Power BI supports a wide range of data sources, allowing users to connect, transform, and analyze data from multiple platforms. Whether the data is stored in a cloud-based service, an on-premise database, or an Excel file, Power BI can integrate it seamlessly. Understanding the available data sources helps businesses choose the right connections for their reporting and analytics needs.
Data Sources in Power BI
Power BI provides multiple ways to connect to data, including databases, cloud services, web applications, and file-based data. It allows users to extract, transform, and visualize data from different sources efficiently.
Types of Data Sources in Power BI
Power BI classifies data sources into different categories:
- File-based data sources – Excel, CSV, XML, JSON
- Database data sources – SQL Server, Oracle, MySQL
- Cloud-based data sources – Azure, Google BigQuery, AWS
- Online services – SharePoint, Dynamics 365, Salesforce
- Web and API-based sources – REST API, OData, Web scraping
- Big Data sources – Hadoop, Spark, Databricks
- On-premise data sources – Data Gateway connections
Each category serves a specific purpose, enabling businesses to access data from different systems.
1. File-Based Data Sources
Power BI allows users to import data from various file formats, making it easy to work with structured data stored locally or on cloud storage.
Supported file formats:
- Excel (.xlsx, .xlsm)
- CSV (.csv)
- XML (.xml)
- JSON (.json)
- PDF (.pdf)
- Parquet (.parquet)
Excel and CSV files are the most commonly used formats, especially for manual data entry and business reports.
2. Database Data Sources
Power BI supports direct connections to relational and non-relational databases. Users can query structured data from SQL-based systems and perform complex transformations.
Popular database connections:
- SQL Server
- Oracle Database
- MySQL
- PostgreSQL
- IBM Db2
- Amazon Redshift
- MariaDB
These connections allow businesses to pull large datasets from centralized database servers for reporting.
3. Cloud-Based Data Sources
Many organizations store data in cloud platforms. Power BI integrates with cloud-based storage and computing services to enable real-time data access.
Common cloud data sources:
- Microsoft Azure (Azure SQL, Azure Data Lake, Azure Synapse Analytics)
- Google BigQuery
- Amazon Web Services (AWS Redshift, S3)
- Snowflake
- Databricks
Cloud-based sources allow seamless integration with cloud applications and services.
4. Online Services and Business Applications
Power BI connects with various business applications to pull real-time operational and financial data.
Supported online services:
- Microsoft SharePoint
- Dynamics 365
- Salesforce
- Google Analytics
- Adobe Analytics
- Mailchimp
- Zendesk
These integrations help businesses automate reporting and track key metrics without manual data entry.
5. Web and API-Based Data Sources
Power BI can extract data from web pages, APIs, and OData feeds, allowing users to fetch external data for analysis.
Common web-based sources:
- REST APIs
- OData Feeds
- Web Scraping (from HTML tables)
- RSS Feeds
API connections allow businesses to integrate third-party applications and real-time data into their reports.
6. Big Data Sources
For organizations working with large-scale datasets, Power BI integrates with big data platforms.
Popular big data connections:
- Apache Hadoop
- Apache Spark
- Google BigQuery
- Azure Data Lake
- Amazon S3
These connections help process high-volume data for predictive analytics and machine learning.
7. On-Premise Data Sources
Many enterprises use on-premise databases and servers for data storage. Power BI connects to these sources through the Power BI Gateway.
Examples of on-premise sources:
- SQL Server
- Oracle Database
- Teradata
- IBM Db2
- SAP HANA
The Power BI Gateway ensures secure data access between cloud and on-premise servers.
How to Connect Data Sources in Power BI
To connect a data source in Power BI, follow these steps:
- Open Power BI Desktop.
- Click on “Home” and select “Get Data”.
- Choose the desired data source (file, database, cloud, or API).
- Enter credentials if required.
- Load or transform the data using Power Query.
- Start building reports and dashboards.
Power BI provides multiple options for connecting, transforming, and visualizing data efficiently.
Choosing the Right Data Source
Selecting the right data source depends on business needs and data accessibility. Consider the following:
- Use Excel or CSV for small datasets and manual reporting.
- Use SQL Server or Oracle for structured relational databases.
- Use cloud platforms for scalable and real-time analytics.
- Use APIs for live data from third-party applications.
- Use big data platforms for high-volume analytics and machine learning.
Choosing the right source ensures optimized performance and better reporting.
