Power Query Problems

Fix Power Query Refresh Not Updating Existing Data in Excel

Maira Mehtab Sep 20, 2026 868 views

Question details

The user is experiencing an issue where refreshing a Power Query adds new rows but fails to update modified values in the existing rows.

Product: Excel / Power Query
Device & OS: not provided
Scenario: Combining multiple worksheets to supply data to PivotTables and charts using Power Query.
Observed behavior: During a data refresh, new rows are appended to the dataset, but changes made to existing rows in the source data are ignored and not updated in the query output.

Before you start

Ensure you have saved a copy of your workbook before editing query steps, and open the Power Query Editor to review your applied data sources.

Solution 1Recommended

Exclude the Output Table from Source Data in Power Query

Prevent recursive data issues by ensuring the query's output table is not accidentally included as a source table when combining multiple worksheets.

When combining multiple sheets from a workbook using functions like Excel.CurrentWorkbook(), Power Query might pull in the resulting output table along with the source sheets. This creates a static loop where existing data isn't refreshed properly, even though new rows might appear.

Open Power Query Editor

Navigate to the Data tab on your ribbon and click on 'Queries & Connections'. Double-click your problematic query to open the Power Query Editor.

Check the Filtered Rows Step

In the 'Applied Steps' pane on the right side of the window, locate and click on the 'Filtered Rows' step (or the step where you selected your source tables).

Filter Out the Output Table

Click the drop-down filter arrow on the column containing the table or sheet names. Uncheck the exact name of the query's own output table to exclude it from the data source list.

Remove Content Prefix

In your table expansion step, click the gear icon next to the step name and ensure that 'Use original column name as prefix' is unchecked.

Close & Load

Click 'Close & Load' on the Home tab. Refresh your PivotTables or charts to verify that existing data values now update correctly.

Refresh Restored: Removing the output table from the source data allows Power Query to correctly read the latest source data and update existing row values.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Why does my Power Query refresh only append new data instead of updating?

This usually happens when the query's output table is inadvertently included in the source data. The query reads its old output as the source, meaning modifications in the original raw data sheets are ignored for existing records.

How do I edit applied steps in Power Query?

Open the Power Query Editor from the Data tab by clicking 'Queries & Connections' and double-clicking your query. You can then select, edit, delete, or rearrange steps in the 'Applied Steps' pane located on the right side of the screen.

What does 'Use original column name as prefix' mean in Power Query?

When expanding a table or merging columns, this option adds the original column's name to the beginning of the new column names (e.g., Table1.ColumnName). Unchecking it keeps the column names clean and prevents naming conflicts.

Can I combine multiple sheets without including the output table?

Yes. When you use the Excel.CurrentWorkbook() function to combine sheets, you must add a text filter step immediately to exclude the specific name of the query (which becomes the output table) from the 'Name' column list of tables being combined.

Excel & Data Problems