Import data from Excel, CSV, SQL Server, and web sources into Power BI
Power BI can connect to over 150 data sources. In practice, data analysts in India most commonly connect to: Excel files, CSV files, SQL Server databases, SharePoint, and Google Sheets. This tutorial covers the most important ones.
The key distinction: Power BI can Import data (copy it into Power BI's internal engine) or use DirectQuery (query the source live every time). For most use cases, Import mode is faster and more flexible. DirectQuery is used when data is huge (millions of rows) or needs to be real-time.
Most Common Power BI Data Sources in India
📗
Excel / CSV
Most common for beginners
95%
🗄️
SQL Server
Corporate databases
85%
📁
SharePoint
Company files & lists
70%
📊
Google Sheets
Shared team sheets
55%
🌐
REST API / Web
Live external data
40%
☁️
Azure / Cloud DB
Enterprise / big data
35%
% = relative frequency in data analyst job requirements across Noida & Delhi NCR companies
Examples
Connect to Excel / CSV
Step 1: Home tab → Get Data → Excel Workbook (or Text/CSV)
Step 2: Browse to your file → Open
Step 3: Navigator window shows all sheets/tables
Check the box next to each sheet you want
Step 4: Click "Transform Data" to open Power Query (for cleaning)
OR click "Load" to load directly (skip cleaning)
TIP: Always click "Transform Data" first — even for clean files.
It lets you preview data before loading.
💡 For CSV files: Home → Get Data → Text/CSV. Same process from Step 2 onwards.
Connect to SQL Server
Step 1: Home → Get Data → SQL Server
Step 2: Enter Server name (e.g., LAPTOPSQLEXPRESS or server IP)
Database name (optional — you can pick later)
Step 3: Data Connectivity mode: Import (recommended) or DirectQuery
Step 4: Authentication: Windows or Database (username + password)
Step 5: Navigator shows all databases → tables
Select the tables you need → Transform Data or Load
TIP: If connecting to company SQL Server, ask IT for:
- Server name/IP
- Database name
- Your credentials (or use Windows auth)
💡 SQL Server connections are the most common in corporate Power BI work. Knowing this impresses interviewers.
Connect to Web / Google Sheets
WEB URL:
Home → Get Data → Web
Paste URL → OK
Power BI will parse HTML tables automatically
GOOGLE SHEETS:
1. In Google Sheets: File → Share → Publish to Web
2. Choose CSV format → Publish → copy the link
3. In Power BI: Get Data → Web → paste link
4. Load as CSV
SHAREPOINT FOLDER (common in companies):
Home → Get Data → SharePoint Folder
Enter SharePoint site URL
Filter by file extension to load only Excel or CSV files
Key Points
✓"Get Data" is always the starting point — Home tab, leftmost button
✓Always preview in Power Query before loading — spot issues early
✓Import mode copies data into Power BI — fast but needs refresh to update
✓DirectQuery is live but slower — only use for very large or real-time datasets
✓You can connect to multiple sources in one report — combine Excel, SQL, CSV together
Practice Question
After selecting a data source in the Navigator window, which option should you click to clean and transform the data before loading it?