Power BI - Data Sources and its type Last Updated : 07 Jun, 2025 Comments Improve Suggest changes Like Article Like Report In Power BI a data source is simply where your data originally comes from. It could be a file stored on your computer, a database, an online service or any other place that Power BI can connect to. These data sources are important because they provide the basic information that Power BI uses to create datasets. Once the data is imported you can use it to build clear and interactive visuals, reports and dashboards.How to Find Data Sources in Power BIIf you want to find and manage your data sources in Power BI Desktop here’s how you do it:Go to the Home tab at the top of the Power BI window.Click on the Get Data button. This will show you a list of the most common types of data sources.If you want to see the full list of available data sources and click on More. This opens a window where you can browse all the types of data you can connect to.Get DataAs seen in the screenshot above, click the "More." option opens a new navigation window with a category of all accessible data sources on the left side. Additionally a search option is at the top as shown in the screenshot below.Data SourcesTypes of Data Sources in Power BI DesktopAs mentioned above Power BI Desktop categorize data sources into several types below you can explore examples of what data sources there are in Power BI: File Data SourcesThe File data sources in Power BI include several common file types that you can use to import data. These include Excel workbooks, Text or CSV files, XML files and JSON files. You can also connect to a whole Folder containing multiple files, PDF documents and even SharePoint folders. These file types are some of the most popular ways to bring data into Power BI especially when working with data stored locally or on shared drives.File Data SourcesDatabase Data SourcesA list of all the database connections you can connect to is displayed when the user selects the Database option. Choose a database type from the list as shown in the screenshot below to connect to any database. Go to Connect. To connect the user must enter the server name, user name and password. Using the advanced settings you can also connect by using a straight SQL query. Additional connectivity options include Import and DirectQuery.Database Data SourcesAzure Data SourcesThe Azure category in Power BI includes data sources that come from Microsoft’s cloud platform. You can connect to services like Azure SQL Database, Azure Synapse Analytics, Azure Analysis Services and Azure Database for PostgreSQL. These options are helpful when your data is stored in the cloud allow you to access and analyze it directly from Power BI without need to download anything locally.Azure Data SourcesOnline ServicesThe Online Services category in Power BI lets you connect to different web-based tools and apps that many businesses use every day. For example you can bring in data from SharePoint Online Lists, Microsoft Exchange Online and different versions of Dynamics 365 including Business Central and Dynamics NAV. You can also connect to popular analytics tools like Google Analytics and Adobe Analytics as well as services like LinkedIn Sales Navigator and Twilio. This makes it easy to pull data from the online tools you already use and create reports and dashboards in Power BI without need to move the data manually.Online ServicesOther Data SourcesThe Other category in Power BI includes a mix of different data sources that don’t fit into the main groups. Some examples are Web, SharePoint list, Active Directory, Microsoft Exchange and Python script. You can even start from scratch using a Blank Query. This category is helpful when your data comes from less common or more advanced sources.Other Data SourcesPower BI Desktop can connect to a wide variety of data sources. The exact number of data sources is constantly expanding as Microsoft continuously updates Power BI to support new sources. Currently Power BI supports hundreds of different data connections. Comment More infoAdvertise with us Next Article Differences Between Microsoft Power BI and SSRS geetansh044 Follow Improve Article Tags : Technical Scripter Power BI Technical Scripter 2022 Similar Reads Power BI Tutorial | Learn Power BI Power BI is a Microsoft-powered business intelligence tool that helps transform raw data into interactive dashboards and actionable insights. It allow users to connect to various data sources, clean and shape data and visualize it using charts, graphs and reports all with minimal coding.It’s widely 5 min read Introduction & Setup the Power BIWhat is Business Intelligence?Business Intelligence is the talk of a new changing and growing world that can be defined as a set of concepts and methodologies to improve decision-making in business through the use of facts and fact-based systems. The Goal of Business Intelligence is to improve decision-making in business ideas a 6 min read Power BI - IntroductionPower BI is a software developed by Microsoft that helps you to turn raw data into clear and useful information. It helps to create interactive charts, reports and dashboards so you can easily understand your data. Whether you work in business, research or any field that uses data Power BI makes it 5 min read Power BI - Key ComponentsPower BI is a data visualization and business intelligence tool created by Microsoft. 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Power BI also helps with data cl 3 min read Power BI - Data Sources and its typeIn Power BI a data source is simply where your data originally comes from. It could be a file stored on your computer, a database, an online service or any other place that Power BI can connect to. These data sources are important because they provide the basic information that Power BI uses to crea 4 min read Differences Between Microsoft Power BI and SSRSSSRS and Power BI are both Business Intelligence (BI) tools that are made to show data to users in a easy to understand way. Even though Microsoft made both but they are designed for different types of users and used for different purposes. In this article, we will see the differences between Power 3 min read Power BI Free vs Power BI Pro vs Power BI PremiumPower BI is a tool developed by Microsoft to help users connect to various data sources and create interactive reports. 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Under the field 6 min read Power BI - How to Create a Map?A map only locates the location as a data point, whether it's a continent, country, state, city, etc. Maps can also be plotted with the help of latitude and longitude. Maps can be useful, to know the current running business over different geographical locations. For example, if geeks for geeks want 3 min read Power BI - How to Format MapMaps are the visualizations that display dataset values on the basis of location. The location can be state, country, city, pin code, etc. We have various options to format maps. We can apply different styles to map, add legends, customize the colors of the bubbles, etc. In this article, we will lea 6 min read Power BI - How to Create a Treemap?TreeMap in Power BI is the hierarchical chart, which is used to show the parent and child data distribution. TreeMap is shown by a group of rectangles, these rectangles are segregated on the basis of the category. The larger numeric values are present at the top, and lower numeric values are present 3 min read Power BI - How to Format Tree Map?Tree Maps are the visualizations that display dataset values in the form of a hierarchical rectangle-cut format. We prefer Tree Map whenever we want to show large hierarchical data, in a limited space, with a better color combination, we have treemap as our first choice, also when we have a correlat 6 min read Connect Power BI Desktop with Power BI ServicePower BI Desktop is the system version of Power BI present in the local system, It is downloaded as a free application. The comprehensive report authoring tool for report designers is Power BI Desktop. You can connect to many data sources through the desktop and then turn the data into a data model. 5 min read Power BI - Create a TableTables are a way to represent data in the form of rows and columns. By default, the Power BI desktop creates a table itself, whenever data is dragged under the visualizations section. But, here will learn how to create the table manually, if not created by Power BI, we will also look at some aggrega 2 min read Power BI - How to Format Table?Sometimes we want to show data in tabular format for that we have two options here one is a table and another one is a matrix. This article deals with Tables in Power BI. You can use this dataset to follow along with this article. The topic that will be covered in the articles are: Creating a simple 4 min read Power BI - Create a Stacked Column ChartSometimes there is a range of scenarios where it is hard to convey the information in the form of a table and written format. Under such situations, Column charts make things easier and more understandable. Let's understand what is stacked column chart is and how to create a stacked column chart. Wh 3 min read Power BI - How to Format Stacked Column Chart?Formatting is a technique to enhance the looks of the charts by giving a cosmetic appearance to the chart title and chart legend. Titles are given to the X and Y axis to add clarity for the user. Formatting commands are applied to a chart for the identical reason they're applied to a worksheet: they 5 min read Power BI - Create 100% Stacked Column ChartA 100% stacked column chart is formed by bar lines, which show the proportion of each data value in the form of percentages. This chart is generally, used when we want to match the ratios of different column values, with different fields. For example, if we want to compare the salary and bonus of ea 4 min read Power BI - Create 100% Stacked Bar ChartPower BI 100% stacked bar chart is used to display the relative percentage of multiple data series in stacked bars, where each stacked bar's total (cumulative) always equals 100%. In other words, A 100% stacked bar chart in power bi is a type designed to show the relative chance of multiple data ser 3 min read Power BI - Format Stacked Bar ChartFormatting is a technique to enhance the looks of the charts by giving a cosmetic appearance to the chart title and chart legend. Titles are given to the X and Y axis to add clarity for the user. Formatting commands are applied to a chart for the identical reason they're applied to a worksheet. they 4 min read Power BI - How to Create a Stacked Area ChartA stacked area chart is formed by combining the line chart, with the shaded area under that line. This chart is generally, used when we want to see the trends, that which field is performing better, in a particular time frame. For example, considering the stock prices of different companies, in the 3 min read Power BI - Format Area ChartAn area chart is a combination of a line chart with an area covered below the line. We could add a secondary y-axis, with just 2 mouse clicks Power BI. We have various options to format area charts, we can change the value of the x-axis, y-axis, its title, etc. We can also add various options like s 11 min read Power BI - Create a Radial Gauge ChartA radial Gauge chart looks similar to a speedometer of a Car. A gauge chart is a half-circle chart, which tells whether a target is achieved or not. Gauge charts are generally used to measure the progress toward a goal. In this article, we will learn how to create a radial gauge chart in Power BI. C 4 min read Power BI - Explain Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) dashboardsThe KPIs evaluate an association’s performance in different areas by assessing quantifiable measure values. In businesses, KPIs play an essential part as visual cues that indicate growth by assessing values and measurable pretensions. A KPI always has a base value or measure which is estimated again 2 min read Power BI _ Format KPIs ChartPower BI - Format Clustered Bar ChartA clustered bar chart is a horizontal chart, which could present multiple bars in the form of a cluster. The horizontal bars basically group together, as they are under the same, y values. We have various options to format clustered bar charts, we can change the value of the x-axis, y-axis, its titl 9 min read Power BI _ Format Clustered Bar ChartPower BI - How to Create a Waterfall Chart?A waterfall chart shows a running value as quantities are added or subtracted. It’s helpful to visualize how an underlying value is influenced by a series of positive and negative changes. The columns are usually encoded using color so that you can quickly identify increments and decrements. In a wa 2 min read Power BI - Format Waterfall ChartA waterfall chart is generally used to check the trend in the data, with its ups and downs at particular intervals. We have various options to format waterfall charts, we can change the value of the x-axis, y-axis, its title, etc. We can also add various options like Breakdown, Gridlines, and data l 8 min read Power BI - Create a Filled MapA filled map is similar to a map in Power BI. A filled map, allocates a certain area of the location mentioned, while a map only locates the location as a data point, whether it's a continent, country, etc. Filled maps can be useful, to know the exact boundaries of a location, whether it is a countr 3 min read Power BI - Format Filled MapFilled Maps are the visualizations that display dataset values on the basis of location with the area allocated for that region. The difference between a map and a filled map is that a map only shows the data points for the selected location, but a filled map selects the area portion of that locatio 6 min read Power BI - How to Create a Scatter Chart?A Scatter chart is a chart, representing data points, spread on a graph, to show the column values. It helps us analyze and summarise the data very efficiently. We can also add legends, bubble sizes, and animations to this chart. This graph is widely used because it can show better visualizations in 4 min read Power BI - Format Scatter ChartScatter charts are data distribution charts, in the form of data points. We have various options to format scatter charts, we can change the value of the x-axis, y-axis, its title, etc. We can also add various options like zoom slider, markers, and grid lines in the scatter chart. In this article, w 8 min read Showing Trends with Line ChartsPower BI - Format Line ChartA Line chart shows data in the form of a line. It is generally used when we have to show, continuous data graphically. We could add a secondary y-axis, with just 2 mouse clicks in Power BI. We have various options to format line charts, we can change the value of the x-axis, y-axis, its title, etc. 10 min read Power BI - How to Create a Shape Map?A shape map is similar to a map in Power BI. A shape map, shows the comparison between different regions, using different color shades, on a given value. For example, suppose the number of corona cases is higher in Uttar Pradesh, with respect to Haryana. In that case, the Uttar Pradesh state will be 4 min read Power BI - Format Donut ChartA donut chart is a circular chart, which could present values of a dataset in the form of slices of a donut. The donut chart is exactly the same as a pie chart, the only difference is pie chart has a circle, but a donut chart has a hole in the circle. We have various options to format donut charts, 6 min read Power BI - Format Pie ChartA pie chart is a circular chart, which could present values of a dataset in the form of slices of a circle.  We have various options to format pie charts, we can change the value of the legends, rotation, detail labels, etc. In this article, we will learn how to format a pie chart in Power BI and ex 6 min read Power BI - Format Ribbon ChartA ribbon chart is a type of column chart, with ribbons joining each other. If the legends property is not added to the ribbon chart, then the ribbon chart is the same as the column chart. If we add legends to our chart, then a string of ribbons will be joined for each legend's values, showing the ra 8 min read Power BI - Create a R Script VisualAn R script is different from R visuals. It helps transform our data into statistical analysis and machine learning algorithms on our datasets. It creates beautiful charts, with statistical measures. To make R Script Visual, we need to have some prerequisites i.e. Installing R in the System, and Che 4 min read Power BI - Format Line and Stacked Column ChartA Line and Stacked Column chart is a combination of a line chart with a stacked column chart. We could add a secondary y-axis, with just 2 mouse clicks in Power BI. We have various options to format line and stacked column charts, we can change the value of the x-axis, y-axis, its title, etc. We can 11 min read Power BI - Format Line and Clustered Column ChartA Line and Clustered Column chart is a combination of a line chart with a clustered(segregated) column chart. We could add a secondary y-axis, with just 2 mouse clicks in Power BI. We have various options to format line and clustered column charts, we can change the value of the x-axis, y-axis, its 11 min read DAX IntroductionPower BI - How to Create Calculated Columns?Power BI Desktop there are two data modification options known as Calculated Table and Calculated Column. These two options can add a whole new table referring to existing tables and a column to any existing table using existing columns of the respective table. Calculated Columns and Calculated Tabl 3 min read Power BI- FunctionsDAX is a very powerful feature provided with Power BI from Microsoft. DAX stands for Data Analysis Expressions. As we can understand from the name DAX consists of the functions and expressions that are used to manipulate the data or the reports. These expressions help to perform analysis of the data 5 min read Power BI- DAX Window FunctionThe filter and value functions in DAX are some of the most complex and powerful and differ greatly from Excel functions. The lookup functions work by using tables and relationships, like a database. The filtering functions let you manipulate data context to create dynamic calculations. The WINDOW fu 5 min read Power BI - DAX Logical FunctionsData analysis expressions, or DAX, are formulas or expressions used in calculations and data analysis. These expressions contain a variety of different functions, operators, and constants that are all evaluated collectively as a single formula to yield the desired outcomes (value or values). DAX for 5 min read Power BI - DAX Information FunctionsData Analysis Expressions, or DAX, are formulas or expressions that are used for calculations and data analysis. These expressions consist of a number of different functions, operators, and constants that are all evaluated together as a single formula to produce the desired results (value or values) 5 min read Power BI - DAX TEXT FunctionsDAX is a collection of operators, constants, and functions that can be used to compute and return one or more values in an expression or formula. To put it simply, DAX gives you the ability to create new data from data that already exist in your model. DAX Text Functions Tables and columns can be us 11 min read Power BI- DAX Index FunctionData filtering is one of the most widely used data analysis techniques. Data filtering eliminates the clutter and makes important information visible to everyone, whether they are financial experts, data scientists, marketers, or salespeople. Filtered data often results in a subset of data that may 4 min read Power BI - DAX Trigonometric FunctionsMicrosoft Power BI uses the scripting language Data Analysis Expressions (DAX) to create calculated columns, measurements, and custom tables. It offers a number of useful functions that help create formulas and expressions that can be applied to a number of data analysis issues. You can develop reli 5 min read Power BI - DAX COUPDAY Financial FunctionData Analysis Expressions is referred to as DAX in Power BI. It is an expressive language for formulas that are also utilized in Power BI and other visualization tools. It is utilized to create many kinds of formulae. We have all been utilizing various Excel functions in MS Excel for a very long tim 5 min read Power BI - DAX Depreciation FunctionsFormulas that do financial computations, including net present value and rate of return, use financial functions in DAX. These features are comparable to those found in Microsoft Excel's financial features. Microsoft added about 50 additional DAX capabilities to Power BI in July 2020. Some users may 9 min read Power BI - Distinct() functionData Analysis Expressions (DAX) include many functions that return a table rather than a value. The table isn't displayed but is used to provide input to other functions. For example, you can retrieve a table and then count the distinct values in it or calculate dynamic sums across filtered tables o 2 min read Power BI - DAX Math FunctionsA robust set of cloud-based business analytics tools called Power BI makes it simple to combine data from many sources, analyze and visualize information, and share insights. The Mathematical functions in Excel are quite similar to those in Data Analysis Expressions (DAX). Many functions in the Data 11 min read Power BI - DAX Counting FunctionsMany functions in the Data Analysis Expressions (DAX) return a table rather than a value. The table is used as an input for other functions, but it is not displayed. For instance, get a table and count the number of distinct values it contains, or you could compute dynamic sums over filtered tables 3 min read Power BI- DAX Bitwise FunctionsTo generate formulas and expressions in Excel data models for Power BI, Analysis Services, and Power Pivot, Data Analysis Expressions (DAX), a group of functions and operators, can be combined. Data Analysis Expression is a feature of the Power BI toolset that enables business analysts to maximize t 2 min read Top 30 Power BI Interview Questions and Answers (For Fresher & Experienced) Power BI is a powerful business analytics tool developed by Microsoft, renowned for its interactive visualizations and business intelligence capabilities. It's widely adopted across various industries, making it a valuable skill for professionals in data analysis and reporting. Top companies like Mi 15+ min read Like