Power Query Problems

Fix Power Query Showing New Folder Data but Not in Final Excel Table

Bushra Parveen Oct 21, 2026 868 views

Question details

New data from a folder appears in Power Query's Source step but fails to load into the final Excel table.

Fix Power Query Showing New Folder Data but Not in Final Excel Table

Product: Excel Power Query
Device & OS: not provided
Scenario: Refreshing a query to include new files added to a source folder.
Observed behavior: New records are visible in the initial Source step but disappear after transformations, resulting in missing data in the final Excel table despite refresh settings being enabled.

Before you start

Ensure that you have clicked 'Refresh All' on the Data tab and that the new files in your source folder have the exact same column structure, headers, and data types as the original files.

Solution 1Recommended

Review Applied Steps for Unintentional Filters

Identify the exact transformation step where the new records are being removed from the query.

Often, a filtering step applied earlier in the query development unintentionally excludes new data that doesn't perfectly match the original filter parameters.

Open Power Query Editor

Open your Excel workbook, go to the 'Data' tab, and click 'Queries & Connections'. Double-click your query to open the Power Query Editor.

Verify Source Data

In the 'Query Settings' pane on the right, click on the 'Source' step under 'Applied Steps' to confirm the new records are indeed being loaded.

Trace the Disappearance

Click through each subsequent step sequentially (such as 'Filtered Rows' or 'Removed Duplicates') while watching the data preview.

Adjust Filter Conditions

Once you find the step where the new records disappear, click the gear icon next to that step to adjust or remove the conditions excluding your new data.

Review Applied Steps for Unintentional Filters

Watch for Removed Errors: If you have a 'Remove Errors' step, it might be silently deleting rows containing new data that failed a formatting constraint.

Solution 2

Inspect Data Type Conversions and Merges

Data type mismatch errors or restrictive join types can cause new rows to drop out silently during processing.

Solution 3

Verify M Code for Hardcoded References

Ensure the Advanced Editor isn't storing specific file names or row counts that actively exclude new files.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Why does my Power Query not refresh automatically when I add new files to the folder?

Power Query requires a manual refresh or specific workbook refresh settings to pull in new data. You must go to Data > Refresh All, or configure the Connection Properties to 'Refresh data when opening the file'.

Can a 'Changed Type' step delete rows in Power Query?

A 'Changed Type' step does not delete rows directly, but if a value cannot be converted (e.g., text to date), it produces an 'Error'. Subsequent steps that remove errors will then cause those rows to disappear from the final Excel table.

How do I view the M code for my query?

Open the Power Query Editor, navigate to the Home tab, and click on 'Advanced Editor'. This window allows you to view and manually edit the raw M code driving all your applied steps.

Excel & Data Problems