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How to Use Excel Tables with List Rows in Power Automate Dynamically

John Wilson Sep 30, 2026 870 views

Question details

The user needs to retrieve data from a specific Excel table using Power Automate, but the table name does not appear in the 'List rows present in a table' dropdown menu because the target workbook is generated or selected dynamically.

How to Use Excel Tables with List Rows in Power Automate

Product: Power Automate
Device & OS: not provided
Scenario: Building a Power Automate flow that automatically saves a newly received Excel workbook and subsequently attempts to read its rows to process the data.
Observed behavior: The target table (e.g., 'Table 1') does not appear in the dropdown menu for the 'List rows present in a table' action because the file path is not statically defined during flow creation.

Before you start

Verify that the Excel workbook actually contains a structured Excel table (created via Insert > Table), as Power Automate cannot retrieve data from a standard formatted cell range.

Solution 1Recommended

Use the 'Get tables' Action to Retrieve the Dynamic Table Name

By fetching the available tables from the dynamically generated Excel workbook first, you can pass the correct table name to the List rows action.

When an Excel file is generated or defined dynamically during a flow run, Power Automate cannot inspect it at design time to populate the table dropdown. To resolve this, you must explicitly query the file for its tables before attempting to read the rows.

Add the Get tables action

In your flow, click 'New step' and search for 'Get tables'. Add the 'Excel Online (Business) - Get tables' action immediately after the step where the new Excel workbook is created or saved.

Select the dynamic file

In the 'File' field of the Get tables action, select the dynamic content identifier (such as File ID) from your previous file creation or selection step.

Add List rows present in a table

Click 'New step' again and add the 'List rows present in a table' action.

Input the dynamic table name via expression

In the 'Table' field, click the dropdown and select 'Enter custom value'. Write an expression to target the correct table from the previous step's output array. For example, if it is the third table mapped via a Compose action, use outputs('Compose')[2]?['name']. If querying directly from Get Tables, you might use outputs('Get_tables')?['body/value'][0]['name'] for the first table.

Use the 'Get tables' Action to Retrieve the Dynamic Table Name

Array Indexing Reminder: Remember that Power Automate arrays are zero-indexed. The first item is [0], the second is [1], and the third item is [2].

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1. Open your dataset in WPS Office: Launch WPS Office and open the spreadsheet you plan to use in your Power Automate flow.
2. Format as a structured table: Select your entire data range, navigate to the Insert tab, and click 'Table'. Ensure your headers are checked.
3. Save as .xlsx: Go to Menu > Save As, and select the Microsoft Excel (.xlsx) format to ensure maximum compatibility with cloud services.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Why does Power Automate report 'No tables found' in my Excel file?

This occurs because Power Automate specifically requires data to be formatted as a structured Table (inserted via Insert > Table in your spreadsheet software). A standard range of cells, even if formatted with background colors and borders, will not be recognized as a table.

Can I type the table name manually in 'List rows present in a table'?

Yes. If your dynamically generated Excel file will always contain a table with a consistent and predictable name (e.g., 'Table1'), you can select 'Enter custom value' in the Table dropdown and directly type 'Table1' without needing the Get tables action.

How do I filter rows dynamically after getting the table?

Once you have successfully passed the dynamic table name into the 'List rows present in a table' action, you can use the 'Filter Query' field under Advanced Options. This allows you to write OData queries (e.g., Status eq 'Complete') to fetch only the rows you need.

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