Pasting a Column from Excel to a List

Question

I have a List with existing records. I am trying to paste a column from Excel into a column in my List. The column is a single line of text. When I paste the data in, it doesn't show up in the List. If I double click each cell, the text appears, but it doesn't visually show up in my List. I've tried it in Firefox and Excel. There are no default values for the column.

Answer 1

Hello

This did not resolve my issues. I had to recreate the List and I could do it. But now with my new list, I cannot paste columns in from Excel. I've tried on columns that are Choice, Single Line, and Multiple Line types. The inputs do not commit. I'm very close to giving up completely on Lists given all of the issues and going back to Excel. I've spent a day on this recreating things and it is not working. Please help before I give up completely.

Answer 2

Hi @Robin,

Thank you for posting your question in the Microsoft Q&A forum.

Based on what you’re describing, this can be related to formatting issue in Microsoft Lists. Therefore, I suggest you can first check these things:

1/ Check whether your current view style/formatting is hiding the text

• Sometimes non-Default view “Style” settings can break grid-view behavior. So, you can try creating a new view (or switch to another view like “All items” if you have one) and see if values show there.

2/ Force a re-render for the pasted value

• Paste the Excel cells into the list column.
• Click into a different cell > click Exit grid view to forces save + redraw
• Refresh the page and check if the issue persists.

3/ Paste values only

• If the issue still persists, you can try pasting values only to see if it shows up visually. In Excel, you can Copy > Paste Special > Values into a different column > copy paste that column into the list or copy from Excel > paste into Notepad and copy from Notepad then paste into the list.

Please understand that our initial response does not always resolve the issue immediately. However, you can try these steps and let me know if it works for you.  

If you have any questions or need further assistance, please feel free to reach out again on this post so I can continue to support you.    

Thank you for your understanding and cooperation. I'm looking forward to your reply.

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Answer 3

When pasting data from Excel into a List in Business Central, ensure that the following conditions are met:

1. Editable List: The List you are pasting into must be editable. If the List is not editable, pasting will not work as expected.
2. Matching Columns: The column you are pasting into must have the same data type and structure as the column in Excel. If the column in the List is not set to accept the type of data you are pasting, it may not display correctly.
3. Valid Values: Ensure that the values you are pasting are valid for the column. If any value does not meet the criteria for that column, it may cause issues with displaying the data.
4. Pasting Process: To paste data, select an empty row in the List, ensure focus is in any cell, and then use Ctrl+V. If you are replacing existing rows, select the rows first and then paste.

If you are still experiencing issues where the text appears only after double-clicking the cells, it may indicate a rendering issue or a need to refresh the List view. Try refreshing the page or checking if there are any updates available for your browser or Business Central application.