Excel Formats as source

[powerbiexpert22]

Which Excel formats (table or pivot) is easier for Power BI to read when using Excel as the source?

[Shahid12523 · Accepted solution]

Excel Tables are easier for Power BI to read—structured, refreshable, and stable. Pivot Tables are harder—layout changes can break connections. Always prefer tables.

[v-hashadapu]

Hi @powerbiexpert22 , hope you are doing great. May we know if your issue is solved or if you are still experiencing difficulties. Please share the details as it will help the community, especially others with similar issues.

[v-hashadapu]

Hi @powerbiexpert22 , Hope you're doing okay! May we know if it worked for you, or are you still experiencing difficulties? Let us know — your feedback can really help others in the same situation.

[shashiPaul1570_]

Hi @powerbiexpert22 ,

Thank you for sharing this problem statement. 

When using Excel as a source in Power BI, the most reliable option is to use Excel Tables (Insert → Table).

• Tables are structured, expandable, and refresh-friendly. Power BI detects them automatically and handles updates seamlessly.

• PivotTables are aggregated views, which can break refreshes and limit flexibility since the raw data is no longer available.

Keep raw transactional data in Table format for Power BI, and if you still need PivotTables, create them separately in Excel—but don’t use them as a source.

If you find this helpful, please give a kudos 👍 and mark it as solution ✅ so it can help others too.

Best Regards
Shashi Paul 

[jaineshp]

Hey @powerbiexpert22,

Excel Tables are much better than Pivot Tables for Power BI - they refresh cleanly and automatically detect data types, while pivot tables create static snapshots that cause refresh issues.

Fixed? ✓ Mark it • Share it • Help others!

Best Regards,
Jainesh Poojara | Power BI Developer