Connect Power BI to Google Sheets – The New Connector

Microsoft recently announced the beta release of a Google Sheets connector for Power BI and Power Query. This exciting development opens up a world of possibilities for deeper analysis by allowing users to connect and import business data from Google Sheets into Power BI. Similar to Google Data Studio or SQL Server, this new connector simplifies the process of importing data and brings the power of Power BI to Google Sheets users.

What is a Connector in Power BI?

A Power BI connector is a powerful tool that enables users to automatically import data from a specific data source. With a connector, you can also set up automatic updates to ensure your data is always up to date. Power BI currently offers hundreds of connectors, with the list growing continuously. Connectors in Power BI Desktop can be used simultaneously, giving users the flexibility to import data from multiple sources effortlessly.

Why Use a Connector?

Using a connector in Power BI offers numerous advantages, saving users valuable time and streamlining data management processes. Some key benefits of using connectors include:

• Easy implementation of changes.
• Simplified data governance.
• Enhanced security when working with sensitive data.
• Autonomous data availability, especially for regularly updated sources.

Connect Power BI Desktop to Google Sheets

To connect Power BI Desktop to Google Sheets, follow these simple steps:

1. Open your Google Sheets account and navigate to the sheet you want to import into Power BI.
2. Copy the URL from the address bar.
   
3. Launch Power BI Desktop and go to the Home tab.
4. Click on “Get Data” and select “More.”
5. Search for “Google Sheets” and click on “Connect.”
6. Paste the copied Google Sheets URL and click “OK.”
7. If this is your first time connecting Power BI to Google Sheets, sign in using your Google account.
8. Once connected, the Navigator dialog box will open, showing all available spreadsheets from the connected Google Sheets file.
9. Select the spreadsheets you want to export data from and click “Load.”
10. If your data requires cleaning, click “Transform Data” before loading to access Power Query Editor. Here, you can perform various data operations.
11. Once done, click “Load” to import the data into Power BI Desktop.

Power BI Service and Data Refresh Scheduling

After creating your data model in Power BI Desktop, you can publish and save it to the Power BI service. This allows you to schedule automatic data refreshes, eliminating the need for manual updates. Follow these steps to set up data refresh scheduling:

1. Sign in to Power BI Service and navigate to “My Workspace.”
2. Find the dataset you want to schedule for refresh and click on the “Schedule Refresh” icon.
3. Ignore the Gateway connection option if your dataset is in the cloud.
4. Expand the source data credentials and select “Edit credentials” to sign in to your Google account.
5. Expand the “Schedule Refresh” button and set the desired time and frequency for data refresh.
6. Once scheduled, your dataset will automatically refresh according to the defined schedule in both Power BI Desktop and the Power BI service.

This functionality is particularly useful for frequently used dashboards and reports, as it ensures your data is always up to date.

Current Limitations

While the new Google Sheets connector for Power BI offers exciting capabilities, it does have a few limitations at this time. These limitations may be addressed in future versions of Power BI:

• Multiple connections are not centrally managed. To connect to multiple Google spreadsheets, you must connect to each URL separately.
• Power Query Online experiences and data flows do not currently support this connector.
• You cannot retrieve all spreadsheets from a Google Drive folder path. Individual URL options must be used.

Conclusion

The introduction of the Google Sheets connector is a highly anticipated enhancement for Power BI users. If you utilize both Microsoft Power BI and Google Sheets, connecting them will undoubtedly save you significant time and streamline your data analysis process. Give it a try and explore the endless possibilities. Understanding connectors is crucial and often forms the basis of Power BI interview questions for entry-level and intermediate positions.

To learn more about Power BI and stay updated on the latest trends and insights, visit Crawlan.com – your go-to resource for all things data analysis and visualization. Start harnessing the power of Power BI and Google Sheets today!