Microsoft Excel sheet isn't updating unless it's open so my fusion scenario is stuck | Community
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JennySt5
JennySt5
Level 2
November 10, 2025
Solved

Microsoft Excel sheet isn't updating unless it's open so my fusion scenario is stuck

  • November 10, 2025
  • 1 reply
  • 221 views

Wondering if anyone else has seen this and has a workaround. I have a fusion scenario set to run whenever a new row is added to a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet. The scenario runs fine, however I noticed that it wasn't seeing new rows (form submissions) in a timely manner.

 

I realized that the fusion scenario is working as expected, but unless I have the spreadsheet open and active (attached to a MS form) it isn't populating (or doesn't seem to).

 

Does anyone else know of a trick to keep the spreadsheet 'active' without having it open? Between trying to keep it open and our company security policies forcing me to log in after a certain amount of time this isn't an ideal way to keep my scenario running.

Best answer by IvanBebek-iX

Hi @jennyst5,

 

The more I look into this this seems like it works how it is supposed to work and the actual issue happens because of MS Forms -> Excel sync logic. Per one of the blogs I have found in the Microsoft page https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/blog/microsoftformsblog/introducing-forms-data-sync-to-excel/4036051 
Quote:

New responses sync to Excel

New responses will automatically sync when you open your Excel file for the web, allowing you to seamlessly continue your existing work.


Per this documentation you can set up automated workflows which should sync the date between Forms and Excel without the need to open the spreadsheet.
https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/setting-up-an-automated-workflow-between-microsoft-forms-and-excel-through-power-automate-b59076a5-abe6-4659-8bb3-28076b3a9a7e#:~:text=Now%2C%20you'll%20create%20a,a%20row%20into%20a%20table.%22 

 

To confirm this claim, you can always do an update and prior to opening the sheet fetch the Data from Workfront and see if it is actually written or do you have to open the spreadsheet for it to sync. If you need to open for the data to actually sync please take a look into the automation topic. Hopefully this helps.

 

Best regards,
Ivan

1 reply

IvanBebek-iX
IvanBebek-iX
Level 5
November 11, 2025

Hi @jennyst5 ,

 

First of I would have few questions:

  1. Which module are you using to check if new row was added
  2. Don't you anyway have to open spreadsheet to add a row thus resulting in spreadsheet being opened and sending updates to fusion?
  3. Could you describe one scenario where it works and one where it does not?
  4. Where is the Excel sheet stored?

Thank you for your time.

Best regards,
Ivan

JennySt5
JennySt5Author
Level 2
November 11, 2025

I am using the MS "Watch Worksheet Rows" and as I mentioned, as long as I have the Excel spreadsheet open, my scenario works as expected, which is why I think it's an Excel issue.

 

Our spreadsheet is linked to an MS form, so when people fill out a form, their responses are being stored on the spreadsheet in a new row.

 

What seems to be happening is that the spreadsheet doesn't register the new row unless I have it active

JennySt5
JennySt5Author
Level 2
November 17, 2025

I'm actually going to try creating a separate scenario that writes a timestamp to the spreadsheet once an hour to see if that might trick it into writing the form data to the spreadsheet as well.


For the record, this didn't work. It does update the cell every hour, but it doesn't seem to make the excel sheet active enough to write the form data.

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