Add & Update Excel Data to SharePoint List using Power Automate | Excel Import using flow

Introduction

This tutorial walks you through the process of adding and updating SharePoint list items using data from an Excel table with Power Automate. By following these steps, you'll be able to create a seamless integration between Excel and SharePoint, allowing for efficient data management. This is particularly useful for teams who rely on Excel for data entry and need to maintain up-to-date records in SharePoint.

Step 1: Set Up Your SharePoint List

• Create a SharePoint list that will hold the data you want to import from Excel.
• Include necessary columns based on the Excel data, such as:
  • Text
  • Date
  • Date & Time
  • Choice
  • Lookup
  • Person
  • Multi-select choice
  • Multi-select person columns

Step 2: Create the Excel Template File

• Design an Excel file with a table structure that matches your SharePoint list.
• Ensure the first row contains headers that correspond with your SharePoint columns.
• Save this template in a SharePoint library or OneDrive for easy access.

Step 3: Data Validation in Excel

• Implement data validation rules in your Excel template to ensure that users can only enter appropriate data.
• Include checks for:
  • Required fields
  • Date formats
  • Choices available for choice columns

Step 4: Set Up the SharePoint Drop-off Library

• Create a SharePoint document library designated for uploading Excel files.
• This library will act as the drop-off point for files that Power Automate will monitor.

Step 5: Create a Power Automate Flow

• Open Power Automate and create a new flow.
• Choose the trigger "When a file is created or modified in a folder" and select your drop-off library.
• Add the "List rows present in a table" action for the Excel file to retrieve data from the table.

Step 6: Add Logic to Add or Update SharePoint Items

• Use a "Condition" action to check if the item already exists in SharePoint.
• If the item exists, use the "Update item" action to update the existing SharePoint list item.
• If the item does not exist, use the "Create item" action to add a new entry to your SharePoint list.

Step 7: Implement Null Checks in the Flow

• Add "Null" checks to ensure that your flow handles empty fields appropriately.
• Use expressions to validate the data before attempting to add or update items in SharePoint.

Step 8: Handle Date and Time Conversions

• If your Excel file contains date and time data, ensure that you convert it to the appropriate format for SharePoint.
• Use the convertTimeZone() function in Power Automate to manage time zone differences.

Step 9: Log Import Status

• Create a logging mechanism within your flow to track the status of the data import.
• Use "Compose" actions to create messages that indicate success or failure for each row processed.

Step 10: Understand Limitations and Performance

• Be aware of limitations when handling large Excel files, including:
  • 256 row limits in certain actions
  • Pagination issues
  • Potential delays when files are locked during processing

Conclusion

By following these steps, you can effectively manage the integration between your Excel data and SharePoint list using Power Automate. This approach not only enhances data accuracy but also streamlines the process of keeping your SharePoint lists updated. For further exploration, consider testing your flow with various data sets and refining your error handling to improve robustness.