How to Recover SharePoint Data After Changing a Column Type
Question details
The user needs to recover data in a SharePoint list that became invisible after the column type was changed from single-line text to Number during a Power Apps customization.
- Product
- SharePoint
- Device & OS
- not provided
- Scenario
- Troubleshooting a Power Apps customization linked to a SharePoint list, which required changing the data type of an existing column.
- Observed behavior
- Data previously stored in a single-line text column is no longer visible after the column was converted to a Number type.
Before attempting to recover the data, ensure you have Site Owner or List Contributor permissions to access list settings, version history, and the site Recycle Bin.
Restore Data Using SharePoint List Version History
Revert the affected list items to a previous state before the column type was modified.
Changing a column type from Text to Number can hide existing values that contain non-numeric characters because they are incompatible with the new format. The data is often not deleted, just unavailable. Restoring a previous version of the item can recover the lost data.
Navigate to your SharePoint list, right-click on an affected item (or select the three-dot 'More actions' menu), and choose 'Version history'.
Look through the version history list to find a date and time immediately before you changed the column type to Number.
Click the drop-down arrow next to the timestamp of the correct version and select 'Restore'. Confirm the prompt to apply the old data.
Revert Column Type and Check Power Apps
Change the column back to its original text type to make incompatible values visible again.
Check the SharePoint Recycle Bin
Verify if the missing data was caused by accidental item deletion rather than a column type mismatch.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Why did my data disappear when changing a SharePoint column type?
Changing a column type from text to number hides data that cannot be converted (e.g., text strings containing letters). The values often remain in the underlying database but are incompatible with the new column formatting, rendering them invisible in standard list views.
Can I restore a deleted SharePoint list column?
No, if you completely delete a column from the list settings, the data associated with it is permanently removed and cannot be restored from the Recycle Bin. You would need to restore the entire list or site from a Microsoft 365 backup if one was previously configured.
How do I safely change column types for Power Apps?
To safely alter column types, it is recommended to create a new column with the desired data type, migrate the existing compatible data over using a Power Automate flow or the 'Edit in grid' view, and update your Power Apps data source before safely removing the old column.
Does SharePoint version history save column structure changes?
Version history saves item-level data changes, not structural list schema changes. However, restoring an older version of an item can repopulate the fields with the data it held prior to the schema change, provided the current column structure accepts the data.
