Merging Queries in Excel Power Query

[minhhoang12]

I have been working with three queries in Power Query:

List_BN_260_tempo

Drug_conta

Intervention

These queries are linked by the ID patient field, ensuring the same format. Until today, I was able to merge them normally. However, I am now encountering an issue where I can no longer select other tables to merge when starting with List_BN_260_tempo.

Interestingly, if I start the merge with Drug_conta or Intervention, everything works fine without any issues.

Could you help me troubleshoot this problem? I would appreciate any insights or suggestions to resolve it.

Thank you!

[v-pnaroju-msft · Accepted solution]

Hi @minhhoang12,

We sincerely appreciate your inquiry on the Microsoft Fabric Community Forum.

Kindly follow the troubleshooting steps mentioned below, which may help resolve the issue:

1. Check the Query State in Power Query Editor.Navigate to Data > Get Data > Launch Power Query Editor and ensure that List_BN_260_tempo is not grayed out. If it is, right-click, select Properties, and enable Load if it is disabled.

2. Ensure that the ID patient field maintains the same data type (e.g., Text or Number) across all three queries. If there is any discrepancy, adjust it using the Change Type option.

3. Examine the ID patient field for duplicate entries in each query. You may temporarily apply the Remove Duplicates filter. The cardinality should ideally be one-to-one or one-to-many; if it is many-to-many, consider filtering for better efficiency.

4. Utilise an Appropriate Join Type.If only matching rows are required, use an Inner Join. Alternatively, for all rows from List_BN_260_tempo, use a Left Outer Join. You can perform this via Home > Merge Queries.

5. Start with List_BN_260_tempo, select another table, and attempt the merge. If the process fails, duplicate the query (Right-click > Duplicate) and try again.

6. Optimise Performance.Remove any error rows from List_BN_260_tempo and reduce the dataset size if necessary. Expand the merged columns, validate the results, and then click Close & Load.

If you find our response helpful, kindly mark it as the accepted solution and provide kudos. This will assist other community members encountering similar queries.

Thank you.

[rohit1991 · Accepted solution]

Hi @minhhoang12 ,
The Power Query is encountering a context or metadata issue specifically with the List_BN_260_tempo query, which is preventing it from being used as the primary table in a merge. This could be due to recent changes in the query structure—such as altered data types, steps that prevent query folding, or a privacy level mismatch.

I recommend double-checking the data type of the ID patient field to ensure it's consistent across all three queries, and reviewing the applied steps in List_BN_260_tempo for any transformation that may block merge compatibility (e.g., errors, filters, or removed columns). Also, check the privacy settings in Power Query (under File > Options > Trust Center) to ensure they’re not restricting data interactions. If all else fails, try duplicating List_BN_260_tempo and merging from the new copy to see if it resolves the issue.

[v-pnaroju-msft]

Hi minhhoang12,

We are following up to see if your query has been resolved. Should you have identified a solution, we kindly request you to share it with the community to assist others facing similar issues.

If our response was helpful, please mark it as the accepted solution and provide kudos, as this helps the broader community.

Thank you.

[v-pnaroju-msft]

Hi minhhoang12,

We wanted to check in regarding your query, as we have not heard back from you. If you have resolved the issue, sharing the solution with the community would be greatly appreciated and could help others encountering similar challenges.

If you found our response useful, kindly mark it as the accepted solution and provide kudos to guide other members.

Thank you.

[v-pnaroju-msft]

Hi minhhoang12,

We have not received a response from you regarding the query and were following up to check if you have found a resolution. If you have identified a solution, we kindly request you to share it with the community, as it may be helpful to others facing a similar issue.

If you find the response helpful, please mark it as the accepted solution and provide kudos, as this will help other members with similar queries.

Thank you.

[v-pnaroju-msft · Accepted solution]

Hi @minhhoang12,

We sincerely appreciate your inquiry on the Microsoft Fabric Community Forum.

Kindly follow the troubleshooting steps mentioned below, which may help resolve the issue:

1. Check the Query State in Power Query Editor.Navigate to Data > Get Data > Launch Power Query Editor and ensure that List_BN_260_tempo is not grayed out. If it is, right-click, select Properties, and enable Load if it is disabled.

2. Ensure that the ID patient field maintains the same data type (e.g., Text or Number) across all three queries. If there is any discrepancy, adjust it using the Change Type option.

3. Examine the ID patient field for duplicate entries in each query. You may temporarily apply the Remove Duplicates filter. The cardinality should ideally be one-to-one or one-to-many; if it is many-to-many, consider filtering for better efficiency.

4. Utilise an Appropriate Join Type.If only matching rows are required, use an Inner Join. Alternatively, for all rows from List_BN_260_tempo, use a Left Outer Join. You can perform this via Home > Merge Queries.

5. Start with List_BN_260_tempo, select another table, and attempt the merge. If the process fails, duplicate the query (Right-click > Duplicate) and try again.

6. Optimise Performance.Remove any error rows from List_BN_260_tempo and reduce the dataset size if necessary. Expand the merged columns, validate the results, and then click Close & Load.

If you find our response helpful, kindly mark it as the accepted solution and provide kudos. This will assist other community members encountering similar queries.

Thank you.

[lbendlin]

what's the cardinality of the join field?  What type of join?