Skip to main content
cancel
Showing results for 
Search instead for 
Did you mean: 

Calling all Data Engineers! Fabric Data Engineer (Exam DP-700) live sessions are back! Starting October 16th. Sign up.

Reply
Phil9987
Regular Visitor

How to Update Powerbi report by pressing Refresh button instead of always using 'Get Data'?

Hi, I always have to use 'Get Data' to put the latest excel sheet into powerbi. However, I was wondering if I can use 'Get Data' to update to the latest excel sheet. Is the 'Refresh' a premium feature?

1 ACCEPTED SOLUTION
Ritaf1983
Super User
Super User

Hi @Phil9987 
In Power BI Desktop, to refresh data from your latest Excel file, make sure of the following:

The Excel file needs to be closed during the refresh process in Power BI, as an open file can sometimes prevent Power BI from accessing it.
File Location and Name Consistency: Ensure that the Excel file remains in the same location and has the same name. If the file is moved or renamed, you’ll need to update the data source settings in Power BI.
File Permissions: You need sufficient permissions to access the Excel file. If it's on a shared drive or network, check that you have read access.
Table Formatting: For best results, use formatted tables in Excel, as Power BI works most smoothly with this format.
Data Formatting in Excel: Any changes in the data structure (like renaming columns or modifying data types) might require adjusting Power BI settings accordingly.
Click the “Refresh” button on the Home tab to update the data, and it will pull the latest changes from the Excel file without needing re-importing.

For more information please refer to the linked video guide:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gDA_BhyE1qw

If this post helps, then please consider Accepting it as the solution to help the other members find it more quickly

Regards,
Rita Fainshtein | Microsoft MVP
https://www.linkedin.com/in/rita-fainshtein/
Blog : https://www.madeiradata.com/profile/ritaf/profile

View solution in original post

2 REPLIES 2
Ritaf1983
Super User
Super User

Hi @Phil9987 
In Power BI Desktop, to refresh data from your latest Excel file, make sure of the following:

The Excel file needs to be closed during the refresh process in Power BI, as an open file can sometimes prevent Power BI from accessing it.
File Location and Name Consistency: Ensure that the Excel file remains in the same location and has the same name. If the file is moved or renamed, you’ll need to update the data source settings in Power BI.
File Permissions: You need sufficient permissions to access the Excel file. If it's on a shared drive or network, check that you have read access.
Table Formatting: For best results, use formatted tables in Excel, as Power BI works most smoothly with this format.
Data Formatting in Excel: Any changes in the data structure (like renaming columns or modifying data types) might require adjusting Power BI settings accordingly.
Click the “Refresh” button on the Home tab to update the data, and it will pull the latest changes from the Excel file without needing re-importing.

For more information please refer to the linked video guide:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gDA_BhyE1qw

If this post helps, then please consider Accepting it as the solution to help the other members find it more quickly

Regards,
Rita Fainshtein | Microsoft MVP
https://www.linkedin.com/in/rita-fainshtein/
Blog : https://www.madeiradata.com/profile/ritaf/profile

Thank you so much. Your response helped me alot.

Helpful resources

Announcements
FabCon Global Hackathon Carousel

FabCon Global Hackathon

Join the Fabric FabCon Global Hackathon—running virtually through Nov 3. Open to all skill levels. $10,000 in prizes!

October Power BI Update Carousel

Power BI Monthly Update - October 2025

Check out the October 2025 Power BI update to learn about new features.

FabCon Atlanta 2026 carousel

FabCon Atlanta 2026

Join us at FabCon Atlanta, March 16-20, for the ultimate Fabric, Power BI, AI and SQL community-led event. Save $200 with code FABCOMM.