How to Add Data in Power BI

Updated on:

May 12, 2026

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Use this interactive demo to learn how to import data into Power BI from an external source.

Quick summary

This tutorial shows how to add data in Power BI by using the Get Data feature to connect to a source, preview the dataset, and load it into the report view.

Steps

Launch Power BI Desktop, go to the Home tab, and select Get Data.
Choose your data source from the available options.
After connecting, review the data preview and select Load to import the data directly.
Once loaded, the data will appear in the data view and is ready to use in reports.

📌 Why this matters

Knowing how to add data in Power BI is a foundational skill for anyone building business intelligence reports and dashboards. Power BI's Get Data feature supports dozens of data sources — from Excel and SQL databases to cloud services — making it easy to centralize and analyze your data in one place. Quickly loading datasets into the data view means analysts can start building visualizations and uncovering insights without delays. Mastering this step accelerates the entire reporting workflow and helps teams make faster, data-driven decisions.

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