1. What You’ll Build
Microsoft Power Apps makes it easy to transform Excel data into a fully functional business application without writing code. By uploading an Excel file, Power Apps can automatically create a Dataverse table and generate a responsive canvas app connected to your data. If AI Copilot is enabled, the process becomes even faster by suggesting table names, column types, and other data settings automatically.
In this guide, you’ll learn how to create a Power App directly from Excel, understand how Copilot assists during the import process, and see how the generated app is ready for searching, viewing, and managing your data.
2. Import Excel Data into Power Apps
To create an app from Excel, start from the Power Apps Home page and choose Start with data. Upload your Excel workbook, and Power Apps reads the data from the first worksheet to prepare it for import.
If Copilot is available in your environment, it automatically analyzes the uploaded file and helps by:
- Detecting whether the first row contains column headers.
- Suggesting appropriate Dataverse column data types such as Text, Date, Email, Currency, or Choice.
- Creating Choice columns automatically when a column contains repeated categorical values.
- Recommending a table name and primary column before creating the Dataverse table.
After reviewing the suggested structure, simply confirm the settings and create the table.
Note: The standard Excel import only reads the first worksheet of the workbook. If your data is spread across multiple sheets, combine it into a single worksheet or use the advanced Power Query import method.
3. Create a Canvas App from Excel
Once the table configuration is confirmed, Power Apps imports all Excel records into Dataverse and automatically generates a responsive canvas application connected to that table.
The generated app includes several built-in features, such as:
- A gallery that displays all imported records.
- A search box for quickly finding data.
- Ready-to-use forms for creating, viewing, editing, and deleting records.
- Automatic connection to the Dataverse table, allowing data changes to be reflected in the app.
If Copilot is not available, Power Apps still imports the Excel file successfully, but you’ll need to manually configure column data types, Choice fields, and other table settings before creating the app. This ensures the imported data is stored correctly and behaves as expected within the application.
4. Customize the Generated Dataverse Table
After the app is created, you can further customize the Dataverse table to match your business requirements. From the Data section in Power Apps, open the connected table to modify existing columns, add new fields, or change data types.
For example, you can:
- Change a text-based ID column into an Auto-number field with a custom prefix and starting number.
- Update data types such as Currency, Date, Email, or Choice.
- Add or remove columns based on your application’s needs.
These changes are automatically reflected in the connected canvas app, ensuring your data structure remains consistent.
5. Advanced Excel Import with Power Query
For more complex Excel files, Power Apps provides an advanced import option using Power Query. This approach is ideal when your workbook contains multiple sheets, requires data cleaning, or needs additional transformations before importing into Dataverse.
Some of the most useful Power Query transformations include:
- Removing unnecessary rows and keeping only required data.
- Promoting the first row as column headers.
- Splitting columns using custom delimiters.
- Filling blank values with the previous row using Fill Down.
- Changing column data types before import.
- Merging multiple tables using lookup relationships.
After completing the transformations, map the source columns to the target Dataverse table and publish the import. Power Apps creates a data flow that imports the cleaned data into Dataverse.
6. Working with the Generated Power App
Once your data is available in Dataverse, Power Apps generates a responsive canvas application that is immediately ready for use. The app includes a searchable gallery and built-in forms for managing records, allowing users to create, view, edit, and delete data without additional configuration.
After the import, it’s a good practice to verify that:
- Choice columns display the correct options.
- Currency, Date, and Email fields use the appropriate data types.
- Search and CRUD (Create, Read, Update, Delete) operations work correctly.
- Auto-number columns continue generating new values in the expected sequence.
If you imported data into an existing Dataverse table using Power Query, you can also generate a new canvas app anytime by selecting Start with existing table, making it easy to build applications on top of already prepared data.
