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
Anonymous
Not applicable

Reordering Columns in Power Query not Reordering in Data View

Hello:

 

I have a very simple problem to solve (I think). I need to reorder columns in my table for when I copy and paste it to another program. Right now, I am able to enter into Power Query and move columns as I need to, but when I apply and save and go to Copy Table from the Data pane, the columns are still in their original positions.

 

I should say that I am using an API, in case that affects anything.

 

Also, if anyone can point me towards a better way to export to excel than Copy Table, I'd be grateful.

 

Thank you.

1 ACCEPTED SOLUTION
Greg_Deckler
Community Champion
Community Champion

Just to be clear on your process, you are reordering your columns in Power Query, saving and closing, refreshing and then in Desktop you right-click the table and choose Copy Table?

Just one item on this as a comment. I have seen column reordering steps add a considerable amount of time for refresh. So, once you get this sorted out I would highly recommend removing that step as it is kind of useless in general.


Follow on LinkedIn
@ me in replies or I'll lose your thread!!!
Instead of a Kudo, please vote for this idea
Become an expert!: Enterprise DNA
External Tools: MSHGQM
YouTube Channel!: Microsoft Hates Greg
Latest book!:
DAX For Humans

DAX is easy, CALCULATE makes DAX hard...

View solution in original post

6 REPLIES 6
SLand
New Member

It happens to me exactly as described.

I order the columns for easy understanding into PowerQuery, but in my case, when I close and Apply the changes, everything goes Ok, except for the columns order.

I tried updating twice, changing the order of the reorder command, but was useless... just creating a new query and copy-paste the original query from the Advance query editor, worked for me.

Not sure if by now there is another solution.

v-eachen-msft
Community Support
Community Support

Hi @Anonymous ,

 

Try to add an index column based on the ordering column in the query editor.

 

Community Support Team _ Eads
If this post helps, then please consider Accept it as the solution to help the other members find it.
Greg_Deckler
Community Champion
Community Champion

Just to be clear on your process, you are reordering your columns in Power Query, saving and closing, refreshing and then in Desktop you right-click the table and choose Copy Table?

Just one item on this as a comment. I have seen column reordering steps add a considerable amount of time for refresh. So, once you get this sorted out I would highly recommend removing that step as it is kind of useless in general.


Follow on LinkedIn
@ me in replies or I'll lose your thread!!!
Instead of a Kudo, please vote for this idea
Become an expert!: Enterprise DNA
External Tools: MSHGQM
YouTube Channel!: Microsoft Hates Greg
Latest book!:
DAX For Humans

DAX is easy, CALCULATE makes DAX hard...
Anonymous
Not applicable

 

LUCKILY for you guys - ALL you have to do to fix this bug is go to Advanced Editor of the Query that is not re-ordering correctly. Copy the Text version of the query. Create a new blank Query, copy and paste the broken query's text into, refresh the query, and then delete the old one.

 

Your new query will have the right order - this has something to do with cacheing possibly - but renaming the query and clearing caches + restart did not fix it for me... Only re-creating the query worked.

 

 

This solved the issue for me as well.

No matter what I did to change column order in the Power Query Editor, they didn't update in Table view. Restarted the app, nope. Saved under a new file name, nope. Refresh, nope. Nothing worked.

Then all I did was copy the query string from advanced editor, re-imported the data and pasted the exact same string into the advanced editor and when I got back to table view my columns were now ordered properly.

@Anonymous daxer? You back?

 

A response so terrible it solved the problem and was accepted as the solution. Sure.



Follow on LinkedIn
@ me in replies or I'll lose your thread!!!
Instead of a Kudo, please vote for this idea
Become an expert!: Enterprise DNA
External Tools: MSHGQM
YouTube Channel!: Microsoft Hates Greg
Latest book!:
DAX For Humans

DAX is easy, CALCULATE makes DAX hard...

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.