diff --git a/minimal-uploader-playground/run.js b/minimal-uploader-playground/run.js
index 484c998..d3bba01 100644
--- a/minimal-uploader-playground/run.js
+++ b/minimal-uploader-playground/run.js
@@ -507,7 +507,7 @@ async function createShareLink(accessToken, driveId, itemId) {
   return json;
 }
 
-async function run() {
+async function run(incomingRecords) {
   console.log('minimal-uploader starting', dryRun ? '(dry-run)' : '');
   const token = await getAppToken();
   console.log('acquired app token (truncated):', token ? token.substring(0, 30) + '...' : '(none)');
@@ -522,25 +522,34 @@ async function run() {
   }
   const safeMainFolderName = sanitizeName(mainFolderName);
   const subFolderName = 'Managers Info';
-  // Prefer generating from an Excel workbook if EXCEL_DRIVE_ID and EXCEL_ITEM_ID are present
-  let csvBase64 = await pdfFromCsvToBase64(pathToCsv);
-  if (process.env.EXCEL_DRIVE_ID && process.env.EXCEL_ITEM_ID) {
-    console.log('EXCEL_DRIVE_ID/EXCEL_ITEM_ID present, downloading workbook from Graph to build PDF');
-    try {
-      const token1 = token; // app token used for Graph
-      const workbookBuffer = await downloadExcelFromGraph(token1, process.env.EXCEL_DRIVE_ID, process.env.EXCEL_ITEM_ID);
-      // Build a PDF directly from the workbook and its formatting/regions if possible
-      const wbPdf = await pdfFromWorkbookBufferToBase64(workbookBuffer);
-      if (wbPdf) {
-        csvBase64 = wbPdf;
-        // count rows if we can
-        const recs = parseManagersSheetFromWorkbookBuffer(workbookBuffer) || [];
-        console.log('Built PDF from workbook Managers Info with', recs.length, 'rows');
-      } else {
-        console.log('No Managers Info sheet / no rows found in workbook — falling back to managers.csv or static PDF');
+  
+  // Priority: use incoming records from add-in, else try CSV, else try workbook from Graph
+  let csvBase64 = null;
+  
+  if (incomingRecords && incomingRecords.length > 0) {
+    console.log('Using records from Excel add-in:', incomingRecords.length, 'rows');
+    csvBase64 = await pdfFromRecordsToBase64(incomingRecords, 'Managers Info');
+  } else {
+    // fallback to CSV file or Graph workbook
+    csvBase64 = await pdfFromCsvToBase64(pathToCsv);
+    if (process.env.EXCEL_DRIVE_ID && process.env.EXCEL_ITEM_ID) {
+      console.log('EXCEL_DRIVE_ID/EXCEL_ITEM_ID present, downloading workbook from Graph to build PDF');
+      try {
+        const token1 = token; // app token used for Graph
+        const workbookBuffer = await downloadExcelFromGraph(token1, process.env.EXCEL_DRIVE_ID, process.env.EXCEL_ITEM_ID);
+        // Build a PDF directly from the workbook and its formatting/regions if possible
+        const wbPdf = await pdfFromWorkbookBufferToBase64(workbookBuffer);
+        if (wbPdf) {
+          csvBase64 = wbPdf;
+          // count rows if we can
+          const recs = parseManagersSheetFromWorkbookBuffer(workbookBuffer) || [];
+          console.log('Built PDF from workbook Managers Info with', recs.length, 'rows');
+        } else {
+          console.log('No Managers Info sheet / no rows found in workbook — falling back to managers.csv or static PDF');
+        }
+      } catch (e) {
+        console.error('Failed to build PDF from workbook', e && e.message ? e.message : e);
       }
-    } catch (e) {
-      console.error('Failed to build PDF from workbook', e && e.message ? e.message : e);
     }
   }
   const timestamp = new Date().toISOString().replace(/[:.]/g, '-');
diff --git a/minimal-uploader-playground/server.js b/minimal-uploader-playground/server.js
index d33e7c2..a96b7b1 100644
--- a/minimal-uploader-playground/server.js
+++ b/minimal-uploader-playground/server.js
@@ -19,7 +19,9 @@ app.get('/api/health', (req, res) => res.json({ ok: true, ts: new Date().toISOSt
 // main endpoint — run the uploader flow (download workbook if env vars exist, create folders and upload PDF)
 app.post('/api/upload-managers', async (req, res) => {
   try {
-    const result = await run();
+    // Accept records from request body (sent from Excel add-in)
+    const records = req.body && req.body.records ? req.body.records : null;
+    const result = await run(records);
     res.json({ ok: true, result });
   } catch (err) {
     console.error('Error in /api/upload-managers', err);
diff --git a/officeaddin/minimal-playground/public/taskpane.js b/officeaddin/minimal-playground/public/taskpane.js
index acc7e38..a324994 100644
--- a/officeaddin/minimal-playground/public/taskpane.js
+++ b/officeaddin/minimal-playground/public/taskpane.js
@@ -1,7 +1,5 @@
-// Minimal add-in taskpane script — one button that calls the playground server
-// Wait for Office to be ready before attaching event handlers
+// Minimal add-in taskpane script — reads Excel data and uploads to playground server
 Office.onReady(function(info) {
-  // info.host will be 'Excel' when running in Excel
   console.log('Office.onReady fired, host:', info.host);
 
   const uploadBtn = document.getElementById('uploadBtn');
@@ -11,15 +9,55 @@ Office.onReady(function(info) {
     status.innerHTML = '<div class="' + (ok ? 'ok' : 'err') + '">' + text + '</div>';
   }
 
+  // Read data from worksheet "Managers Info" and convert A1:E49 into array of objects
+  // Only rows with any non-empty cell are included; first row is header
+  async function getExcelData() {
+    return Excel.run(async (context) => {
+      // Use the specific worksheet by name and the fixed range A1:E49
+      const sheet = context.workbook.worksheets.getItem('Managers Info');
+      const range = sheet.getRange('a2:E49');
+      range.load('values');
+      await context.sync();
+
+      const values = range.values;
+      if (!values || values.length < 2) {
+        throw new Error('No data found in Managers Info A1:E49 (need header row + at least one data row)');
+      }
+
+      const headers = values[0].map(h => String(h || '').trim());
+      const records = [];
+      for (let i = 1; i < values.length; i++) {
+        const row = values[i];
+        // skip fully-empty rows
+        const isEmpty = row.every(c => c === null || c === undefined || String(c).trim() === '');
+        if (isEmpty) continue;
+        const obj = {};
+        headers.forEach((h, idx) => {
+          obj[h] = row[idx];
+        });
+        records.push(obj);
+      }
+      if (records.length === 0) throw new Error('No data rows found in Managers Info A1:E49');
+      return records;
+    });
+  }
+
   uploadBtn.addEventListener('click', async function() {
     uploadBtn.disabled = true;
-    setStatus('Starting upload...');
+    setStatus('Reading Excel data...');
     try {
-      const res = await fetch('http://localhost:3002/api/upload-managers', { method: 'POST' });
+      const records = await getExcelData();
+      setStatus('Uploading ' + records.length + ' rows...');
+      
+      const res = await fetch('http://localhost:3002/api/upload-managers', {
+        method: 'POST',
+        headers: { 'Content-Type': 'application/json' },
+        body: JSON.stringify({ records: records })
+      });
       const json = await res.json();
       if (!res.ok) throw new Error(json && json.error ? json.error : 'Unknown response');
       var link = (json.result && json.result.share && json.result.share.link) ? json.result.share.link.webUrl : 'unknown';
-      setStatus('Upload finished. Share link: ' + link, true);
+      setStatus('Upload finished. Share link: <a href="' + link + '" target="_blank">' + link + '</a>', true);
     } catch (err) {
       console.error(err);
       setStatus('Upload failed: ' + (err.message || err), false);