Power Query SharePoint Metadata Schema Not Updating

[Jack95]

Hi,

I have some queries connected to a SharePoint Site - the queries are purely to extract metadata on the Site itself (permissions, etc.) - I’m not trying to connect to specific files on the Site.

Recently, we completed a data cleansing operation and updated a lot of the permissions and other metadata on the Site but for some reason the updates aren’t pulling through to Power Query. Some of the renamed User Groups are appearing when I refresh the queries and others aren’t appearing - I have checked everything on the SharePoint side and it’s correct so I can’t figure out why the updates aren’t pulling through to PQ. I’ve cleared the cache in Power Query and I’ve tried using different API Versions for the SharePoint connection but I cannot for the life of me figure out the problem.

Does anybody have any idea why this is happening?

Apologies if the solution is really obvious and straightforward. Any help is much appreciated.

Many Thanks,

Jack

[v-sdhruv]

Hi @Jack95 ,

Just wanted to check if you were able resolve the issue? If you still any help, feel free to reach out.
If any of the responses has addressed your query, kindly accept it as a solution so that other members can also benefit from it.

Thank You!

[v-sdhruv]

Hi @Jack95 ,

Just wanted to check if you were able resolve the issue?
If any of the responses has addressed your query, kindly accept it as a solution so that other members can also benefit from it.
Thank you @rohit1991  and @Poojara_D12  for your prompt and detailed response to the query.

[Poojara_D12]

Hi @Jack95 

You're facing an issue where Power Query in Power BI is not consistently reflecting recent updates made to SharePoint Site metadata, such as renamed user groups and revised permissions. Even after clearing the Power Query cache and experimenting with different SharePoint API versions, some of the updated groups appear while others don’t, despite the fact that everything looks correct when checked directly in SharePoint. This inconsistency is likely due to how SharePoint handles metadata propagation and caching—especially for security-related data like group names and permissions. SharePoint’s REST API can sometimes lag in reflecting recent changes, especially after bulk operations like permission overhauls, because of background sync processes or API-level caching. Additionally, depending on which API endpoints you're querying and your permission level in Power BI, you might not be seeing the latest data if certain changes haven’t fully propagated or are restricted. To troubleshoot further, you can try querying the affected endpoints (e.g., _api/web/sitegroups or _api/web/roleassignments) directly using tools like Postman to confirm whether the updated data is available outside Power BI. If the API itself is returning stale data, the issue likely lies within SharePoint’s sync behavior, not Power BI.

[Jack95]

Hi,

I have some queries connected to a SharePoint Site - the queries are purely to extract metadata on the Site itself (permissions, etc.) - I’m not trying to connect to specific files on the Site.

Recently, we completed a data cleansing operation and updated a lot of the permissions and other metadata on the Site but for some reason the updates aren’t pulling through to Power Query. Some of the renamed User Groups are appearing when I refresh the queries and others aren’t appearing - I have checked everything on the SharePoint side and it’s correct so I can’t figure out why the updates aren’t pulling through to PQ. I’ve cleared the cache in Power Query and I’ve tried using different API Versions for the SharePoint connection but I cannot for the life of me figure out the problem.

Does anybody have any idea why this is happening?

Apologies if the solution is really obvious and simple. Any help is much appreciated.

Many Thanks,

Jack

[rohit1991]

Hi @Jack95 

This issue usually comes down to cached metadata or SharePoint APIs being slow to update schema changes. Here’s what typically helps:

• Go to Data Source Settings in Power Query, clear the permissions and reconnect to force a fresh metadata fetch.

• Try switching the connection method to an OData feed (_vti_bin/ListData.svc) or the SharePoint REST API (_api/web/lists) endpoint; they update faster sometimes.

• Add a minor "dummy" step (like temporarily renaming a column) to force Power Query to refresh its internal metadata.

• Double-check if SharePoint User or Group changes have fully propagated—this can occasionally delay metadata refresh.

Give these a try and let me know how it goes!

[Jack95]

Hi @rohit1991,

Thank you so much for your reply. I'm not familiar with connecting to the SharePoint REST API or the OData feed - do you know where I could find more information on using these methods? Apologies, I'm confident using Power Query but I'm far from an expert.

Many Thanks,

Jack

[rohit1991]

Hi @Jack95 ,

What You Can Try:

1. Force Metadata Refresh:

   • In Power BI Desktop: go to File > Options and settings > Data source settings, select your SharePoint source, then click Clear Permissions and reconnect.

2. Use SharePoint REST API or OData Feed:

   • These often give fresher or more consistent results:

     • REST API for Site Groups:
       https://<your-site>.sharepoint.com/_api/web/sitegroups

     • OData Feed (ListData.svc):
       https://<your-site>.sharepoint.com/_vti_bin/ListData.svc

   • Connect in Power BI: Get Data > Web > Advanced and enter the endpoint.

   Learn more:

   • Overview of SharePoint REST service

   • Connect to SharePoint in Power BI

   • OData Feed in Power BI

3. Force Power Query to Reevaluate Schema:

   • Add a dummy step—like renaming a column and reversing it—to make PQ re-fetch metadata.

4. Check SharePoint API Response Outside Power BI:

   • Use Postman (or even just a browser for GET requests) to directly call the API and check if the updated metadata is showing there.
      Helpful intro: Getting started with Postman