Get started with PowerTable sheets

PowerTable lets you build no-code table apps in Fabric Plan. It has an Excel-like interface for structured data entry and reference data management. PowerTable sheets also support collaborative planning, operational workflow management, project planning and execution, and automation directly within the data platform. All modifications are written back to the source system to maintain operational data synchronization.

In this article, you learn how to create a table app with PowerTable sheets.

Ways to create a table

You can use one of these four approaches to create a table:

1. Import an Excel or CSV file.

2. Connect to a database.

3. Enter table data manually.

4. Connect to a semantic model.

Note

In methods 1, 2, and 3, the app uses the same underlying database table as both the source and destination. You create a database table and import or enter data into it, or connect to an existing database table. Any changes made through the app are written back to the same table.

In method 4, where you connect to a semantic model, the semantic model is the source and the database table is the destination for writeback data. For more information, see FAQ.

In this article, you learn the method 1: how to upload an Excel or a CSV file to create a PowerTable sheet.

Prerequisites

Before you begin, make sure that you have the following prerequisites in place:

• Connections established to the Fabric SQL database and the semantic model that contain the data for your PowerTable.

• A Plan item created in your Fabric workspace.

Create a PowerTable sheet

1. In your plan, select New PowerTable Sheet or select the PowerTable icon on the landing page. Enter a name for the sheet and select Create.

1. Select Create a New App to create your app. You can also select Explore PowerTable to experience a sample PowerTable app.

1. Select a Connection: Choose a Fabric SQL connection if available. If there are no connections, you can create one by selecting Create Connection.

1. Database Name: Select the destination Fabric SQL database to store the table data. Select Add.

1. Select Connect.

Create a table

Select a table for the data to be stored in. There are two options:

• Select Existing Table to connect to an existing table in the Fabric SQL database, OR

• Select New Table to create a new table in the database. This option is shown in the next steps.

To create a new table and import the CSV data, follow these steps:

1. Select New Table.

2. Choose the database schema.

3. Enter a Table Name.

4. Select Upload File in the Import Data section.

5. Select the space to upload the CSV or Excel file from your local system.

1. Select the sheet that contains the data you want to import.

   • Enter a name for the table.

   • Review and, if necessary, modify the start and end cell ranges that contain the data to be imported.

   • Preview the imported data, and then select Next.

   

Note

To import only the headers, select Import header only.

Note

There are also other ways to create a new table.

Configure columns

PowerTable sheets automatically detect column properties and rename any unsupported column names to match the supported format. You can review and modify them as needed.

1. Review the detected column settings.

2. If the primary key is unselected, select the appropriate column as the primary key.

3. Configure columns as required:

   • Mark fields as Mandatory if they must contain values.

   • Set fields with distinct values as Unique Key to allow unique values.

   • Set a column as an Identity Column when you need PowerTable to generate unique, sequential values automatically. Only numeric columns and primary key columns can be configured as identity columns.

4. Modify column properties, including:

   • Length

   • Data type

   • Input type

   • Display name

5. Enter default values for columns, if required.

6. Optionally, select Add Column to create additional columns.

7. To create a composite primary key, select Unique Combination, and then select two or more columns to define a unique combination key.

1. Select Finish.

Note

In this step, you can enable Slowly Changing Dimensions (SCDs) by turning the toggle. For a table, this is a one-time configuration that cannot be modified later.

1. The table app is created successfully in PowerTable with the configured columns and values. Select Save to save your table.

Write back changes to source

You can update your data table and sync changes with the source database.

1. To edit a cell in the table, double-click it, enter the value, and select Enter.

2. With Preview Changes, you can preview the changes.

3. Select Save to Database, then Proceed to save the changes instantly (unless an approval workflow is enabled).

The source database is updated.

1. Select PowerTable > Audit. The audit trail records all changes in detail, including the Row ID, action type, modified columns, previous values, new values, user name, and timestamp.

Next steps

After creating your first PowerTable application, explore these other features:

• Reference data management: Manage master and reference data centrally while maintaining synchronization with enterprise data platforms. PowerTable sheets provide support for bulk insert/update, lookups, formulas, cascading updates, audit tracking, CRUD permissions, SCD support, and native Microsoft Fabric SQL DB integration.

• Project management: PowerTable sheets provide Gantt layouts and timeline views to manage project schedules, track progress, and monitor dependencies.

• Workflow management: Approval workflows enable governance over sensitive data updates by routing change requests through designated approvers.

• Operational automation: Event‑driven automation enables teams to automate repetitive processes such as record updates and notify them via email/Teams notifications.

• Collaborative data management: Comments, threaded discussions, mentions, and notifications allow teams to collaborate directly within the data application.

• Productivity: Use forms for structured data collection and insertion without coding. Use the master-detail view, cross-tab view, and resource layout for time management, task management, tracking, and resource planning.

• Connected planning: Link PowerTable tables to plans so updates in PowerTable sheets become inputs for a plan. This process allows a change in your revenue forecast to automatically flow into headcount, cash flow, and operational plans.