Using Excel as a Data Source in Power Apps – A Complete Guide

📌 Introduction

Microsoft Excel is one of the most commonly used data sources in Power Apps Canvas Apps due to its flexibility, simplicity, and accessibility. By connecting Power Apps to an Excel file, users can view, add, edit, and delete records dynamically.

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🔹 Step 1: Prerequisites

Before connecting Excel to Power Apps, ensure that:

✅ The Excel file is stored in a cloud location such as:

• OneDrive for Business (Recommended)
• SharePoint Online
• Google Drive (with a connector)

✅ The Excel file is formatted correctly:

• The data must be in a Table format.
• Column names must not contain spaces or special characters.
• The first row should have unique headers.

✅ You have Power Apps access with the necessary license.

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🔹 Step 2: Preparing the Excel File

A. Format Data as a Table

1. Open Excel and enter your data.
2. Select the range of data → Click “Format as Table”.
3. Ensure the “My table has headers” checkbox is selected.
4. Rename the table (e.g., EmployeeData):
   • Click the Table → Table Design tab → Rename it.
5. Save the Excel file and upload it to OneDrive/SharePoint.

📌 Example Excel Table (EmployeeData)

EmployeeID	Name	Department	Salary
101	John Doe	HR	50,000
102	Jane Smith	IT	60,000
103	Mike Brown	Finance	55,000

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🔹 Step 3: Connecting Excel to Power Apps

1. Open Power Apps → Power Apps.
2. Click “Create” → Select Canvas App from Blank.
3. Choose a Tablet or Phone layout.
4. Click “Data” (left panel) → “Add Data”.
5. Search for “Excel Online (Business)”.
6. Choose OneDrive for Business or SharePoint.
7. Select the Excel file and choose the table (EmployeeData).
8. Click “Connect”.

✅ The data is now connected and ready to use!

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🔹 Step 4: Display Excel Data in Power Apps

A. Display Data in a Gallery

1. Insert a Gallery (Insert → Gallery → Vertical).
2. Set the Items property to: EmployeeData
3. Power Apps automatically binds the data.
4. Customize the gallery layout using formatting options.

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🔹 Step 5: Display Detailed Information

1. Insert a Form (Insert → Forms → Display Form).
2. Set the DataSource to: EmployeeData
3. Set the Item property to: Gallery1.Selected
4. Click Edit Fields → Select the fields to display.

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🔹 Step 6: Adding New Records to Excel

A. Using Forms to Add Data

1. Insert an Edit Form (Insert → Forms → Edit).
2. Set the DataSource to: EmployeeData
3. Add an “Add” Button with the OnSelect property: SubmitForm(EditForm1)
4. When clicked, this will add a new record to Excel.

B. Using Patch() Function to Add Data

Patch(EmployeeData, Defaults(EmployeeData), 
 {EmployeeID: txtID.Text, Name: txtName.Text, Department: drpDepartment.Selected.Value, Salary: txtSalary.Text})

🔥 Patch() provides more flexibility than SubmitForm().

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🔹 Step 7: Editing Existing Records in Excel

A. Editing Data with Forms

1. Ensure the Edit Form is bound to the selected item: Gallery1.Selected
2. Insert an “Edit” Button with: EditForm(EditForm1)
3. Users can make changes and click Submit.

B. Using Patch() to Update a Record

Patch(EmployeeData, LookUp(EmployeeData, EmployeeID = Gallery1.Selected.EmployeeID), 
 {Name: txtName.Text, Department: drpDepartment.Selected.Value, Salary: txtSalary.Text})

💡 This updates the selected record without using a form.

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🔹 Step 8: Deleting Records from Excel

A. Using Remove() Function

1. Insert a Delete Button and set its OnSelect to: Remove(EmployeeData, Gallery1.Selected)
2. This will delete the selected record from Excel.

📌 Note: Excel does not support live updates well. It’s recommended to use Dataverse or SharePoint for large datasets.

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🔹 Step 9: Searching & Filtering Excel Data

A. Search Functionality

1. Insert a Text Input (txtSearch).
2. Modify the Gallery’s Items property: Filter(EmployeeData, Name & " " & Department, txtSearch.Text)
3. This enables real-time search.

B. Filtering by Department

1. Insert a Dropdown (drpFilter).
2. Set its Items property to: Distinct(EmployeeData, Department)
3. Update the Gallery’s Items property: Filter(EmployeeData, Department = drpFilter.Selected.Value)

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🔹 Step 10: Automating Workflows with Power Automate

1. Open Power Automate → Create a New Flow.
2. Choose a trigger, e.g., When an item is added in Excel.
3. Add actions like:
   • Send an email notification.
   • Update another Excel table.
   • Notify users via Teams.
4. Save and test the flow.

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🔹 Best Practices for Using Excel in Power Apps

✅ Use Small Datasets: Excel has a 500-row delegation limit.
✅ Store Excel in OneDrive/SharePoint: Avoid local storage.
✅ Ensure Proper Table Formatting: Always use structured tables.
✅ Use Named Ranges: This makes referencing data easier.
✅ Optimize Performance: Load only required columns to Power Apps.
✅ Avoid Concurrent Edits: Power Apps does not handle real-time updates well in Excel.

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🔹 Troubleshooting Excel Issues

Issue	Solution
Data is not loading	Ensure the table is formatted properly and stored in OneDrive/SharePoint.
Delegation warnings	Use smaller datasets and avoid unsupported functions like Sort() on large data.
Records not updating	Use Patch() instead of SubmitForm().
Performance issues	Store Excel in OneDrive, not locally, and limit data loading.

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🔹 Conclusion

Using Excel as a data source in Power Apps provides a simple, user-friendly, and quick way to manage data. However, for larger datasets and real-time collaboration, consider using Dataverse or SharePoint. 🚀

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