Cannot set Gateway in Dataflow

Why this happens (in short)

• Gen1 editor sometimes doesn’t persist the gateway binding even though previews work. This has popped up before and was acknowledged/“fixed” in the service more than once, but similar symptoms still surface intermittently. [community....rosoft.com], [community....rosoft.com]
• With the new Connections model, the binding that matters is often the connection-to-gateway mapping under Settings → Manage connections and gateways, not only what the Gen1 editor shows. If the underlying Connection still points to “cloud/none,” the dataflow refresh falls back to that even if the editor temporarily used your gateway. [learn.microsoft.com], [red-gate.com]
• Gen1 is now the older generation. Microsoft’s guidance is to prefer Dataflow Gen2 for new work; investments and fixes go there first. (Gen1 isn’t deprecated, but Gen2 is the priority.) [learn.microsoft.com], [learn.microsoft.com]

Fix that usually works (and persists)

Goal: Make the gateway binding live in Manage connections and gateways, then ensure your Gen1 dataflow uses that exact connection.

1. Create/verify a Connection that is explicitly mapped to your gateway

   • In Power BI Service, go to Settings → Manage connections and gateways → Connections → New.
   • Choose On-premises, pick your Gateway cluster, pick the data source type, and enter Server/Database identically to your M query (even case can matter for how Power Query resolves connections). Save credentials. [learn.microsoft.com]
   • Why: this creates a durable object the service will respect at refresh time, independent of the Gen1 editor’s transient state. [red-gate.com]

2. Ensure you have rights to see and use the gateway and its data source

   • In Manage connections and gateways → On‑premises data gateways, confirm you (or your SPN) are an admin on the gateway and a user on the relevant data source within that gateway; otherwise the editor can’t persist the mapping. [learn.microsoft.com], [community....rosoft.com]

3. Rebind the dataflow to the new Connection from inside the editor

   • Open the dataflow → Edit → Options → Project → Data load → Data gateway and pick your gateway (or (none) if you’re moving off a gateway for a cloud source).
   • Then, for each query’s first “Source” step, click the gear and select the Connection you created in step 1. If the correct Connection doesn’t show, a simple trick is to change the case of the database or path in the M “Source” step (e.g., MyDB → mydb) to force Power Query to treat it as a new connection, then choose the right Connection (with the gateway) when prompted. This has resolved Gen1’s insistence on a gateway/no‑gateway mismatch for many folks. [sqlkover.com], [sqlservercentral.com]

4. Save the dataflow and do a manual Refresh from the dataflow settings page (not just inside the editor). Check it still shows the gateway under Settings → Gateway and cloud connections and that the refresh uses the gateway successfully. [learn.microsoft.com]

Things to double‑check (they commonly cause the reset)

• Exact server/database/URL match between the Connection and your M code. If they differ (even subtly), the service may pick a different Connection (or “none”) at refresh time. [learn.microsoft.com]
• Workspace type: Gen1 works best in new (v2) workspaces; classic workspaces have limited options and have caused confusing UX in the past. [learn.microsoft.com]
• Credential scope & privacy levels: mismatched credentials or privacy levels cause the editor to prompt repeatedly and can prevent persisting the gateway setting. [learn.microsoft.com]
• Gateway visibility/permissions: if you’re not on the gateway’s Users/Admins lists, the editor often shows “no gateway” even though one exists. [community....rosoft.com]
• Recent service regressions: There’s historical precedent for “gateway not saved” bugs affecting many tenants for a few days; when in doubt, check service health or try again later. [community....rosoft.com], [community....rosoft.com]

--------------------------------

I hope this helps, please give kudos and mark as solved if it does!

Connect with me on LinkedIn.

Subscribe to my YouTube channel for Fabric/Power Platform related content!