How to Get Data Into Power BI as a Newbie

Mercy-Shalom Adedayo — Sat, 04 Apr 2026 22:59:22 +0000

Introduction

In today's world, companies have data everywhere. Excel sheets, company databases, cloud apps, and websites. As a beginner data analyst, your first big skill is grabbing all that data and putting it in one place. Power BI makes this super easy with its simple tools.

Power BI is like a magic dashboard maker. It connects to tons of data spots, cleans up the messy info, and turns it into cool charts and reports. Whether it's a basic spreadsheet or fancy online storage, Power BI pulls everything together so you can see the full story.

The hero behind this is Power Query. Think of it as your data cleaner and organiser. It does ETL: Extract (grab the data), Transform (fix and reshape it), and Load (put it into Power BI for analysis). No coding needed, just clicks!

Power BI connects to all these common sources:
• Files like Excel (.xlsx) or CSV.
• Databases like SQL Server (your company's main data storage).
• Cloud stuff like Google Sheets or SharePoint.
• Websites and APIs (live data from the web).

It has ready-made "connectors" for over 100 sources. You pick one, sign in if needed, and choose Import (copies data in) or Direct Query (keeps it live and fresh).

Microsoft teaches this in their free training: Always check your sources first, pick the right way to connect, and make loading fast. Data isn't neat in one file, it's scattered, so mixing it right is key to good reports.
This blog walks you through it step-by-step:
• How to click "Get Data" and pick sources.
• Real examples with Excel, SQL, and web data.
• Tips to link everything without headaches.

By the end, you'll confidently pull data from anywhere in Power BI. No more data chaos, just clear insights!

Connecting Data from Multiple Sources

Power BI allows you to connect to a wide range of data sources. Below are step-by-step guides for each major source.

Step 1: Connecting to Excel

Open Power BI Desktop
Navigate to Home → Get Data → Excel
Browse and select your Excel file
In the Navigator window, select the required sheets or tables
Click Load (to import directly) or Transform Data (to clean first)

Step 2: Connecting to Text/CSV Files

Open Power BI Desktop
Navigate to Home → Get Data → Text/CSV
Browse and select the CSV file (e.g., 202601-divvy-tripdata.csv)
Preview the dataset in the dialog window
Click Load or Transform Data

Step 3: Connecting to PDF

Open Power BI Desktop
Navigate to Home → Get Data → PDF
Select the PDF file
Wait for Power BI to detect available tables
Select the desired table(s)
Click Load or Transform Data

Step 4: Connecting to JSON

Open Power BI Desktop
Navigate to Home → Get Data → JSON
Select the JSON file or input API endpoint
Load the data into Power Query
Expand nested fields to structure the data properly
Click Close & Apply

Step 5: Connecting to SharePoint Folder

Open Power BI Desktop
Navigate to Home → Get Data → SharePoint Folder
Enter the SharePoint site URL
Click OK and authenticate if required
Select files from the folder
Click Combine & Transform Data

Step 6: Connecting to MySQL Database

Open Power BI Desktop
Navigate to Home → Get Data → MySQL Database
Enter the server name and database
Provide authentication credentials
Select the required tables
Click Load or Transform Data

Step 7: Connecting to SQL Server

Open Power BI Desktop
Navigate to Home → Get Data → SQL Server
Enter the server name
Leave the database field blank (or specify one if needed)
Click OK
Select authentication method
In the Navigator pane, expand the database
Select required tables
Click Transform Data to open Power Query Editor

Step 8: Connecting to Azure Analysis Services

Open Power BI Desktop
Navigate to Home → Get Data → Azure → Azure Analysis Services
Enter the server name
Select the database/model
Choose connection mode (Live connection recommended)
Click Connect

Conclusion

Connecting to multiple data sources in Power BI is a key step in building reliable and meaningful reports. Data often comes from different places, such as files, databases, and cloud services, and Power BI makes it easy to bring everything together in one environment.
With tools like Power Query, you can not only connect to data but also clean and transform it into a structured format ready for analysis. This preparation stage is essential, as well-organised data leads to more accurate insights and better decision-making.
For beginners, learning to connect to and prepare data properly lays a strong foundation for creating effective dashboards. Ultimately, successful data analysis in Power BI starts with how well you gather, clean, and combine your data from different sources.

DEV Community: Mercy-Shalom Adedayo