This article applies to Excel files connected to Flowsite via the Power Platform integration, where data is transformed using Power Query. When you refresh your Excel file, you may notice that certain columns are missing, have broken headers, or are showing errors like [Expression.Error] or [DataFormat.Error]. This usually happens after a change has been made to the Dashpivot template or the register view.
What's happening
After refreshing your Excel file via Flowsite, one or more of the following may appear:
Columns that previously populated data are now missing
Column headers have changed or no longer match the Power Query steps
Errors such as
[Expression.Error]or[DataFormat.Error]appear on refreshData is populating into the wrong columns
Why this happens
Power Query is case-sensitive and relies on exact column names matching the headers exported from Dashpivot via Flowsite. When the structure of the Dashpivot template or register view changes, Power Query can no longer find or correctly map the data.
Common causes:
A field was renamed in the Dashpivot template — the column name in the Flowsite export changes to match, breaking any Power Query steps that reference the old name
A field was deleted from the template — the column is permanently removed from the export; data cannot be recovered
A field type was changed — the column remains but existing data is deleted, and incoming data may be in a different format than Power Query expects (e.g. a Number column now receiving text values)
New fields were added to the template — this can shift column positions and break existing transformation steps
Columns were deselected in the register view — Flowsite exports only the columns visible in the register view; deselecting a column removes it from the next refresh
A field that produces multiple columns was not accounted for — some field types (e.g. Date Range, Photos, Yes/No) produce more than one column in the export, which can cause columns to appear in unexpected positions
How to fix it
1. Check if the Dashpivot template was recently changed
Compare the current template fields against what Power Query expects. If a field was renamed, update the column reference in your Power Query steps to match the new name exactly, including capitalisation.
2. Check your register view column selection
In Dashpivot, open the register view for the relevant template and confirm all required columns are selected. Any column deselected here will be excluded from the Flowsite export on the next flow run. Re-enable any missing columns, then trigger a manual flow refresh in Flowsite.
3. Update Power Query steps to match the current column structure
Open Power Query Editor (Data > Get Data > Launch Power Query Editor in Excel, or Transform Data in Power BI). Review Applied Steps and update any step that references a renamed, removed, or reordered column. If the integration was originally set up by a Solutions Engineer, contact them to reconfigure the Power Query steps.
4. Re-check field types that produce multiple columns
Fields such as Date Range, Date Time Range, Photos, Signature, and Yes/No produce more than one column in the export. Confirm your Power Query steps account for all expected columns from these field types.
5. Trigger a manual flow refresh after making changes
In Flowsite, open the relevant flow and click Trigger flow manually. Once complete, refresh the Excel file to pull the latest data.
If the issue continues
If a field was deleted or its type changed and data has been lost, this cannot be recovered. Going forward, export data as a CSV from Dashpivot before making major template changes. If the column structure still does not match after updating Power Query steps, contact your Solutions Engineer to reconfigure the integration.