This article applies to Excel and Power BI files connected to Dashpivot via the Flowsite Power Platform integration, where data is transformed using Power Query. When refreshing your file, you may see errors such as [DataFormat.Error], [Expression.Error], or [DateFormat.Error]. These errors appear in Power Query and prevent your data from loading correctly.
What's happening
After refreshing your Excel or Power BI file, one or more of the following may appear:
A
[DataFormat.Error]such as "We couldn't convert to Number" appears on a columnA
[DateFormat.Error]appears when loading date fieldsAn
[Expression.Error]appears after a template field was changedData loads in some columns but fails in others
Why this happens
Flowsite passes data through exactly as it is exported from Dashpivot — it does not validate or transform column types. Power Query applies its own type rules on top of this data, and when the incoming data does not match what Power Query expects, a format error is thrown.
Common causes
A column is typed as Number in Power Query but receives a non-numeric value — this happens when a Dashpivot field (e.g. a timesheet hours or rate field) contains a blank, a text entry, or a symbol that Power Query cannot cast to a number
A date field is in an unexpected format — Power Query is strict about date formats; if Dashpivot exports a date in
DD/MM/YYYYand the query expectsMM/DD/YYYY, a[DateFormat.Error]will fireA field was renamed or removed in the Dashpivot template — Power Query references columns by exact name; a renamed or deleted field breaks the existing query steps and triggers an
[Expression.Error]New or unexpected data was introduced into a field — a field type change or new form submissions with different data patterns can cause Power Query to fail on values it has not encountered before
How to fix it
1. Identify which column is causing the error
Open Power Query Editor (Data > Get Data > Launch Power Query Editor in Excel, or Transform Data in Power BI). Check the Applied Steps panel and click the step where the error occurs to identify the affected column.
2. Check for blank or unexpected values in the source data
In Dashpivot, review the forms in the relevant template for any fields that may contain blanks, symbols, or text where a number or date is expected. Correct the source data where possible, then trigger a manual flow refresh in Flowsite before refreshing Excel or Power BI.
3. Update the column type in Power Query
If the column type set in Power Query no longer matches the incoming data, update it to match. For example, if a column contains mixed values, change the type to Text to prevent conversion errors. In Power Query Editor, select the column, go to Transform > Data Type, and choose the appropriate type.
4. Fix date format mismatches
If a [DateFormat.Error] appears, check the locale settings in Power Query. In Power Query Editor, select the date column, go to Transform > Data Type > Using Locale, and select the date format that matches how Dashpivot exports the date (e.g. day/month/year).
5. Update Power Query steps if a field was renamed or removed
If the error started after a template change in Dashpivot, update the affected Power Query steps to reference the new column name exactly, including capitalisation. If the integration was originally set up by a Solutions Engineer, contact them to reconfigure the steps.
If the issue continues
If the error persists after updating Power Query steps and checking source data, contact your Solutions Engineer to review the integration configuration. When raising the issue, note the exact error message, the column name it references, and any recent changes made to the Dashpivot template.