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Microsoft Dataverse is a a scalable cloud database and data service as a result users can define workflows and business rules while still having access to security and data management capabilities. Furthermore, Dataverse facilitates appropriate data modelling by creating relationships between related tables.
Copilot in Microsoft Dataverse is amazing especially with being able to provide the table, columns including data types we need and suggested sample data with a simple prompt and can also make changes to the Dataverse table like add and remove columns, change data types of columns and more by the use of prompts.
Presently, we have two ways where Copilot works in Microsoft Dataverse.
In this blog post, I will be showing you how you can upload an Employee record excel file to Dataverse using the Upload an excel file feature that makes use of Copilot, the differences between an enabled and non- enabled copilot environment when using the Upload an excel file feature in Dataverse, how to create an Auditing company employee record table in Dataverse using Copilot, and how prompting works for creating tables in Microsoft Dataverse.
First let’s look at the UI differences between an environment that has Copilot enabled and a non enabled Copilot environment.
From the screenshot below, we are looking at an environment that has copilot enabled. From the point of Dataverse, when we go to Tables in our Power Apps Portal, we can notice that in a copilot enabled environment at the middle of the screen we have
Describe the new table
Upload for an Excel file
Start with a blank table
Create a virtual table
But for a non enabled copilot environment as shown in the screenshot below, the differences between the two environments is that in a non enabled copilot environment there is no Describe the new table.
How to Upload an Excel File to Dataverse
Note: This is possible in an enabled and non-enable copilot environment.
The Step by Step process
Step 1
Login into Power Apps
Sign into your account
Step 2
At the left hand side of your screen, click on Tables (if you cannot see Tables click on More and then check for Tables).
Step 3
Click on Upload an Excel File
Step 4
Next, you can either drag your excel file to the file or upload the excel file from your desktop or upload the excel file from your desktop.
Here we will be uploading from our desktop
Click on Select from device
Click on the Excel file you will be using and then click on Open.
This will load and show the data from the excel file in our screen.
Step 5
In an enabled copilot environment, Copilot reads the data collected in the Excel file. Which helps Copilot AI to name the table and also give the table a description.
In a non-enabled copilot environment, this is different. There is no specific table name, it is named Table and there is no table description.
Step 6
Lets make a few changes to our data.
From our Employee information Table. We have different data as seen from our screen and they are listed as
| Column | Data Type |
| EEID | Single line of text |
| Full Name | Single line of text |
| Job Title | Single line of text |
| Department | Single line of text |
| Business Unit | Single line of text |
| Gender | Choice |
| Ethnicity | Choice |
| Age | Whole number |
| Hire Date | Date |
| Annual Salary | Currency |
| Bonus | Decimal |
| Country | Single line of text |
| City | Single line of text |
| Exit Date | Date |
Let us change the data type of business unit column from a single line of text to choice
- Click on the column Business unit
- Click on Edit column
- Change the data type from single line of text to choice, on Data type click on the dropdown
- Next, click on Choice and then select choice.
Here you can make any other changes that you might need.
- Scroll down and click on Update to save your changes.
Note: We can make changes to the row ownership of the table and also make changes to the table name and description.
Step 7
Click on Create
Note: From using the upload an excel file feature I noticed that when you upload your excel file multiple times without completing the task, copilot AI understands your data better and is able to create the table with the right data types for the columns.
Now, we will be looking at creating a Table in Dataverse using Copilot
Step 8
At the left hand side of your home screen, click on Table.
Step 9
Click on Describe the new table
Here we will be using the Copilot chat at the right hand side of our screen.
Note: Creating a table in Dataverse using Copilot, we cannot edit the table or columns directly we have to use the Copilot chat for every changes.
First let's look at how prompting works on our Copilot chat.
Here we will be using the prompt
create an app for a bakery companies employee record
Our Dataverse table is created for us from our prompt which is a Employee record of a Bakery company with the Table name "Employee Record" containing the following columns and data types as shown in the table below
| Column | Data Types |
| Employee Id | Single line of text |
| First Name | Single line of text |
| Last Name | Single line of text |
| Position | Single line of text |
| Date Hired | Date |
Let’s try a different prompt to create the same Dataverse Table for a Baking company Employee Record
Let's go ahead by going to the Copilot chat at the right hand side of our screen
and add Delete Table or by clicking the refresh icon at the top of the Copilot Chat this will helps in deleting our recent changes and chat (if the delete table prompt does not work for you, click on the refresh icon).
Next let us try and use another prompt. Using the prompt
Create a Bakery Company Employee Record Table
This creates the same table we had with the earlier prompt; the same columns and data type but with a different Table name, named “ Bakery Company Employee Record”.
Step 10
Now we understand how prompting works for Microsoft Dataverse. Let us create an Auditing Company Employee Record Dataverse table using Copilot.
- Go to the Copilot chat at the right hand side of our screen
- Where we have the textbox that says What do you want to do with this table? Enter the prompt
create an Auditing Company Employee Record Table
Here, Copilot creates an Auditing Company Employee record table with the Table name "Auditing Company Employee record" with suggested few data samples in the columns and with the sample data in department and position column relating to data seen in an Auditing company and these are the following columns and data types in the Table below.
| Column | Data Type |
| Employee Id | Single line of text |
| First Name | Single line of text |
| Last Name | Single line of text |
| Position | Single line of text |
| Department | Single line of text |
Here, I will be showing you how you can make changes to the Table created.
Step 11
Make changes to the Department Column by changing the Department column from a single line of text to a choice column.
- On the Copilot chat at the right hand side of the screen, enter the prompt
change the data type of the Department column to a Choice column
Step 12
Add a new option to the Department Choice Column. By using the prompt
Add HR to the Department Choice Column
This prompt did not work because we were not using the right prompt. As you can see from the screenshot below, HR was not added to our Department (Choice data type) column.
Use the right prompt to make the changes. By using this prompt
Add HR as one of the options that can be selected in Department column.
Now you can see, HR has been added to the options in the Department Column
Step 13
Add a column to the Table
- On the Copilot chat, use the prompt
Add an Employee email column
Step 14
Add more Sample data to the Table by using the prompt
Add more sample data to the Table
Need to delete the sample data from the table? Use the prompt
Delete all sample data in the table
Step 15
Click on Create. This creates an Auditing Company Employee Record Dataverse Table.
Learn more about Generative AI and Copilot in Power Platform
Thank you for reading
Learning Resources
Get Started with Copilot in Microsoft Power Apps
FAQ for Copilot data security and privacy in Microsoft Power Platform