MC1072405 – Microsoft Excel: Organization data types will retire (archived)

Product:

Microsoft 365 Apps, Microsoft Search, Power BI

Platform:

Android, iOS, Mac, Online, Web, World tenant

Status:

Change type:

User impact, Retirement

Links:

MC1107494

Details:

Summary:
Microsoft Excel will retire the Organization data types feature on July 31, 2025, due to low usage and high costs. Users are advised to use the "Get Data > From Power BI" import feature or an add-in for custom entities. This change affects all Excel platforms, but existing data will be preserved without refresh capability. Bing data types remain supported.

Details:
We will retire Organization data types in Microsoft Excel effective July 31, 2025. This feature has low usage and high ongoing sustaining costs.
Instead, we recommend customers switch to the Get Data > From Power BI import feature on the Data ribbon in Excel to import data from Power BI or an add-in to create custom rich entities for the organization.
This retirement affects Excel for Windows desktop, Excel for Mac desktop, Excel for the web, and Excel for iOS/Android.
After this retirement, we will remove the Organization option from the Data Types gallery on the Data tab on the ribbon, and users will not be able to convert values to new organization types. Existing data in workbooks that used the Organization data type will be preserved but will no longer refresh. This change will have no impact on Bing data types, which we will continue to support.
Learn more
Use Organization data types to view and insert data - Microsoft Support
Connect Excel to Power BI semantic models - Power BI | Microsoft Learn
Overview of data types in Excel add-ins - Office Add-ins | Microsoft Learn

Change Category:
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Scope:
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Release Phase:

Created:
2025-05-13

updated:
2025-05-13

Task Type

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Docu to Check

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MS Preperations

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MS Urgency

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summary for non-techies**

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Direct effects for Operations**

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explanation for non-techies**

Microsoft Excel is making a change that will affect how some users handle data. The Organization data types feature, which allows users to integrate custom data into Excel, will be retired on July 31, 2025. This decision was made because not many people were using it, and it was costly to maintain.

Think of the Organization data types feature like a custom filing cabinet in an office. If only a few people use this cabinet and it costs a lot to keep it organized and up-to-date, it might make sense to find a more efficient way to store and access those files. In this case, Microsoft suggests using the "Get Data > From Power BI" feature or an add-in to manage custom data. This is like moving the files to a more accessible and widely used digital filing system that everyone in the office can easily access and update.

This change will apply to all versions of Excel, whether you're using it on a Windows desktop, a Mac, online, or on a mobile device. After the retirement date, you won't be able to create new Organization data types, but any existing data you've already set up will remain in your workbooks. However, this data won't update automatically anymore, similar to having a snapshot of your files that won't change unless you manually update them.

The good news is that this change won't affect Bing data types, which will continue to be supported. Bing data types are like having a reliable external database that provides information directly into Excel, and that service will remain available.

For those who rely on Organization data types, it's a good idea to start exploring the alternative options Microsoft suggests, such as connecting Excel to Power BI. This way, you can ensure a smooth transition and continue to manage your data effectively.