a database to show the latest exchange rates. It also shows historical exchange rates in a chart for any given currency pair. Excel Currency Converter add-in is powered by XRates web app.

How to install/add the Currency Converter

Follow the instructions below to install (or rather add) the Currency Converter Excel add-in:

• Download the add-in file from the link at the bottom of this article (it is just an Excel .xlam file)
• Save it to any folder or in the Microsoft add-ins folder (even better), which is usually under C:\Users\<username>\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\AddIns.
• Open Excel and go to either Developer tab -> Excel Add-ins or File -> Options -> Add-ins -> Manage Excel Add-ins -> Go. That opens a dialog with the list of add-ins in the default folder (link above).

 

 

• Browse the folder where you saved the add-in (you may see it right away if saved to the add-ins default folder), select it (tick the box), and click OK.
• You will probably see a warning message as in the picture below. This is because the add-in is connected to an external database powered by XRates (my own webapp/api with exchange rates). Click enable to let update the rates (otherwise will use rates by Jan 2025). You may need to change macro security settings to let it run.

 

• You can avoid the warning about external content (it’s just a web query) by changing the settings in the trust center under File -> Options -> Trust Center -> Trust Center Settings -> Never show information about blocked content. You can still run and use the converter without enabling external content, but in that case the exchange rates will not be up to date.

   

How to use Excel Currency Converter

Once the add-in is installed, we can select a cell, or group of cells, or entire column with data (currency or numeric) and right-click to see the button for currency converter at the top of the cell menu.

Notice that if the cell is empty or does not have a number (or currency), for example if formatted as a date, text, etc., the converter will not open and show a warning message instead. We need to select at least one cell with a number to run the converter.

Additionally, you can incorporate Excel Currency Converter in your macros and projects (if the add-in was previously added and enabled). For that, you simply add the reference in the VBA editor under Tools -> References -> XGConverter, and then launch the converter dialog with the line of code below.

 Call XGConverter.ShowConverter

  

Conversion Options

Excel Currency Converter form shows the address of the selected cell or range, the value in the first (active) cell, and different conversion options (see later). We can change the selection by double-clicking the target range box if needed.

If the target numeric value in the target cell or cells is formatted as a currency, the converter tries to determine which currency it is and shows it under “Convert From”. Otherwise, that field is empty and we need to select the base currency. When both “Convert From” and “Convert To” currencies are selected, the chart shows the current exchange rates and historical rates for the selected period (from 1 month to 2 years).

 

Excel Currency Converter allows to choose where the converted values are added. There are three options:

• Replace existing value – replaces the values in the target cell(s)
• In new column (right) – adds a new column to the right with the result
• In new sheet – copies the entire sheet in a new tab with replaced values in target cell(s)

We can also choose the format of the result, which is always a currency, as one of the four following options:

• Symbol before ($ 100)
• Symbol after (100 $)
• Code before (USD 100)
• Code after (100 USD)

 

Excel Currency Converter is powered by XRates, an easy to use web currency converter with historical exchange rates chart for any selected currency pair from 162 currencies worldwide.

 

Click here to download Excel Currency Converter.