How do I add more data to a powerbi service report

[Jemma2222]

Hi, I have created a report in services for a excel table but want to add some more excel tables. how can I do this in services as I dont have access to desktop?

Thank you

Jemma

[Akash_Varuna · Accepted solution]

Hi @Jemma2222 Power BI Service doesn’t support adding new data to an existing report directly.You’ll need Power BI Desktop to combine new Excel tables and republish the report.As a workaround, you can create a new report from the additional data in the Service.Or use Dataflows to bring in new data and connect it to your existing dataset.

[BhavinVyas3003 · Accepted solution]

1. Go to Workspace > + New > Upload a file > Excel.

2. Upload your new Excel file (stored in OneDrive or local).

3. It creates a new dataset.

4. Open your existing report > Edit > Add data > select the new dataset 

However, you cannot join data from two datasets directly in Power BI Service.
You’ll need Power BI Desktop for full modeling (like relationships, combined visuals).

[v-pgoloju]

Hi @Jemma2222,

Just following up to see if the solutions provided by community members were helpful in addressing the issue.

If one of the responses helped resolve your query, please consider marking it as the Accepted Solution. Feel free to reach out if you need any further clarification or assistance.

Best regards,
Prasanna Kumar

[v-pgoloju]

Hi @Jemma2222,

Just following up to see if the solutions provided was helpful in resolving your issue. Please feel free to let us know if you need any further assistance.

Best regards,

Prasanna Kumar

[v-pgoloju]

Hi @Jemma2222 

Thank you for reaching out to the Microsoft Fabric Forum Community. Many thanks as well to @Poojara_D12 , @BhavinVyas3003 , and @Akash_Varuna for their prompt and insightful responses, including clarification on the limitations related to this scenario.

Just following up to see if you’ve had a chance to review the suggestions shared. If you’re still facing any challenges, please don’t hesitate to reach out we’re here to help.

Looking forward to your response!

Thanks & Regards,

Prasanna Kumar

[Poojara_D12 · Accepted solution]

Hi @Jemma2222 

In Power BI Service (the web interface), once you've published a report based on an Excel file, your ability to modify the data model—such as adding new Excel tables—is limited compared to what you can do in Power BI Desktop. Unfortunately, Power BI Service does not allow you to directly edit or extend the data model of an existing dataset (e.g., by adding more Excel tables). The typical workflow for modifying datasets, such as combining multiple Excel files or adding more tables, requires Power BI Desktop.

However, since you don’t have access to Power BI Desktop, one possible workaround is to use Power BI Dataflows or OneLake (in Fabric) if your organization has Fabric enabled. You can upload the new Excel files to a workspace, create a new dataflow that reads the new Excel tables, and then either (1) build a new report on top of the combined data from the dataflow, or (2) create a composite model using a semantic model (dataset) and dataflows (if permitted in your workspace).

Alternatively, you can upload the new Excel tables as separate datasets and build a new report using DirectQuery for Power BI datasets and Azure Analysis Services, which allows you to create a report that references multiple datasets. However, this also has limitations in terms of data model relationships and measures.

In short, Power BI Service alone does not allow you to directly add more Excel tables to an existing report's dataset. The proper way to do this is to open the report’s PBIX file in Power BI Desktop, add the new tables there, and republish. If desktop access is not possible, using dataflows or building a new report combining datasets are your best options.

[BhavinVyas3003 · Accepted solution]

1. Go to Workspace > + New > Upload a file > Excel.

2. Upload your new Excel file (stored in OneDrive or local).

3. It creates a new dataset.

4. Open your existing report > Edit > Add data > select the new dataset 

However, you cannot join data from two datasets directly in Power BI Service.
You’ll need Power BI Desktop for full modeling (like relationships, combined visuals).

[Akash_Varuna · Accepted solution]

Hi @Jemma2222 Power BI Service doesn’t support adding new data to an existing report directly.You’ll need Power BI Desktop to combine new Excel tables and republish the report.As a workaround, you can create a new report from the additional data in the Service.Or use Dataflows to bring in new data and connect it to your existing dataset.