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Hi All,
I have recently started to use SharePoint 365 to create Excel files for my organisation in which I am using data sources from other sources to populate via Power Query.
Now the question is rather than manually enter these excel files each week to refresh the data is there a way I can set a refresh schedule? Is it possible to use something like Power BI or Microsoft Flow to set this up as I can't currently see any way of setting any schedule up directly within SharePoint?
Many thanks,
Gaz
Hi Gaz,
I would say it's possible to do this with Flow. This thread describes how to export SharePoint data to Excel.
https://powerusers.microsoft.com/t5/General-Flow-Discussion/MS-Flow-Export-Sharepoint-List-content-to-Excel/td-p/194209
You can then combine it with this in order to run it on a schedule.
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/flow/run-scheduled-tasks
Hi and thanks for your reply.
Not sure however I think the first part refering to the flow of exporting SharePoint list content is relevant if you dont mind me saying? I just need to take the excel document which is saved in SharePoint and refresh the data without actually having to manually enter the document itself?
Thanks,
Hi Gaz
Sorry about that. I misunderstood what you said.
So just to summarise...
For this, I think it's possible to use some combination of Flow, Excel macros/the 'Refresh data when opening the file' Excel option, PowerShell & on-premises gateway, or some other technique to accomplish this.
I think someone with more experience than me could assist you better - perhaps one of the guys from the BI forum.
Also, @ericonline here has good experience with workflow (not just Flow), and might be able to chip in.
Hi, yes that is pretty much it in a nutshell! 🙂
Thanks again,
Hi @Gazsim
It seems you want to refresh data on a schedule.
You can use flow to achieve that.
And could you please refrence this case?
https://community.powerbi.com/t5/Service/Schedule-refresh-from-a-Sharepoint-excel-file/td-p/475425
Best Regards.
Yumia
Hi Yumia,
To be honest I'm not sure I totally follow these posts and what they are achieving? From what I am seeing it refers to publishing your excel file or data source from SharePoint to Power BI if I am correct and then setting a refresh schedule within the data set in Power BI.
However how will this then refresh the data in my excel file located on SharePoint?
Sorry but not an expert in this area!
Gary
If you want to solve the issues of PowerBI's schedule setting.
You can post here:
https://community.powerbi.com/t5/Forums/ct-p/PBI_Comm_Forums
It looks like there is no answer to this yet and I am facing a similar issue. I need to be able to automate the refresh of Excel files saved to SharePoint online with connections to an On-Prem data source.
Completely agree. these responses just say you can set up a scheduled recurrence. Yes i know i can do that, but the ACTION we want to take is to refresh the queries in the file. @v-yuxima-msft - is there a way we can refresh the file using the power flow?
I have exactly the same need... Every day I need to:
1 Open excel file on Sharepoint
2 Click refresh all button in excel file
3 Save file
It is really so complicated that MS Flow can not do this?
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