3.2 Common Connectors
Excel workbook
Get data › Excel workbook › select file › Navigator shows sheets, tables (formatted Excel tables) and named ranges. Prefer formatted tables (Ctrl+T in Excel) – they have clear boundaries and headers, and new rows are picked up reliably.
Text/CSV
Get data › Text/CSV › select the file. Power BI detects the delimiter (comma, tab, semicolon…), file origin/encoding (use 65001: Unicode UTF-8 for Hindi/Marathi text or ₹ symbols) and data type detection (based on the first 200 rows by default).
Databases (SQL Server, MySQL and others)
Get data › SQL Server database (or More… › Database › MySQL database) › enter the server and database › choose Import or DirectQuery › sign in. Module 4 covers databases step by step: authentication (ओळख पडताळणी), native SQL queries, query folding, MySQL driver setup, DirectQuery vs Live connection (आधीच तयार मॉडेलशी थेट जोडणी), and gateways.
Web pages, APIs and Google Sheets
Get data › Web reads HTML tables, CSV/JSON files at a URL and REST APIs (दोन सॉफ्टवेअरमधील संवादाचा मार्ग). Get data › More… › Online Services › Google Sheets reads a Google Sheet. Module 5 covers both, including Add table using examples, paginated pages and refresh limits.
Folder and SharePoint folder
Get data › More… › Folder combines many files with the same structure (for example monthly Blinkit order CSVs or monthly bank statements). Refresh picks up a new file that is dropped into the folder. Module 9 is a full walkthrough.
SharePoint folder
If files are stored in SharePoint or OneDrive for work, use the SharePoint folder connector (with the site URL) instead of a local folder path. Scheduled refresh in the Service then works without an on-premises data gateway.
Enter data
Home › Enter data lets you type or paste a small table manually – useful for small mapping tables, targets or test data.
Ravindra Bagale's Tip
Mitrano, khup students use the generic Web or ODBC connector when a dedicated connector exists. Search the Get Data window first. A dedicated connector (SQL Server, SharePoint folder, Google Sheets) usually supports better authentication, query folding and refresh. Bilkul visru naka.