Power Query in Excel: A Comprehensive Guide

Looking for a way out of the headache of messy spreadsheets, endless copy-pasting and manual updates? Embrace the power of Power Query in Excel! This data transformation and data preparation engine helps you clean, transform and combine vast datasets effortlessly. By automating data preparation through a range of functions, including summarising data and creating relationships between datasets, this tool ensures that users can keep their focus on analysis and decision-making. 

This blog brings you an in-depth insight into How to Use Power Query in Excel, encompassing its phases, benefits, and the transformations it can perform. So, dive in and transform your Excel workflow with Power Query's amazing data-handling features!

Table of Contents

1) What is Power Query in Excel?

2) Steps to Download the Power Query in Excel

3) The Four Phases of Power Query

4) Who Should use Power Query?

5) Benefits of Power Query

6) Functions of Power Query 

7) Four Different Methods to Import Data to the Excel sheet

8) What Basic Transformations Can be Performed Using Power Query?

9) Conclusion

What is Power Query in Excel?

Power Query is a powerful data transformation and preparation engine. It has a graphical interface for gathering data from sources and a Power Query Editor for applying transformations. Since the engine is available in numerous products and services, the data's destination depends on where Power Query was used. Using this engine, you can perform data extraction, transformation, and load (ETL) processing.

This is one of Excel's most transformative tools for simplifying data handling. by enabling you to create a query once and reuse it with a quick refresh. Power Query can import and clean millions of rows into the data model for later analysis. The user interface is clear and well-designed, making it simple to learn. Compared to other Excel features like formulae or excel VBA, Power Query Excel has a shallow learning curve.



 

Steps to Download the Power Query Add-on Excel

Follow the steps below to learn how to download Power Query Excel:

Step 1: On Microsoft’s official website, when you click on the download button, it redirects you to a dialogue box where you can opt for the correct download option. 

Step 2: Choose the preferred file size and click on the “Next” option. 

Step 3: Click on the “RUN” option to execute the download. 

Step 4:  To successfully complete your Power Query Microsoft download, Click on the “Finish” button. 

Four Phases of Power Query

Power Query is a tool used in Excel for Extract, Transform, and Load (ETL) process. Here’s a refined explanation of its four key stages:

a) Connect: In this phase, users connect to the data sources from which they seek to extract data. Power Query supports multiple data sources, including files, web pages, databases, etc. At this phase, users can also specify any required authorisation or authentication details.

b) Transform: Once the data is filled into Power Query, users can efficiently use a variety of data transformation tools to clean and convert the data to meet specific needs. This efficiency is evident in data transformation tasks such as filtering data, removing duplicates, merging data, splitting columns, and pivoting data.

c) Combine: Power Query permits users to combine data from numerous sources using various techniques. Using a common key, they can merge tables, append, or join data. This phase is beneficial for integrating data from diverse sources into a single, unified view.

d) Load: Finally, users specify where to load the transformed data in the Load phase. They can load data into an Excel worksheet or a Power BI report or generate a connection to the data source to refresh it automatically whenever the source data changes.

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Benefits of Power Query

The benefits of Power Query include: 

1) Streamlined data preparation

2) Automated data refresh

3) Easy data transformation

4) Support for various data sources

5) Improved data analysis capabilities 

6) Ability to replicate and modify data transformations with a single click

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Functions of Power Query 

Power Query is a widely used ETL tool. It is an innovative tool which can save hours, reduce manual errors, and allow users to source data from a singular source of truth. Power Query can retain the user's data, transformation steps, and efficiently automating manual processes. Let’s take a closer look at some of its functions:

1) Transferring Data

Transferring data becomes manageable using the "Get and Transform Data" section of the Data tab in Excel.

You can transfer data from various sources: 

1) Excel files (Workbooks), text or CSV files, XML files, and JSON files can all be read from . 

2) SQL Server, Microsoft Access, and SQL Server Analysis Services are databases. 

3) Excel Tables/Ranges, the Web, Microsoft Query, and OData feeds are among additional sources. 

2) Modifying Data  

The objective of Power Query is to modify data. This refers to editing the layout, reducing errors, and making the data more presentable to use. 

Common data modifications in Power Query include: 

a) Unpivot and pivot 

b) Dividing/combining columns 

c) Data Filtering 

d) Adding customised columns 

e) Removing blank, error, and header rows 

f) Various data types 

g) Insert values 

Here's what the Power Query Editor Interface looks like: 

Let’s take an example to understand a simple transformation process: 

Go through the steps below to understand how to sort a table based on a single column: 

Step 1: Enter the data in the editor 

Step 2: Choose the preferred column to sort 

Step 3: Tap on the filter icon

There are icons to sort your column in either ascending or descending order in the Sort group under the “Home” tab. 

There is a drop-down menu indicator next to the column's name. The column sorting option appears when you pick the icon.

The buttons in the Sort group on the “Home” tab will be used to carry out the excel function. This operation adds a new step called Sorted rows to the Applied steps section. 

3) Exporting to Excel

After finishing them all, you must export the editor's operations to our Excel sheet. Choose "Close and Load” from the Power Query Editor's Ribbon menu to perform this task. 

After choosing this option, the Editor will be directed toward closing and this will help you get the result of your worksheet. 

Four Different Methods to Import Data to the Excel Sheet 

Follow the steps below to import data from various data sources: 

1) Import Data From a Text File

a) Click Text/CSV File under the Data tab.

b) After choosing "Text/CSV file," a new "Import data" dialogue box appears.

c) Click Import after choosing the text file you want to import.

d) When a dialogue box is opened, a preview of the data is displayed inside.

e) Finally, to import the data, click Load. 

2) Importing Data from a CSV File 

The steps listed below can be used to import data from CSV files into Power Query:

a) Click “Text/CSV” File under the Data tab.

b) After choosing "Text/CSV file," a new "Import data" dialogue box appears.

c) Click on import after choosing the CSV file you want.

d) When a dialogue box is opened, a preview of the data inside is displayed.

e) To import the data, click Load at the end. 

3) Single Data Source Import From an Excel Workbook 

Follow the steps below to import a single data source:

a)  To access the Get Data command, select the Data tab, following which a drop-down menu appears. You can import the data using a range of options from the drop-down menu. You can choose "From File" and then "From Workbook" to import data from the Excel workbook.

b) When you navigate and choose the workbook using Excel, a dialogue box appears.

c)  Once you've found the worksheet, click on it and choose "Open" from the menu.

d)  As a result, the navigation dialogue box appears, where  you can access a number of data sources.

e) You can choose the data you want to work with from here.

f) To import the data, click 'Load' at the end. 

4) Import Multiple Data Sources From an Excel Workbook

The steps listed below will help you to get an idea of importing multiple data sources from the Excel workbook: 

a) After clicking the "Data" tab, select the Get data command. Upon clicking, a drop-down menu will appear. You can import the data using a variety of options from the drop-down menu. You choose "From File" and then "From Workbook" to import data from an Excel workbook. . 

b) Excel displays a dialogue box to assist in selecting and browsing the workbook. 

c) Once you have found the worksheet, you can click on it and select "Open" from the menu. 

d) The navigation dialogue box appears after that. You can access a number of data sources via the navigation dialogue box.

e) There is a "Select Multiple Items" option in the navigation dialogue box. You can pick multiple items when you choose this option.

f) From this point, you may choose more than one data sources you want to use.

g) To import the data, click “Load” at the end.

h) These were some of the steps which will help you in understanding how to import data to Excel.  

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What Basic Transformations Can be Performed Using Power Query?

There are various transformation functions that can be accomplished with a few clicks, as detailed below:

1) Text Formatting: Once you go to the Power Query editor, you can click on the column name, go to the “transform” tab, and then to the “Format” option. Here, you’ll find options such as uppercase, lowercase, trim and clean.

2) Splitting a Column Using Delimiters: You can split a column with the help of a delimiter. Click on the “Transform” tab, then on the “Split column” option. This will give you a drop-down menu with the option to split the data “By Delimiter”.

3) Transpose a Data Table: To rotate the rows to columns, navigate to the "Transform" tab. Upon selecting it, you will see an option to Transpose the data.

4) Removing Duplicates Using Power Query: For this, you will have to select the target row, navigate to the “Home” tab, click on the “Remove Rows” dropdown menu and then on the “Remove Duplicates” option.

 

Conclusion

In conclusion, Power Query is nothing short of a game-changer for anyone seeking to streamline and simplify data processes in Microsoft Excel. As detailed in this blog, its powerful features for cleaning, transforming, and merging data, reduces the burden of manual tasks and helps you focus on analysis and decision-making. Learning How to Use Power Query in Excel is essential to unlocking the secret to seamless data management.

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