INTERNET_CSV

Overview

The internet_csv function allows you to import data from any public CSV file on the internet directly into Excel. By providing a URL to a CSV file, the function fetches the file (using a CORS proxy for compatibility), parses its contents, and returns the data as a 2D list (range) suitable for use in Excel formulas. This enables seamless integration of live, external datasets into your spreadsheets for analysis, reporting, or automation.

Note: To handle CORS restrictions, the function automatically prepends the URL with https://cors.boardflare.com/ before fetching the file. You only need to provide the original CSV URL.

Arguments

Return Value

A 2D list (range) containing the parsed CSV data. Each row in the CSV becomes a row in the returned list, and each cell is a string.

Examples

Example 1: Importing Zillow Market Heat Index Data

Scenario: You want to analyze the Zillow Market Heat Index for major US metro areas using the latest public data.

Result: A range in Excel containing the data from the CSV file, such as:

Business Context: You can use this imported data to compare market heat across regions, create visualizations, or automate reporting on real estate trends.

Example 2: Importing Zillow New Construction Sales Data

Scenario: You want to track new construction home sales in major US metro areas using Zillow’s public data.

Result: A range in Excel containing the new construction sales data, such as:

Business Context: This allows you to monitor new construction trends, compare metro areas, and integrate up-to-date housing data into your business dashboards or analyses.

Let me know if you would like to make any changes or add more examples before I proceed to implementation.

Source Code

import csv
import io
import requests
 
 
def internet_csv(url):
    """
    Fetches a CSV file from the internet (with CORS proxy) and returns its contents as a 2D list.
 
    Args:
        url (str): The direct URL to the CSV file.
 
    Returns:
        list[list[str]]: 2D list representing the CSV contents, where each sublist is a row.
 
    Raises:
        ValueError: If the URL is invalid or the content cannot be parsed as CSV.
    """
    if not isinstance(url, str) or not url.strip():
        raise ValueError("A non-empty URL string must be provided.")
 
    cors_url = f"https://cors.boardflare.com/{url}"
    try:
        response = requests.get(cors_url)
        response.raise_for_status()
        content = response.text
        reader = csv.reader(io.StringIO(content))
        data = [row for row in reader]
        if not data:
            raise ValueError("CSV file is empty or could not be parsed.")
        return data
    except Exception as e:
        raise ValueError(f"Failed to fetch or parse CSV: {e}")