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I have around 1400 records that I would like to import in SharePoint list and entering each URL manually with description doesn't make much sense. Is there any way I can import these URLs in either data sheet view or Access Database synced with this list. I do know that I can use Content Editor web part if I enter these URLs with HTML tags but that would be little complicated as these list will be displayed on multiple pages and I would have to add Content Editor Web part on all the pages where I show this list.

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Thanks for moving this to a new question. :) For everyone else, Roshni references this question: sharepoint.stackexchange.com/questions/5091/… – Kit Menke♦ Oct 14 '11 at 20:04

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I write hyperlink columns to lists all the time using a simple SharePoint designer workflow. Whether you run the workflow on create (if you're creating your list via the import) or on update is up to you; your post implies that the list already exists and that you're extending it with a hyperlink column but it should work either way.

The workflow process is simple:

  1. Create plain text columns in the list for URL and Description and a Hyperlink column for the final value
  2. Open SPD and create a new workflow on your list (on create or on update, up to you)
  3. Specify conditions if needed (like "if Hyperlink column is empty")
  4. Add a workflow action in SPD to Build Dynamic String
  5. Store [URL column],[Description column] in Variable:[Variable name]
  6. then Set [Hyperlink column] to Variable:[Variable name]
  7. Stop workflow

The key is just that the hyperlink column consumes the URL and description as [URL],[Description]. You could probably work that out in Access as well, simply haven't tried.

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Thanks SharePoint Eric, I will try this sometime today and will let you know how did it go. Really appreciate your time here. – Roshni Parikh Oct 20 '11 at 13:12
Hello Eric, Again, thank you for your time, but I think I followed your direction and still it didn't work out for me. Here is what I had. I created 3 columns. 1. Link, 2. Description and 3. Hyperlink. and was combining the Link and Description column using SPD workflow in a variable and add that variable to Hyperlink column. but it gave me http://[google.com],[google] below value instead of giving me URL with Google word. Let me know if you have more ideas. – Roshni Parikh Oct 20 '11 at 15:02
At a glance I'd say that you typed the literal column names into the string builder in the variable instead of using workflow lookups. In step 5 above you'd build the dynamic string by clicking the Add Lookup button at the lower left corner of the string builder dialog, selecting the Link column from the list, then typing a comma, then clicking Add Lookup again and selecting the Description column. Does that sound right? – SharePointEric Oct 20 '11 at 18:26
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If you need to bulk enter 1400 exact same URLs into each of the records, you can enter the hyperlink as http://www.yahoo.com. Then right click the cell, and click Hyperlink, Edit Hyperlink and put in the description. Then this can be dragged down and applied to every cell.

Access and Datasheet view act the same, which is no surprise since the datasheet view is Access.

If they are all unique it won't work. I have used a Nintex workflow in the past to build a dynamic string of url, description and then set the hyperlink field that way. There may be other options out there like Powershell or SPService (web services) to do bulk updates of unique values.

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Yes, they are all unique values. so dragging down and applying it to every cell wont work. Thanks for your reply. Nintex workflow can't be solution for me as its a one kind of application I am working and I would not be able to get funding for this. can you elaborate more on Powershell or SPService. – Roshni Parikh Oct 17 '11 at 16:15
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In excel, I created a formula column, =HYPERLINK(B2,C2), where B is link, C is description, both B,C are hidden. Then I was able to copy the row including the formula column, from Excel and paste into Datasheet view.

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I found this solution: http://www.minasi.com/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=39895

Basically: 1) Copy and paste the links into Datasheet view (so they show up as http: etc etc) 2) Copy and paste the text you want to show as the Description for the Hyperlink on top of the hyperlinks. It will retain the links but show just the text.

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