Where Data Comes From
Power BI can pull from files, spreadsheets and databases — and it keeps a live link so a Refresh updates everything.
What you will learn
- Name the common data sources for a beginner
- Choose the right source for your data
- Understand the live link and Refresh
Data lives in many places
Before you can build anything, the data has to come from somewhere. Power BI can connect to hundreds of sources, but as a beginner you really only need a handful. Knowing which is which saves a lot of confusion.
| Source | What it is | Pick it when |
|---|---|---|
| Text/CSV | A plain .csv text file (CSV = comma-separated values: each line is one row and commas split the columns) | Someone exported data to a simple file |
| Excel workbook | An .xlsx file with sheets/tables | Your data already lives in Excel |
| SQL Server database | A company database on a server (SQL = Structured Query Language, the common language for talking to databases) | The data is large and shared by a team |
| Web | A table on a web page or an online file | You want data from a website or URL |
A worked choice
Say a colleague emails you a file named sales_export.csv with 2,000 rows of orders. Which source do you pick? It is a plain comma file, so the answer is Text/CSV — not Excel, even though Excel could open it.
File you received: sales_export.csv (a comma-separated text file)
Right connector: Get Data -> Text/CSV
Wrong connectors: Excel workbook (that is for .xlsx)
SQL Server (that is for databases)Note: Output: Because the file ends in .csv, Text/CSV is the correct connector and it will read all 2,000 rows cleanly. The lesson: match the connector to the file type — a .csv goes through Text/CSV, an .xlsx goes through Excel workbook, and a database goes through SQL Server.
A live link, not a one-time copy
Here is a key idea: Power BI does not just take a frozen snapshot. It remembers where the data came from and keeps a live link. When the source file or database changes, you click Refresh on the Home ribbon and the whole report updates with the new numbers — no rebuilding.
Tip: When in doubt about a file, look at its extension: .csv → Text/CSV, .xlsx → Excel workbook. That tiny detail tells you exactly which connector to click.
Watch out: If you move or rename the original file later, the link breaks and Refresh will fail. Keep your source files in a stable place, or you will have to point Power BI at the new location.
Q. A colleague sends you a plain .csv file. Which connector should you use?
✍️ Practice
- For each, name the connector: a budget.xlsx, an orders.csv, and a company sales database.
- Explain in one sentence what clicking Refresh does to a connected report.
🏠 Homework
- List three places your own data could come from and, for each, write which Power BI connector you would choose.