{"id":110481,"date":"2025-07-30T12:19:46","date_gmt":"2025-07-30T06:49:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.mygreatlearning.com\/blog\/how-to-use-power-query-in-excel\/"},"modified":"2025-07-30T11:29:30","modified_gmt":"2025-07-30T05:59:30","slug":"how-to-use-power-query-in-excel","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.mygreatlearning.com\/blog\/how-to-use-power-query-in-excel\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Use Power Query in Excel"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Anyone who has worked with Excel for a while knows how difficult it is to prepare data properly. Spending hours fixing and organizing your data is often necessary before starting the analysis. Getting the data ready is essential, though most people don\u2019t enjoy it much.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Power Query is included in Excel and is designed to make it easier and faster to deal with your data. You can pull data from several sources, clean it to your liking, and insert it into your workbook without coding, except if you wish to try out the special M language.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In this article, we\u2019ll explain what Power Query does, why so many Excel users rely on it, and how you can use it even if you're not a tech expert. If you're looking for a faster, more reliable way to handle data in Excel, Power Query is well worth exploring.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you're new to Excel or looking to strengthen your foundational skills before diving into Power Query, consider enrolling in this free course:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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What is a Power Query?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Power Query<\/strong> is a feature in Excel that makes it possible to get data from different sources, clean it, and arrange it the way you want without repeating the process manually.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This is Microsoft\u2019s solution to the frequent problem of repeatedly handling the same data job. Power Query allows you to set up the process once, but the output will update automatically each time your data is refreshed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

From Excel 2016 onwards, Power Query is included in the application under the \u201cGet & Transform\u201d section of the Data tab. If you have Excel 2010 or 2013, you can download a free add-in to use the tool.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Power Query works by following the steps of Extract, Transform, Load. This allows you to get information from files (Excel, CSV), databases, or web pages, change it as required, and insert it into your Excel spreadsheet or data model.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Among its main advantages are being automated and flexible. It can perform basic actions such as deleting blanks or combining information from multiple databases.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The best thing is that coding skills are not required, but advanced users may use the included M language to take more charge of their data.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Why Use Power Query?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

If you struggle with cleaning your data every week or worse, every day, Power Query may be precisely what you need. You save a lot of time by using it because it handles all those repetitive jobs for you, so you don\u2019t have to remain stuck copying, pasting, filtering and fixing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Because Power Query records each step as you make changes, your process becomes repeatable. You only have to set it up once; from then on, you can refresh the data with a single click. That not only saves time but also cuts down on human error.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You\u2019re less likely to miss a column, apply the wrong filter, or forget a step, especially when in a rush.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Another benefit is that it keeps everything in one place. Instead of juggling multiple spreadsheets or doing bits of cleanup here and there, Power Query lets you centralize your entire data-cleaning workflow inside Excel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It works smoothly with other tools developed by Microsoft. Since Power BI uses Power Query, you can work with it similarly. Because Query supports Excel, CSV, databases, and cloud services, it fits nicely into nearly any set of tasks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It works smoothly with other Microsoft tools, especially Power BI, which uses Power Query for data transformation and modeling. If you want to take your data preparation skills further and learn how to build dashboards from that data, you can explore this Free Power BI course to understand how Excel and Power BI work together for analytics.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Key Features of Power Query<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

What sets Power Query apart is that it comes with so many helpful tools, and this is in a program that everyone finds easy to learn.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Data Connectivity<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

You can pull data from various sources: Excel files, CSVs, databases like SQL Server, SharePoint folders, websites, and even APIs. No more copy-pasting between files.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

User-Friendly Query Editor<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The Power Query interface is built with non-coders in mind. It's point-and-click, drag-and-drop easy to use even if you've never worked with data tools before.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Steps Pane<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

As you make changes (like removing columns, filtering rows, or renaming headers), each step is automatically recorded. This means your process is fully traceable and editable at any time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Applied Steps List<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

You can view and manage every transformation you've applied in a clear, ordered list. If something goes wrong, it\u2019s easy to go back, adjust, or remove a step.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

M Language (Advanced Use)<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Even though coding is not required with Power Query, the M language powers its processing. Those who prefer to program can make changes and write scripts for more dynamic logic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Flexible Load Options<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Once your data is ready, you can choose to load it directly into an Excel worksheet or the data model (useful for pivot tables<\/a> or Power BI integration).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How to Use Power Query \u2013 Step-by-Step Guide<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Step 1: Open Power Query<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Start by heading to the Data tab in Excel. Under the Get & Transform Data section, you\u2019ll see options like Get Data, From Workbook, From Text\/CSV, and more. This is where Power Query lives.<\/p>\n\n\n

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Click on the option that matches your data source.<\/p>\n\n\n

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Step 2: Connect to a Data Source<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Let\u2019s say you\u2019re importing a CSV file. Click Get Data > From File > From Text\/CSV, then browse and select your file. Power Query will preview the contents before loading anything. If it looks good, hit Transform Data to open the full Query Editor.<\/p>\n\n\n

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Step 3: Transform the Data<\/h3>\n\n\n
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Inside the Power Query Editor, you can clean up your data using simple tools:<\/p>\n\n\n\n