topic Re: Getting data from Snowflake to Excel in Developer

Getting data from Snowflake to Excel

DatamirHub — Mon, 29 Jun 2026 10:24:48 GMT

Hello I have multiple no technical users and am trying to find a way to setup a snowflake query for them and then let them refresh it whenever they want or on a schedule, but I couldn't find a good solution this what i found so far:

ODBC (Not great for non technical users needs setup on each user desktop)
Power Automate (Needs Power Automate Premium which we don't have)
Third Party tools (Expensive pricing models)
Through Power BI (We want to separate this process from power bi)

Any suggested solution please!

Re: Getting data from Snowflake to Excel

Zanqueta — Mon, 29 Jun 2026 15:58:45 GMT

Hi @DatamirHub

Best Option (Power BI Dataset + Excel)

The main idea is to clearly separate responsibilities:

Where data is prepared and refreshed → Power BI
Where users consume the data → Excel

How it works in practice

Connection to Snowflake
You create a dataset in Power BI connected to Snowflake using the native connector or a gateway. The query or data model should ideally be based on curated views to ensure proper governance.
Publication in Power BI Service
The dataset is published to a workspace in the cloud. At this stage, you configure scheduled refresh and, if required, apply security rules such as row-level security.

Excel connected to the dataset
Users open Excel and connect via:
Data → Get Data → From Power BI Dataset
They then select the published dataset.
User experience
Users continue working in Excel using pivot tables or tables. They simply click Refresh to get the latest data. No technical setup is required, and they do not need to write SQL or configure drivers.

Main advantages

No technical setup required for end users
Centralised refresh management
Strong governance aligned with organisational KPIs and semantic models
Scalable approach suitable for larger teams
Centralised security management

Important consideration

Even if Power BI is not intended for reporting, it is being used here as a governed data engine. This significantly reduces maintenance effort and user support.

Conclusion

This approach solves the problem because it keeps Excel simple for users, avoids repeated technical configuration, and provides full control to the data team.

DISCLAIMER: While I wrote a draft of this answer, I used Copilot to create a longer, more detailed step-by-step description to make it easier to apply.

Re: Getting data from Snowflake to Excel

jasonmiller11tt — Fri, 03 Jul 2026 07:12:05 GMT

If the query is fixed, I'd hide the SQL from users and give them a simple way to refresh the results. Power Query in Excel is a good option if they're already using Excel. Otherwise, a small internal web app (e.g., Streamlit) with a "Refresh" button can provide a much cleaner experience without requiring users to configure ODBC or learn Snowflake. Knowing your users' preferred interface would help narrow down the best approach.