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Update PowerApps form fields from Excel

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Posted on by Prem4253

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Hi,

I've created a PowerApps form, in which there are around 40 fields (Dropdowns, Text, Number fields)

There are around 8 people using this form.

The Pain is that : whenever creating a new record, it is taking time for users to enter each and every field within the form.

Is there a way, we provide an option within the form for users to upload a Excel.

For e.g. Users will enter all the information for all 40 fields in Excel (say they want to create 10 new records). So provide an option in App, so they select the Excel and whatever information they have entered in Excel, all of the 10 records will get created to PowerApps form.

Reason I'm looking for this option is, because there are multiple records with same level of information but change in only few of the fields.

This will help users to copy and paste previous records and make only required changes and upload this new records to PowerApps form using Excel method.

Please advise how this can be achieved. Thanks!

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Building Power Apps

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11manish 769 on at

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Yes — this is a very common bulk data entry scenario in Microsoft Power Apps .

And your thinking is absolutely right: Excel upload = huge productivity gain

Your Requirement

Users upload an Excel file →

Multiple records (10, 20, etc.) →

Automatically created in your data source

Key Reality

Power Apps cannot directly upload & parse Excel files natively

You need a supporting service

Recommended Solution (Best Practice)

Power Apps + SharePoint + Power Automate

Use:

Microsoft Power Automate

SharePoint (for file storage)

Architecture

Power Apps (Upload File)
↓
SharePoint (Store Excel)
↓
Power Automate (Read Excel)
↓
Create Records (Dataverse / SharePoint)

Step-by-Step Implementation

Step 1: Prepare Excel Template

Create structured Excel file:

Table format (VERY IMPORTANT)

Column names = same as your form fields

Example:

Name Age Department Salary

✔ Save as Table (Ctrl + T)

Step 2: Upload File from Power Apps

Use Attachment control or Add Picture / File Upload

Store file in:

SharePoint Document Library

Step 3: Trigger Flow

From Power Apps:

MyFlow.Run(FileName)

Step 4: Power Automate Flow

Step A: Trigger

Power Apps trigger

Step B: Get File Content

SharePoint → Get file content

Step C: Read Excel

Use:

List rows present in a table

Step D: Loop through rows

Apply to each

Step E: Create Records

Dataverse / SharePoint:

Add a new row

Map all 40 fields

Thanks
Manish

Visit my blog : https://powerappbuilder.blogspot.com/

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WarrenBelz 154,777 Most Valuable Professional on at

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Hi @Prem4253,

Firstly ChatGPT gives a remarkably similar summary to that of the first response you have - a reference to the Responsible AI policies for the community is probably warranted here.

But to your issue - you did not state your data source and that will affect the options you will have. If you are using Excel, then I would encourage you to change it to SharePoint before you get any more grief you do not need.

If SharePoint, there is an easy option to have an upload View and using Edit in Grid view (in SharePoint), simply copy and paste from the Excel sheet.

If Dataverse, the options are a bit more complex.

In all cases, you can also look at duplicating the relevant fields from a chosen existing record in a new record and only completing the changed items. Happy to elaborate on this once you confim what you are using and if this would suit.

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Prem4253 697 on at

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@WarrenBelz

To ensure data integrity and prevent any manual errors or data inconsistencies, I would like to request that access to the SharePoint List Grid View be restricted for all users.

As the PowerApps application is currently connected to the SharePoint list and all new or edited records are automatically stored there, users should only interact with the data through the PowerApps interface.

While users currently have access to the SharePoint list, they do not have the direct link. However, to further safeguard the data, I want to ensure that they are unable to add or edit any records directly via the Grid View in SharePoint.

I’m looking for some advice on a specific workflow I'm setting up.

Currently, I have an Excel file stored in SharePoint that contains all our existing records. The plan is for users to open this synced Excel file and add new records / edit existing records directly. I need those new entries / old entries (regardless of the volume) to then automatically populate and display within my PowerApps.

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Kalathiya 1,669 Super User 2026 Season 1 on at

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Hello @Prem4253,

yes, you can use Power automate for import the data from Excel sheet from PowerApps.

Users fill out all the data in an Excel file and upload it from PowerApps. Once they click the upload button, Power Automate is triggered. The flow uploads the file to a SharePoint document library, reads the data from the Excel file, and creates rows in the SharePoint list.

Note: To update existing rows, you need a unique identifier column. The flow can check if a row already exists. if it does, it will update the record instead of creating a new one. This condition needs to be added before creating the record.

For detailed steps, follow this video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jSJgm0AaA4U

If this response resolves your issue, please mark it as the Verified Answer so it can help other community members as well.

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📩 Need more help? Just mention @Kalathiya and I’ll be happy to assist.

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WarrenBelz 154,777 Most Valuable Professional on at

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Hi @Prem4253,

Yes you can do it with quite a simple Flow- example below

Make a Table in an Excel sheet and store it in your OneDrive and share it. It is important that any records are pasted inside the formatted Table. You could also store it in a SharePoint Library and navigate to it in the second step above.

You do not need any parameters here except you need to force Power Apps to wait for the Flow to finish and then refresh the data source - so set a Variable (you can call whatever you want) to the returned output.

UpdateContext( { varComplete: FlowName.Run().complete } ); Refresh(SPListName)

The last important piece (if using OneDrive) is to set the Run only user to use the Excel connection of the OneDrive owner, so the Flow looks in the right place for the file.

Please ✅ Does this answer your question if my post helped you solve your issue. This will help others find it more readily. It also closes the item. If the content was useful in other ways, please consider answering Yes to Was this reply helpful? or give it a Like ♥
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Prem4253 697 on at

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@WarrenBelz

Thanks! for the flow. I will give it a try and confirm.

Meanwhile can you please assist, as where do I need to add the variable within PowerApps.

Also, should this be ok, we I place the excel file in SharePoint document library, because there are around 8 people accessing the file.

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WarrenBelz 154,777 Most Valuable Professional on at

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Hi @Prem4253,

The Variable is created exactly as I have posted - set it to the returned value from the Flow. It is really a "dummy" or placeholder and is only used to make Power Apps wait for the Flow to finish before refreshing the data source - you can call it whatever you want.
UpdateContext( { varComplete: FlowName.Run().complete } ); Refresh(SPListName)

If you do not do this (return a value from the Flow), a refresh would happen immediately in Power Apps and the Flow would not have had time to run updating the records.

Also SharePoint is a better place to store the Excel file anyway as it takes the complication out of the sharing.

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WarrenBelz 154,777 Most Valuable Professional on at

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Hi @Prem4253,

A quick follow-up to see if you received the answer you were looking for. Happy to assist further if not.

Please ✅ Does this answer your question if my post helped you solve your issue. This will help others find it more readily. It also closes the item. If the content was useful in other ways, please consider answering Yes to Was this reply helpful? or give it a Like ♥
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