How to link a file to powerBI and have it regularly refresh daily?

[achintya_patel]

Hi! I am having issues with PowerBI. I am struggling to link a file to my power BI.

The file is in a restricted company place, and I don't know how to link the excel documents across!!

It also needs to be updating. If there is any solution please help! Thank you

[v-tejrama · Accepted solution]

Hi @achintya_patel ,
Thank you for your question. To link a file to Power BI and have it refresh regularly, the best method is to save your Excel file in OneDrive for Business or SharePoint Online. Publish your report (.pbix) to the Power BI Service, then set up Scheduled Refresh in the dataset settings—you can adjust how often it refreshes based on your license. Ensure your credentials are current, and configure a gateway if your data is stored locally. Please note, the online report will refresh automatically, but your local Power BI Desktop file won’t update unless you download it again. For automatic refreshes when the Excel file changes, consider using a Power Automate flow to trigger a refresh each time the file is updated. This setup keeps everything automated and connected.

If the response has addressed your query, please  "Accept it as a solution" and give a "Kudos"  so other members can easily find it.

Best Regards,
Tejaswi.
Community Support

[achintya_patel]

Hi @Cookistador 

I can locate a singular excel sheet using Get Data > Excel.

I am just having a problem attaching a folder that has multiple excel sheets, that also can be refreshed.

Thank you!!

[Cookistador]

If you use folder, you have to be sure that your files has exactly the same structure, for example you have one file per year and then you want to merge them in a big table

If it is not the case, you have to import files one by one

[achintya_patel]

Hi! 

I think they do? Am I doing somthing wrong? Are there too many excel sheets (55)? 

Is it even possible to link a folder to power BI with all the data?

Thank you!

[Cookistador]

Yes, if you files have exactly the same format, you can use the folder connector

You can test it, do not worry, Power BI only read files, so it won't have any impact on the files you are using

[danextian]

Hi @achintya_patel 

For Power BI to be able to refresh a semantic model automatically, Power BI Service must be able to access your data.

If you are on MS 365, store  your Excel files in a OneDrive for Business or a SharePoint Online folder and use the SharePoint folder connector. Note: you must connect to the online versions of the file, not the synched copied in local drive.

If the files are on-premise, you must use Power BI Data Gateway installed in a machine that's always online and can read the files in you on-premise storage. You might need to reach out to your IT to set this up. The gateway will serve as a bridge between the on-premise storage and the Service.

[achintya_patel]

Hi @danextian 

Sorry, I dont really understand the  SharePoint folder connector thing. I really just need to upload a folder wit excel documents that can be refreshed. Is this the only way of doing that?

Thanks!

[danextian]

A link to the documentation is in my initial reply.

[Cookistador]

Hello @achintya_patel 

When you say "restricting company place," do you mean the file is stored on-premises (on a server managed by your company) or in the cloud?

In Power BI Desktop, are you able to locate it using Get Data > Excel?

If the file is stored on-premises, you can refresh it using a personal gateway, but keep in mind that your laptop must be turned on for the refresh to run successfully.