sync data source with semantic model

[ReFe0608]

I am using Power BI (service) and was hoping that changes to the data source (MS list) would be recognized in the symantic model. Is it really necessary to recreate my report every time something changes in the table columns, for example? Is there a way to display new or changed columns of the table in the Power BI report without creating a new report?

[v-venuppu]

Hi @ReFe0608 ,

I hope this information is helpful. Please let me know if you have any further questions or if you'd like to discuss this further. If this answers your question, please accept it as a solution and give it a 'Kudos' so other community members with similar problems can find a solution faster.

Thank you.

[v-venuppu]

Hi @ReFe0608 ,

I wanted to check if you had the opportunity to review the information provided. Please feel free to contact us if you have any further questions. If my response has addressed your query, please accept it as a solution and give a 'Kudos' so other members can easily find it.

Thank you.

[v-venuppu]

Hi @ReFe0608 ,

May I ask if you have resolved this issue? If so, please mark the helpful reply and accept it as the solution. This will be helpful for other community members who have similar problems to solve it faster.

Thank you.

Regards,

Rama U.

[ReFe0608]

Hi @rohit1991 

Basically, I understand that I can only achieve my goal using Power BI Desktop. Unfortunately, I had created everything completely in the Power BI service. Well, then I will follow your recommendations. Thank you very much for your help.

[v-venuppu · Accepted solution]

Hi @ReFe0608 ,

Thank you for reaching out to Microsoft Fabric Community.

• In Power BI, when you connect to a data source like Microsoft Lists, any changes made to the source (such as adding new columns, removing columns, or changing column names) won't automatically reflect in the semantic model (i.e., the data model in Power BI) unless you refresh the model or adjust it manually.
• However, you don't need to recreate your entire report from scratch every time a change happens in the data source. There are ways to update the Power BI report without rebuilding it entirely. 

Here’s some steps how you can handle it:

• Refresh the dataset to get the new or updated data.
• Check the Power BI model to ensure new columns are recognized.
• If needed, modify the Power Query transformations or model to accommodate the new structure.
• Adjust or create new visuals to include the new data without rebuilding everything.

If this post helps, then please consider Accepting as solution to help the other members find it more quickly, don't forget to give a "Kudos" – I’d truly appreciate it! 

Regards,

Rama u.

[rohit1991]

Hi @ReFe0608 ,
No, you don’t need to recreate your report every time the MS List (data source) changes. However, Power BI doesn’t automatically pick up schema changes (like new or renamed columns) in the semantic model. To sync changes, open the report in Power BI Desktop, go to Transform Data, then hit Refresh Preview in Power Query Editor.

This pulls in the updated schema. After that, apply changes, republish the report, and the semantic model in the Power BI Service will update accordingly. Unfortunately, there's no direct way to sync schema changes in the Service alone—it has to be done via Desktop.