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With pages that display a list of records in rows and columns, such as a list of customers, sale orders, or invoices, you can export the list to Microsoft Excel and view it there. Depending on the page, you have two options for viewing in Excel. Both are available from the Share icon 
at the top of a page. You can either select the Open in Excel action or the Edit in Excel action on the page. This article explains the two actions.
Tip
When you export data from Business Central to Excel using the Open in Excel or Edit in Excel actions, you can now take advantage of Agent Mode in Excel to streamline data preparation and analysis. Agent Mode allows you to describe tasks in natural language. Depending on your instructions, Excel does the required cleanup, transformation, or analysis steps automatically.
Open in Excel
With the Open in Excel action, you can make changes to the records in Excel, but you can't publish the changes back to Business Central. You can only save the changes to the Excel file, without affecting data in Business Central.
- Excel respects filters on the page that limit the records shown. The Excel workbook has the same rows and columns that appear on the page in Business Central.
- This action works on both Windows and macOS.
- If your organization has configured OneDrive for system features, the Excel workbook is opened in your browser by using Excel for the web. If you're not using OneDrive for system features, the workbook is downloaded to your device. From there, you can open it using either the Excel desktop app or Excel for the web, depending on what you have.
Tip
What about reports? Well, you can export the report results to an Excel file for viewing the full dataset, including all columns. The Excel file can help you validate that the report returns the expected data. To export a report, run the report and select the Send to > Microsoft Excel Document (data only) on the request page. For more information, see Work with Reports - Save a report to a file.
Note
In Excel, whole numbers in columns have a decimal symbol at the end (like a period . or comma ,) even though the decimal symbol isn't shown in Business Central. The decimal symbol depends on your device's region settings. For example, 10 in Business Central could appear as 10. or 10, in Excel. You can change the format in Excel by selecting the values, then selecting Ctrl+1. Learn more about changing the number format in Excel at Format numbers.
Edit in Excel
The Edit in Excel action is available on most lists, but not all. With the Edit in Excel action, you make changes to records in Excel and then publish the changes back to Business Central. When Excel opens, the Excel Add-in pane displays.
- With this action, Excel respects most filters on the page that limit the records shown, so the Excel workbook has almost the same records and columns.
- To get the latest data from Business Central, choose Refresh in the Excel Add-in pane.
- If your organization has configured OneDrive for system features, the Excel workbook is opened in your browser by using Excel for the web. If you're not using OneDrive for system features, the workbook is downloaded to your device. From there, you can open it using either the Excel desktop app or Excel for the web, depending on what you have.
First-time sign-in
The Edit in Excel action requires that the Business Central add-in is installed in Excel. In some cases, your administrator might set up the add-in to install automatically for you. In this case, you just have to sign in to Business Central in the Excel Add-in pane with your user name and password. Otherwise, the New Office Add-in pane opens. To install the add-in, choose Trust this add-in, which installs the add-in directly from the Office Store.
If the add-in doesn't install, either contact your admin or try to install it manually. Learn more in Install the add-in manually for your own use.
Work across environments and companies
You can switch the company that you're working with. To switch a company, select the Options icon 
in the Excel Add-in pane, then select the company from the Company field.
Important
When changing the company, make sure that the Environment field isn't empty. If it is, then set it to one of the available options; otherwise, the add-in doesn't work correctly.
If you make changes to the add-in, you must reload it to update the connection. To reload, use the 
menu in the upper-right corner of the add-in. If you can't load the add-in, talk to your administrator. Refer to Get the Business Central add-in for Excel if you're the administrator.
Note
The add-in works with Excel for the web (online) from any device as long as you use a supported browser. It also works with the Excel app for Windows (PC), but not for macOS.
For Business Central on-premises, the Edit in Excel action is only available if the Excel add-in has been configured by your administrator, and only available for the web client. For administrators, if you want to learn how to install the Excel add-in, see Setting up the Business Central add-in for Excel in Business Central on-premises.
Limits when using Excel for the web
When Edit in Excel is used on list pages for tables with many columns, the resulting workbook might have too many columns for the file to be viewed in Excel for the web. Business Central automatically limits the exported workbook to 100 columns when OneDrive is configured for system features.
Use Agentic Excel to enhance data tasks
When you export data from Business Central to Excel using the Open in Excel or Edit in Excel actions, you can take advantage of Agent Mode in Excel to streamline data preparation and analysis. Agent Mode allows you to describe tasks in natural language. Depending on your instructions, Excel does the cleanup, transformation, or analysis steps automatically.
Scenario: Clean and prepare Business Central data
Agent Mode can help you quickly prepare exported lists before you publish changes back to Business Central. You can use natural language instructions to:
- Remove duplicates, standardize text formatting, or highlight anomalies and missing values.
- Fill in missing fields, apply consistent naming conventions, or detect unexpected outliers in item, vendor, or pricing data.
- Restructure worksheets, create new derived columns, or reshape data for import into configuration packages or templates.
These capabilities reduce manual effort and help ensure high quality master data before you republish changes.
Scenario: Analyze business data efficiently
After you export data from Business Central, Agent Mode can help you accelerate analysis by creating:
- Summaries and trends written in natural language.
- Charts, PivotTables, and dashboards.
- Conditional formatting rules to highlight key patterns, such as aging balances or low inventory levels.
You can generate insights without building formulas or complex workbook structures.
Scenario: Support for iterative and multi-step workflows
Agent Mode can do multi-step tasks that would otherwise require several manual operations. For example, you can:
- Export a list of items from Business Central.
- Ask Excel to clean inconsistent descriptions.
- Request grouping by item category and generate a chart of sales trends.
- Reformat the output to prepare it for re-import into a configuration package.
This conversational, iterative experience helps you refine results step-by-step without knowing specific Excel functions.
Considerations when working with data
Agent Mode performs actions in Excel only. Changes aren’t written back to Business Central until you publish them. Follow your organization’s data governance practices, especially when working with sensitive data.
Availability of Agent Mode
Availability of Agent Mode depends on the country/region and licensing.
To learn more, go to Frequently asked questions about Agent Mode in Excel
Related information
Frequently asked questions about Agent Mode in Excel
Analyze list data using data analysis mode
Work with Business Central