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Importing through Configuration Package from Spreadsheet with Multiple Tabs

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Posted on by JE-20081519-0

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Hi:

I'm receiving conflicting answers, on this question.

Let's say that your Configuration Package has two tables.

Further, let's say that your Excel workbook has two tabs -- one for each table.

All of the exporting from the Configuration Packages to Excel has been done. Enough said, there.

How do you "tell" the Configuration Package that you want to import data into each table, one at a time, from each tab?

I tried to do so, for the second table in the Configuration Package. But, Business Central told me that it's in the "wrong format".

So, I removed that second tab out of the workbook and placed it into its own workbook. Then, I had a successful import of that second table.

Thanks!

John

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Dynamics 365 Business Central

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Aziz Skhiri 413 on at

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Hey John,

Business Central expects the entire multi-table Excel workbook to be imported together when your Configuration Package contains multiple tables.

Here’s the correct way:

1. Keep both tabs in the same single Excel workbook (don’t split them).
2. Go to your Configuration Package card (not to a single table).
3. Click **Import from Excel** (the one in the header/ribbon, not on a specific table line).
4. Select your Excel file with the two tabs.

BC will automatically read all sheets, match each tab to the corresponding table in the package (based on the package code in cell A1 of each sheet and the table structure), and show a preview of all tables found.

You can then import everything at once, or select specific tables in the preview if needed.

The “wrong format” error usually appears when:
- You try to import the Excel from inside a single table line instead of the package header.
- The package code in cell A1 of the second sheet doesn’t exactly match your package code.
- You’re importing a single-tab file into a package that expects multiple tables.

Try importing from the main Configuration Package level that should fix it.

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RockwithNav 8,991 Super User 2026 Season 1 on at

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See if this helps -

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FBdiGnSat3c

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Teagen Boll 1,586 Super User 2026 Season 1 on at

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If you have a configuration package with multiple tabs you can import all the data and then apply them table by table.

For example I have a configuration package here with 3 tables:

After exporting to Excel you can see the 3 tabs corresponding to those tables:

You can fill in that data and then import the configuration package back into BC using the import from excel > select the table you want to load data into BC for and then select functions > apply data (see steps below):

Repeat 2, 3 and 4 for each table. You can apply them in any order.

Hope that helps you!

Teagen Boll

Work: Catapult ERP

Social: LinkedIn

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YUN ZHU 99,313 Super User 2026 Season 1 on at

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This depends on whether you're using the line-based or header-based Excel functionality.
Line-based functionality contains only one sheet. Header-based functionality contains all sheets. This applies to both importing and exporting.

I also briefly mentioned it in the post below.

https://yzhums.com/4286/

Thanks

ZHU

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OussamaSabbouh 13,295 Super User 2026 Season 1 on at

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Hello John,

You don’t import each tab separately in a config package; Business Central expects one exported workbook where each worksheet already matches one table in the package, and when you import, it reads the workbook structure automatically, so a “wrong format” error usually means that sheet’s exported structure was changed or no longer matches the table, not that you need to point BC to each tab one by one.

Regards,
Oussama Sabbouh

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