Power Query Problems

How to Refresh an Excel Power Query from a SharePoint Source

Rana Garcia Oct 9, 2026 869 views

Question details

The user needs to refresh a Power Query connection in a destination workbook that pulls data from a SharePoint source, but is encountering limitations in Excel for the Web.

How to Refresh an Excel Power Query Workbook from a SharePoint Source

Product: Microsoft Excel
Device & OS: not provided
Scenario: Attempting to refresh a destination Excel workbook linked to a SharePoint source online.
Observed behavior: Excel for the Web fails to refresh the Power Query data source. A desktop application workaround is required to successfully update the query.

Before you start

Ensure you have the Microsoft Excel desktop application installed and verify that you are logged in with an account that has adequate permissions to access the source SharePoint document library.

Solution 1Recommended

Refresh the Query Using the Excel Desktop Application

Because Excel for the Web does not support refreshing all data sources, you must use the Excel desktop application to update connections to SharePoint.

Excel for the web cannot refresh every Power Query data source, including certain queries that retrieve a SharePoint workbook via a web connection. You can bypass this limitation by opening the file locally.

Open the workbook in Excel Desktop

Navigate to your destination workbook in SharePoint or OneDrive, select 'Open', and choose 'Open in Desktop App'.

Navigate to the Data tab

Once the file is open in the Excel desktop application, click on the 'Data' tab located on the top ribbon.

Refresh all queries

Click the 'Refresh All' button to initiate the update. Ensure you are signed into an account with access to the SharePoint source library.

Feedback to Microsoft: If you rely heavily on the web version, consider submitting feedback to Microsoft requesting expanded Power Query refresh support in Excel for the Web.

Solution 2

Format Source Data as an Excel Table

To ensure newly added records are automatically included during the Power Query refresh, structure your source data correctly.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Why does my Power Query fail to refresh in Excel for the Web?

Excel for the Web does not currently support refreshing all data sources. Specifically, queries that retrieve data from external web connections or SharePoint workbooks often require the Excel desktop application to complete the refresh.

How can I ensure newly added rows are included when I refresh?

You should store the data in your source workbook as an Excel Table rather than a fixed range. By formatting the source data as a Table (Ctrl+T), new records will automatically be detected and included during the next query refresh.

What permissions are required to refresh a SharePoint query?

To successfully refresh the query, you must be logged into the Excel desktop application with a user account that has read or edit access to the SharePoint document library where the source workbook is stored.

Excel & Data Problems