How to Refresh a Dataset in Power BI

Updated on:

May 12, 2026

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Use this interactive demo to learn how to manually refresh a dataset in Power BI Desktop.

Quick summary

Refreshing a dataset in Power BI forces the report to re-query your data source and update all connected visuals with the latest data. You can trigger a manual refresh directly from the Home tab in Power BI Desktop in just a few clicks.

Steps

Open Power BI Desktop and navigate to your desired dataset.
Go to the Home tab in the top navigation ribbon.
Click the Refresh button to trigger a dataset refresh in Power BI.
Power BI will re-query your data source and automatically update the visuals with the latest data.

📌 Why this matters

Keeping Power BI datasets up to date is essential for accurate reporting and data-driven decision-making. A manual dataset refresh ensures that all connected visuals and dashboards reflect the most current data from your source systems. This is especially critical for business analysts and BI teams who need real-time or near-real-time insights without waiting for scheduled refresh cycles. Understanding how to refresh a dataset on demand gives users full control over their Power BI reporting workflow.

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