Power Query Problems

How to Improve Power Query Refresh and Connection Speed

John Wilson Sep 30, 2026 872 views

Question details

The user needs to speed up slow Power Query refreshes and data connections.

How to Improve Power Query Refresh and Connection Speed

Product: Microsoft Excel
Device & OS: not provided
Scenario: Refreshing data connections or running complex Power Query scripts in a workbook.
Observed behavior: Power Query refreshes are running significantly slower than expected or taking too long to process source data.

Before you start

Ensure your internet connection is stable if querying online databases, and save a backup copy of your workbook before altering complex query structures.

Solution 1Recommended

Optimize Query Design and Data Load

Reduce the amount of data processed by filtering early and removing unnecessary columns to significantly speed up evaluation.

Performance issues often stem from importing excessive data or performing complex transformations late in the query process. By reducing the dataset size early, the Power Query engine requires less memory and processing power.

Launch Power Query Editor

Open your Excel workbook, navigate to the 'Data' tab on the ribbon, and click 'Get Data' > 'Launch Power Query Editor'.

Filter rows and columns early

Select columns you do not need, right-click, and choose 'Remove Columns'. Apply row filters to strictly include the required date ranges or categories. Move these steps as close to the 'Source' step as possible in the Applied Steps pane.

Simplify merges and calculations

Review your joins and merges. Remove any redundant complex calculations or custom columns that can be handled outside of Power Query or at the database level.

Best Practice: Always filter your data before applying resource-heavy operations like merges, joins, or pivots.

Solution 2

Adjust Excel Workbook Calculation and Refresh Settings

Modify Excel's calculation mode and background refresh settings to prevent performance bottlenecks during query execution.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Why does Power Query take so long to evaluate?

Evaluation can be slow if your query contains complex joins, unoptimized transformations, or if it is trying to process an exceptionally large source dataset before filtering. Moving filter steps earlier in the process usually resolves this.

Does disabling background refresh speed up Power Query?

Yes, unchecking 'Enable background refresh' forces Excel to prioritize and complete the data refresh before performing other actions or calculations, which often improves the overall refresh speed and reliability.

Should I filter data before or after merging in Power Query?

Always filter rows and remove unnecessary columns before performing merges or joins. This minimizes the amount of data the engine has to process during the resource-heavy merge operation.

Excel & Data Problems