How to Load Data in Power BI – Step by Step

 

Loading the data is the first and most crucial step before creating reports and dashboards.

What is data loading in Power BI?

Data loading in Power BI means importing data from different data sources into the Power BI data model so that it can be used for analysis, modeling, and visualization.

Power BI supports various types of loads of data sources, including:
Excel, CSV, Text
Databases (SQL Server, MySQL, etc.)
Cloud Services (Azure, SharePoint, Online Services)
Web APIs, etc.

Step 1: Open Power BI Desktop

1. Click on Power BI Desktop

2. A welcome screen will appear

3. Click the blank report.

Step 2: Click on “Get Data.”

On the Home tab:

Home → Get Data

A list of data sources appears.

Step 3: Select the Data Source

For example, to load from Excel:
Browse and select the .xlsx file.
The Navigator window will open.

Home → Get Data → Excel




Step 4: Navigator Window
The Navigator shows the available tables/worksheets.
Example:
Select the checkbox of the table(s) you want.
                Sheet                                            Table
Description
                Sheet1
Main data
                Sheet2
Summary
You have two options:
Load – Load data directly in Power B
Transform Data – Open Power Query Editor first




What is Power Query Editor?
Power Query Editor helps you clean and transform data before loading it to the data model.

You can:
1) Rename columns
2) Change data types
3) Remove rows or columns
4) Filter data
After cleaning, click:
This loads the cleaned data.
Home → Close & Apply




How to Load Database Data (SQL Server)
Server Name: your_server_name
Database: your_database_name
Go to Get Data
Select SQL Server
Fill in:
Choose Authentication
Click Connect
Select tables to load
Click Load