How to Connect Power BI to Excel Data

Power BI is one of the most popular tools for turning raw data into interactive reports and dashboards. Many people who use Power BI also work with Microsoft Excel. The good news is that Power BI and Excel work together very well.

In this guide, you’ll learn how to connect Power BI to Excel data step by step. We’ll cover the different ways to import Excel files, how to prepare your data, and some common mistakes to avoid. By the end, you’ll be ready to build your first Power BI report using your Excel spreadsheets.

👉 If you’re just starting out with Power BI, this topic is covered in our Power BI Introduction Course, where you’ll get hands-on practice with importing data and creating your first reports.

Why Connect Power BI to Excel?

Many businesses already store important data in Excel. Connecting Power BI to that data allows you to:

• Visualise your spreadsheets in interactive dashboards.
• Combine Excel data with other sources (databases, online services).
• Share insights more easily across your team.
• Automate updates, so your reports refresh when your Excel file changes.

Preparing Your Excel File

Before connecting to Power BI, make sure your Excel file is ready:

• Use tables in Excel (Insert > Table). Power BI recognises tables more reliably.
• Make sure your data has headings for each column.
• Avoid blank rows and merged cells.
• Save your file in a clear location (local drive, OneDrive, or SharePoint).

👉 Data preparation is a big focus in our Power BI Intermediate Course, which teaches how to clean and shape data for analysis.

Method 1: Import Excel Data into Power BI

Step 1: Open Power BI Desktop

Start Power BI Desktop. You’ll see a blank report page.

Step 2: Get Data

• On the ribbon, click Home > Get Data > Excel.
• Navigate to your file and select it.

Step 3: Choose Your Data

• A Navigator window will open.
• You’ll see a list of tables and sheets from your workbook.
• Tick the boxes for the tables you want to import.

Step 4: Load or Transform

• Click Load to bring the data straight into Power BI.
• Or click Transform Data to open Power Query and clean the data first.

👉 In our Power BI Introduction Course, you’ll practise using this method to import Excel data and start building reports.

Method 2: Connect to Excel in the Cloud (OneDrive or SharePoint)

If your Excel file is saved on OneDrive or SharePoint, you can connect Power BI directly to the online version.

Why this is useful:

• Your reports refresh automatically when the Excel file changes.
• No need to re-import data each time.

How to do it:

1. Go to Get Data > Web in Power BI Desktop.
2. Paste the file link from OneDrive or SharePoint.
3. Sign in with your Microsoft account if needed.

👉 This cloud-based approach is covered in the Power BI Intermediate Course, where you’ll learn how to manage scheduled refreshes.

Method 3: Analyse in Excel

The connection also works in the other direction. You can export a dataset from Power BI and then analyse it in Excel using pivot tables. This is great if you want to combine Power BI’s centralised data with Excel’s familiar tools.

👉 We explore this workflow in the Power BI Advanced Course, which focuses on integrating Power BI with other Microsoft 365 apps.

Cleaning and Shaping Excel Data in Power BI

Sometimes Excel files aren’t perfect. That’s where Power Query comes in. It lets you:

• Remove extra columns.
• Fix errors.
• Change column names.
• Combine multiple sheets.

You can do all this before loading the data into your report.

👉 Power Query is introduced in the Power BI Introduction Course, then explored in depth in the Power BI Intermediate Course.

Building Reports with Excel Data

Once your Excel data is loaded, you can:

• Drag fields onto the report canvas.
• Create visuals like bar charts, line graphs, and tables.
• Add slicers and filters to make the report interactive.
• Format visuals for a professional look.

👉 Report design is a key part of the Power BI Introduction Course, while dashboard storytelling is developed further in the Power BI Advanced Course.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Importing the wrong sheet (always check the Navigator window).
• Using messy Excel files with blank rows or merged cells.
• Forgetting to update the Excel file location if you move it.
• Loading too much unnecessary data, slowing down reports.

Best Practices

• Always convert data into Excel tables before connecting.
• Keep your Excel files in OneDrive or SharePoint for automatic updates.
• Name your tables and sheets clearly (e.g., “Sales_2025”).
• Use Power Query to clean and transform before loading.

Final Thoughts

Connecting Power BI to Excel is one of the easiest and most useful skills to learn. It gives you the best of both worlds — Excel’s flexibility and Power BI’s visual power.

👉 To learn these skills step by step, try our Power BI Introduction Course.
👉 To go further with cloud connections, scheduled refresh, and combining multiple datasets, check out our Power BI Intermediate Course.
👉 And if you want to integrate Power BI with other Microsoft 365 apps, explore advanced DAX, and design professional dashboards, our Power BI Advanced Course is the right choice.

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