Importing Data Overview

This step will focus on considerations and tools when importing data into the Power platform.

Data import Considerations

• Focus on importing only essential data
• Generally, it is easier to clean up data prior to import
• Use a test environment to test data compatibility with customisations
• Large imports could be broken into smaller segments
• Consider implications of automation that might fire after import

Options for importing data

• Get data from web.powerapps.com using Power Query
• Import wizard from the classic web experience
• Third-party import tools for more complex/large imports

Import using Power Query

• Large selection of data sources
• Flexible transformation using Power Query

Import from template

• A template will be provided with all the fields of the entity that you wish to import
• Unnecessary columns can be deleted

Import from file

Supported file types are:

• Comma Separated Values (.CSV)
• Text file (.txt)
• Excel spreadsheet 2003 (.xls or .XML)
• Excel workbooks (.xlsx)
• Compressed files (.zip)

NB Compressed files have a maximum size of 32 MB, whereas the rest have a maximum file size of 8 MB

Creating the Data Map

for any column names that do not exactly match the fields on the entity, you will need to match the column to the respective field.

For lookup fields, you can select any field on the related record as the match. Often the default field selected isn’t as unique as other fields.

Where possible, consider using fields such as email address, ID code, or account number, in place of name to facilitate a better match. If a single exact match is not found, that row will fail. Data maps can be saved for future imports.

A note on .zip files It is common for there to be dependencies between multiple instances of data that could complicate an import, like an account requiring the existence of contact, and the contact looks for the account. Placing the related files in a zip for importing will allow them to be imported together, assuring that your row will not fail.

Security

The ability to import data is controlled by security roles, specifically the data map and data import privileges.