Download excel file from page via WebApi call

The Problem (Q-score 13, ranked #88th of 303 in the Excel VBA archive)

The scenario as originally posted in 2013

I’m trying to send a 9MB .xls file as a response from web api controller method. The user will click a button on the page and this will trigger the download via the browser.

Here’s what I’ve got so far but it doesn’t work however it doesn’t throw any exceptions either.

[AcceptVerbs("GET")]
public HttpResponseMessage ExportXls()
{
    try
    {
        byte[] excelData = m_toolsService.ExportToExcelFile();

        HttpResponseMessage result = new HttpResponseMessage(HttpStatusCode.OK);
        var stream = new MemoryStream(excelData);
        result.Content = new StreamContent(stream);
        result.Content.Headers.ContentType = new MediaTypeHeaderValue("application/octet-stream");
        result.Content.Headers.ContentDisposition = new ContentDispositionHeaderValue("attachment")
        {
            FileName = "Data.xls"
        };
        return result;
    }
    catch (Exception ex)
    {
        m_logger.ErrorException("Exception exporting as excel file: ", ex);
        return Request.CreateResponse(HttpStatusCode.InternalServerError);
    }
}

Here is the coffeescript/javascript jquery ajax call from a button click in the interface.

$.ajax(
    url: route
    dataType: 'json'
    type: 'GET'
    success: successCallback
    error: errorCallback 
    )

Now that I think about it perhaps the dataType is wrong and shouldn’t be json…

Why community consensus is tight on this one

Across 303 Excel VBA entries in the archive, the accepted answer here holds solid answer (above median) status — meaning voters are unusually aligned on the right fix.

The Verified Solution — solid answer (above median) (+10)

Verbal answer — walkthrough without a code block

Note: the verified answer is a prose walkthrough. If you need a runnable sample, check Excel VBA entries ranked in the top 10 of the same archive.

I had to make a couple of small changes to get this to work

First: Change the method to a post

[AcceptVerbs("POST")]

Second: Change from using the jQuery ajax lib to use a hidden form, here’s my service function for doing the hidden form and submitting it.

exportExcel: (successCallback) =>
    if $('#hidden-excel-form').length < 1
        $('<form>').attr(
            method: 'POST',
            id: 'hidden-excel-form',
            action: 'api/tools/exportXls'
        ).appendTo('body');

    $('#hidden-excel-form').bind("submit", successCallback)
    $('#hidden-excel-form').submit()

Hopefully there’s a better way to do this but for the time being it’s working and downloading the excel file nicely.

When to Use It — classic (2013–2016)

Ranked #88th in its category — specialized fit

This pattern sits in the 97% tail relative to the top answer. Reach for it when your scenario closely matches the question title; otherwise browse the Excel VBA archive for a higher-consensus alternative.

What changed between 2013 and 2026

The answer is 13 years old. The Excel VBA object model has been stable across Office 2013, 2016, 2019, 2021, 365, and 2024/2026 LTSC, so the pattern still compiles. Changes that might affect you: 64-bit API declarations (use PtrSafe), blocked macros in downloaded files (Mark-of-the-Web), and the shift toward Office Scripts for web-first workflows.