The Amazing world of Power BI Connectors!!!
Introduction
Data is more than a byproduct—it’s a strategic asset that drives smarter decisions and innovation. All companies store their data in one or another way, it may be sales, conversions, footfall, payroll, customer data and so on.
While these stored data on their own are not very useful, with the use of BI tools they became essential in decision making and strategy.Microsoft Power BI is a widely used Data analytics solution that lets you visualize your data and share insights across your organization.
The ability of a Power BI to connect to various data storage makes all the difference, providing the user the flexibility.
In this article, i provide you with more insight into Power BI and its Connectors.
Why love Power BI
Simplified Integration: Connect to databases (SQL Server, Snowflake, Oracle), cloud services (Salesforce, Google Analytics), file formats (Excel, CSV, JSON), and even other BI tools like MicroStrategy and OBIEE.
Endless Insights : There are 40 standard visuals and then a library of custom-made visuals. These visuals provide endless options when it comes to visualizing data.
Scalability & Collaboration : Power BI dashboards can be hosted and scaled as required. Work solo with Power BI Desktop or collaborate via Power BI Service effortlessly.
Secure & Cost-Efficient : No costly re-engineering—just connect and act!
What Exactly are Power BI Connectors?
In data analytics, a ‘Connector’ is a solution that enables seamless connectivity between a BI tool and a data source.
Power BI Data Connectors simplify the process of securely linking your data sources to Power BI, eliminating the need for expensive re-engineering, testing, or retraining.
Once connected, these powerful tools allow you to:
1. Visualize your data with Power BI reports.
2. Perform robust analytics for actionable insights.
3. Leverage the full suite of Power BI services for decision-making.
These connectors make transforming raw data into meaningful insights both efficient and cost-effective.
To see these connectors, Open Power BI desktop >> Home >> Get Data.
As seen in the image there are an abundence of connectors available in Power BI, from simple Text file to Large scale data bases and everything in Between.
Lets talk Connectors!
Files Connectors
Excel
Excel is a widely-used and flexible tool for collecting and managing data in organizations.
By connecting Excel to Power BI, you unlock powerful analytics and visualization capabilities, allowing you to:
Combine Excel’s versatility with Power BI’s governance and security standards.
Seamlessly interact with Power BI datasets using PivotTables, charts, slicers, and other familiar Excel features.
This integration ensures that businesses can enhance their data-driven decision-making while leveraging tools they already trust and use daily.
Text/CSV Files
A CSV file stores tabular data (numbers and text) in plain text, making it a simple and accessible data format.
Connecting a CSV file to Power BI is just as easy as connecting an Excel workbook. From the Get Data option, you can:
Transform the data using the Power Query Editor by selecting Transform Data.
Or load the data directly by selecting Load.
This simplicity allows you to quickly analyze and visualize your CSV data without the need for complex setup.
XML Files
XML files are widely used for storing data that is both human-readable and structured for software processing. This format is ideal for storing and analyzing large-scale data.
With Power BI, you can easily load data from an XML file using the Get Data option. Once connected, you can:
Encode and visualize database records, transactions, and other XML-based data types.
Leverage Power BI’s powerful tools to analyze and present XML data effectively.
This integration allows businesses to harness XML data alongside other sources for deeper insights and better decision-making.
JSON Files
JSON (JavaScript Object Notation) is a popular format for exchanging data between platforms and applications. Power BI makes it easy to leverage JSON data for in-depth analysis and visualization.
By connecting a JSON file to Power BI:
Power BI’s Power Query automatically detects and flattens the JSON structure into a table format.
You can transform and visualize the data, turning complex JSON objects into actionable insights.
This integration simplifies working with JSON data, enabling you to create rich, dynamic reports and dashboards that help drive smarter business decisions.
PDF files are commonly used for reports, contracts, and structured data presentations. Power BI’s PDF connector enables you to extract tabular data directly from PDFs, eliminating the need for manual data entry.
Power BI automatically detects and lists all data tables within the PDF.
Select the specific table(s) or page(s) you want to import.
Transform and Load Data
Open Power Query Editor to clean and modify the data if necessary.
Directly import the selected tables into Power BI for visualization.
Sharepoint Folder
SharePoint is widely used for storing and managing organizational files. By connecting Power BI to SharePoint, you can centralize your data analysis and ensure all team members work with the latest data.
How to Connect :
Input the root URL of your SharePoint site (e.g., https://<company>.sharepoint.com/sites/<site-name>).
Authenticate using your Microsoft account credentials.
Power BI will list all files in the SharePoint folder.
Choose the files or tables you want to load.
Use Power Query Editor to clean and prepare the data (e.g., filter, rename columns).
Import the data directly into Power BI for reporting.
Database Connectors
More power with more data!!
SQL Server
Power BI provides an optimized, live connector to SQL Server, enabling seamless integration with large datasets. This allows data scientists to create charts, reports, and dashboards directly from SQL data without the need for intermediary steps.
Azure SQL Database
Power BI connects directly to Azure SQL Database, facilitating real-time data analysis without a need for a data model. It supports multi-source data processing and systems like Stream Analytics, all while offering single sign-on (SSO) integration through Azure Active Directory (Azure AD) or OAuth2.
Amazon Redshift
Amazon Redshift powers large-scale data processing. Using Power BI’s built-in connector, you can directly analyze data stored in Amazon S3 and Redshift, unlocking insights from big data.
Google BigQuery
Connect Power BI to Google BigQuery using either an organizational or service account login with a JSON key file. Power BI offers cloud-to-cloud connectivity to bring BigQuery data into reports and dashboards.
Oracle Database
The Power BI Oracle Database connector allows users to track and visualize data from Oracle’s apps. It requires the installation of the Oracle Client, or you can use external connectors like CData for easier access.
Snowflake
Snowflake provides storage for both structured and semi-structured data. Power BI connects to Snowflake without needing an on-premises gateway, simplifying integration via Identity Provider credentials for single sign-on (SSO).
More and More!!
There are connectors available for every commercially used database including Maria DB, Postgress, MYSQL, Teradata, Amazon Athena, Mango DB Atlas and Many more.
Power Platforms
Power Apps
Power BI can connect directly to Power Apps, enabling users to import app data into Power BI. This allows users to build comprehensive reports and dashboards that leverage data from Power Apps, giving deeper insights into business applications and workflows.
Power Automate
Power Automate connectors in Power BI enable integration with workflows and automated processes. By linking data from various automation flows, Power BI can help visualize outcomes, track automated task performance, and assess the efficiency of business processes powered by Power Automate.
Dataverse
Dataverse (formerly known as the Common Data Service) is the backbone of the Power Platform and allows you to store and manage data securely. Power BI’s connector to Dataverse enables you to seamlessly access and analyze data stored in the Dataverse environment. This connector simplifies data management across applications like Power Apps, Power Automate, and more.
Azure Cloud
Azure SQL Database
Power BI offers a native connector for Azure SQL Database, enabling direct connection to SQL databases hosted in Azure. This allows you to seamlessly pull data from your Azure SQL databases and create powerful visualizations, reports, and dashboards in Power BI, all without the need for additional data models.
Azure Blob Storage
Azure Blob Storage is used to store large amounts of unstructured data such as text, images, and log files. Power BI provides a connector to Azure Blob Storage, allowing users to load and analyze data from files stored in blobs, including CSV, JSON, and other formats.
Azure Synapse Analytics
Azure Synapse Analytics (formerly SQL Data Warehouse) is an integrated analytics platform that combines big data and data warehousing. Power BI allows users to connect directly to Synapse Analytics, enabling fast, real-time data analytics and visualization for large-scale datasets.
Azure Data Lake Storage
Power BI can connect to Azure Data Lake Storage Gen2, an enterprise-grade data lake that combines the scalability and performance of Azure Blob Storage with enhanced analytics capabilities. This connector enables users to analyze large-scale data, apply advanced analytics, and visualize the results using Power BI.
Azure Machine Learning
Azure Machine Learning is a cloud-based environment used to develop and deploy machine learning models. Power BI integrates with Azure ML, enabling users to apply machine learning models directly in Power BI reports and dashboards, bringing predictive insights into business intelligence workflows.
Azure Cosmos DB
Azure Cosmos DB is a globally distributed, multi-model database that supports NoSQL data. Power BI can connect to Cosmos DB and allow users to transform and visualize data from multiple sources within the Cosmos DB ecosystem, enabling complex analytics across various data models.
Microsoft Owns Azure Cloud and Power BI. Integration is seamless and we can harness the full power of Azure cloud environment, enabling deeper insights and more effective decision-making with Power BI.
Onile services - SaaS Connectors
Salesforce
Salesforce is a widely-used cloud-based CRM tool that helps organizations manage customer interactions. With Power BI’s Salesforce connector, you can seamlessly retrieve and analyze your CRM data to track key metrics like sales pipeline, accounts, and KPIs.
Steps to connect Salesforce to Power BI:
- Open Power BI and click on Get Data.
- Select the Analytics for Salesforce option.
- The connector will allow you to pull data from Salesforce and create powerful visuals for marketing and sales performance analysis.
Google Analytics
Salesforce is a widely-used cloud-based CRM tool that helps organizations manage customer interactions. With Power BI’s Salesforce connector, you can seamlessly retrieve and analyze your CRM data to track key metrics like sales pipeline, accounts, and KPIs.
Steps to connect Salesforce to Power BI:
- Open Power BI and click on Get Data.
- Select the Analytics for Salesforce option.
- The connector will allow you to pull data from Salesforce and create powerful visuals for marketing and sales performance analysis.
Zoho Creator
Zoho Creator helps businesses manage CRM, transactions, invoices, and sales data. By connecting Zoho Creator with Power BI, you can import and visualize key metrics such as customer data, invoices, and sales performance.
With the Zoho Creator connector, users can:
Pull data directly from Zoho Creator into Power BI.
Create insightful reports and dashboards for decision-making.
Other Connectors
ODBC (Open Database Connectivity)
ODBC is a standard protocol for accessing different database management systems. With Power BI, you can connect to any data source that supports ODBC, allowing you to pull data from legacy systems, third-party databases, and more.
Use case: Useful when you need to connect to custom or unsupported data sources.
OData (Open Data Protocol)
OData is a web protocol used for querying and updating data. Power BI can connect to OData feeds to pull in real-time data from supported sources, such as SAP, SharePoint, and other enterprise systems.
Use case: Ideal for connecting to APIs and other systems that provide data in OData format
REST APIs
Power BI allows you to connect to custom data sources via REST APIs, which are commonly used for web applications and services.
Use case: Ideal for integrating data from modern cloud services and custom applications that expose data via REST APIs.
Summary
The number of connectors available in Power BI are a delight. With more advancement in the feild more data soucers will be available soon.
Power BI connectors provide organizations with the flexibility to integrate data from a broad range of sources, including databases, files, cloud services, and third-party applications. By enabling secure, streamlined connections to these sources, Power BI ensures that businesses can harness the full potential of their data for informed decision-making and strategic insights.
Now that the data are improted into the Power BI desktop what next? In the next posts lets talk about how to handle data and the power of Power Query and “M language”, How to handle huge data, setup refresh and much more.
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