Add a query to an Excel worksheet (Power Query)

IMPORTANTThis article applies toPower Query, a data analysis feature available for Excel that lets you discover, combine and refine data. You may need toenable Power Query in Excel. You can alsodownload and install the most recent version of Power Query for Excel, which automatically enables it. Power Query technology is also built into thePower BI Designer, which is a stand-alone report authoring and data transformation tool forPower BI.

NOTEFor a very quick video on how to displayQuery Editor, see the end of this article.

InPower Query, you have several options to load queries into your workbook. TheOptionsdialog box lets you set default query load settings.

I need to

Load queries into your workbookFine-tune your load optionsLoad a query to the Excel Data ModelSet default query load settingsLoad queries into your workbook

You have several options to load queries into your workbook:

1. FromSearchresults

2. From theNavigatorpane

3. From theQuery Editor

4. From theWorkbook Queriespane and the contextualQueryribbon tab

NOTEWhen you clickLoad Tofrom theWorkbook Queriespane, you can onlyLoad to worksheetorLoad to Data Model. Other Load To options allow you to fine-tune how you load a query. To learn the full set of load options, seeHow to fine-tune your load options.

Fine-tune your load options

With Power Query Load To options, you can

Select how you want to view your data.

Select where the data is loaded.

Add data to the Data Model.

Load a query to the Excel Data Model

NOTEThe steps in this section require Excel 2013.

An ExcelData Modelis a relational data source composed from multiple tables inside an Excel workbook. Within Excel, aData Modelis used transparently, providing tabular data used in PivotTables, PivotCharts, and Power View reports.

With Power Query, data and annotations on theData Modelare preserved when modifying theLoad to Worksheetsetting of a query. Power Query does not reset the query results in both the worksheet and the Data Model when modifying either one of the two load settings.

To load a query to the Excel Data Model

1. In theLoad Todialog box, checkAdd the data to the Data Model. To learn how to show theLoad Todialog box, seeLoad queries into your workbook.

Set default query load settings

To set your default query load settings

1. In thePower Queryribbon tab, clickOptions.

2. In theOptionsdialog box, choose aDefault Query Load Setting.

NOTETheQuery Editoronly appears when you load, edit, or create a new query usingPower Query. The following video shows theQuery Editorwindow appearing after editing a query from an Excel workbook. To view theQuery Editorwithout loading or editing an existing workbook query, from theGet External Datasection in thePower Queryribbon tab, selectFrom Other Sources > Blank Query. The following video shows one way to display theQuery Editor.

Applies To:Excel 2013, Excel 2010