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Billie's avatar
Billie
New Member
1 year ago
Solved

Issue with Incorrect Field Names from SharePoint Lists in Power BI

When importing data from a SharePoint Online list into Power BI, the table headers appear as Field1, Field2, Field3... instead of showing their proper names.   The list itself has correct field na...
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  • v-saisrao-msft's avatar
    v-saisrao-msft
    1 year ago

    Hi  Billie 
    Thanks for Posting your query in Microsoft Forum Community.

     

    As per your query Issue with Incorrect Field Names from SharePoint Lists in Power BI. where Power BI is displaying the internal names of the SharePoint list columns instead of their display names. This can happen due to how Power BI retrieves data from SharePoint. Here’s some alternative approach that may help resolve this issue: 

     

    Refresh Data Sources: 

    • Sometimes just refreshing the data sources in Power BI can help. Go to Home > Refresh to refresh the data and see if the correct field names appear.  

    Check SharePoint Column Settings: 

    •  Navigate to your SharePoint list and check the settings for each column. 
    • Ensure that the display names are set correctly and that there are no hidden fields or customized settings affecting their visibility. 

    Clear Cache: 

    • Sometimes, Power BI can cache data, which may lead to incorrect naming        issues 
    • In Power BI, go to File > Options and settings > Options > Data Load. Clear the cache here and try reimporting the data from SharePoint. 

    Ensure the Latest Power BI Desktop Version 

    • Using an outdated Power BI version may cause compatibility issues with the SharePoint Online connector. 
    • Update Power BI Desktop to the latest version to ensure it has the most recent fixes and improvements for SharePoint integrations.  

    Use OData Feed:  

    • When connecting to your SharePoint list, use the OData feed option. This method often retrieves the correct display names. You can do this by selecting “OData Feed” in Power BI.  

    Check for Special Characters:   

    • Ensure that your SharePoint list column names do not contain special characters or spaces. Sometimes, these can cause issues when importing into Power BI.  

    If you find this post helpful, please mark it as the accepted solution so other community members can easily find it. Your Kudos are also greatly appreciated! 

VahidDM's avatar
VahidDM
Super User
1 year ago

Hi Billie 

 

This issue often occurs because SharePoint lists with customized forms or columns created in older versions of SharePoint can return generic column names to Power BI. To fix this:

  1. Check Original Column Names in SharePoint:

    • Ensure the list’s internal field names match the display names you expect.

  2. Use the OData Feed:

    • Instead of the default connector, try using Get Data > OData Feed and paste the SharePoint list’s OData endpoint URL.
    • This often returns fields with their correct names.

  3. Refresh the Query in Power Query:

    • After connecting via OData, go to Power Query Editor and refresh the preview.
    • The correct field names should appear.

  4. Recreate the Query if Necessary:

    • If the problem persists, create a new query and point it to the OData endpoint from scratch.

By retrieving the list through the OData feed rather than the default SharePoint connector, you can typically get the proper field names and avoid the generic Field1, Field2 labels.

 

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

Appreciate your Kudos!! 

 

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