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Session Id : p+c1YmgF/BrZXQoS9yGkqp
Dynamics 365 Community / Forums / Small and medium business | Business Central, N... / Import from Excel func...
Small and medium business | Business Central, N...
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Import from Excel function

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Posted on 3 Oct 2024 20:42:13 by CB-25091721-0 42
Hello all, 
 
I am fairly new to Business Central. I can import Customer lists using a configuration package. Do journal entries, set up Chart of Accounts and Financial Statements etc... 
I only currently have Holding companies with intercompany GL for payments and no bank accounts in those. So it works fine.
 
But I am setting up an operating company and need to bring in journal entries from a CSV from an external source almost daily, Once I figure out the proper configuration package to do that, I will be using those, but as a first test I was going to import one in and map the fields, and am coming to a roadblock.
 
 
and used ChatGPT to get these instructions:
 
#### 2. **Import the File into Business Central**
Once you have the Excel or CSV file ready, follow these steps to import it into Business Central:

1. **Go to General Journals**: Navigate to **Finance** → **General Ledger** → **General Journals**.
2. **Select Your Journal Batch**: Choose the journal batch you created for loan transactions (e.g., "Loan Transactions").
3. **Import the File**: In the General Journals window:
   - Select **Actions** → **Functions** → **Import from Excel** (or CSV, depending on your setup).
   - Choose the file you prepared.
   - Map the fields in your file to the corresponding fields in Business Central (Account No., Debit, Credit, etc.).
4. **Review the Imported Data**: After the import, review the journal lines to make sure the amounts, accounts, and descriptions are correct.
5. **Post the Journal**: Once everything looks good, you can post the journal entries.


The above is a basic way of using an existing Excel format from another software to bring in journal entries without doing completely manually, or Edit in Excel with Copy and Pastes. I eventually want to be using configuration packages, which I want to figure out later. I can't figure out Import from Excel as I seem to be missing the function highlighted in yellow. 
 
Is it buried somewhere else, does a setting need to be turned on, an add-on above and beyond the Excel one to use Open in Excel or Edit in Excel???
 
Any thoughts or advice appreciated, 
Cedric
 
Import from Excel...
  • Suggested answer
    YUN ZHU Profile Picture
    YUN ZHU 79,876 Super User 2025 Season 1 on 03 Oct 2024 at 23:20:38
    Import from Excel function
    Hi, for Configuration Package
    Dynamics 365 Business Central: How to Export and Import Data (Using Configuration Packages)
    Dynamics 365 Business Central: How to use Configuration Package to post documents (Sales Order, Purchase Order, Transfer Order, General Journal, etc.)
    PS: 
    Copy and paste FAQ
    View and edit in Excel from Business Central
     
    You can also consider customization or Power Automate.
    Dynamics 365 Business Central: How to import data from CSV (comma-separated values) file
    How to import data from a csv file to Business Central with Power Automate (No customization) – csv to JSON
    Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central: How to use Excel Buffer to Import data
     
    Hope this helps.
    Thanks.
    ZHU
  • Suggested answer
    Valentin Castravet Profile Picture
    Valentin Castravet 26,951 Super User 2025 Season 1 on 03 Oct 2024 at 23:12:21
    Import from Excel function

    AI, such as ChatGPT, oftentimes provide inaccurate information about Business Central, so I wouldn't trust it. As far as I know that's not a feature in the general journal, at least in the NA localizations. There is a less known feature in the system that allows you to set up a general journal import using configuration packages, and the import button is located on the general journal. Perhaps that’s what it was referring to. Regardless, this feature utilizes configuration packages, so either way you have to set up a configuration package. Here are the options you have:

    1. Use configuration packages to import data into Table 81. It’s straightforward to set up, I wrote a guide here. 

    2. Utilize the Edit in Excel functionality on the journal. This is effective for a small number of lines. However, if you have hundreds or thousands of entries, configuration packages are faster.

    3. You can also copy and paste rows from Excel into the journal. Just note that this will only work if your Excel file is organized to match the columns in the general journal.

     

    Valentin Castravet
    Work: Zander ERP Services
    Blog: Dynamics 365 Business Central Insights
    LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/valentin-c-0500a247/
     

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