9. Get Data from Folder: Monthly Bank Statements Walkthrough
9.2 Connect to the Folder
Start with a problem
Ravindra keeps his monthly bank statements (fictional) in one folder. Copying each month into one sheet takes 20 minutes, and he makes mistakes.
Explain simply
The Folder connector does not open the files yet. It lists them: one row per file, with Name, Extension, dates and a Content column that holds the file itself.
Show the data
Folder C:\Finance\BankStatements after you copy the practice files into it:
| Name | Extension |
|---|---|
| Feb.xlsx | .xlsx |
| Jan.xlsx | .xlsx |
| Mar.xlsx | .xlsx |
| notes.txt | .txt |
| README.txt | .txt |
About this data: This table uses columns: Name, Extension. This table uses columns: Content, Name, Extension. This table uses columns: Query, Rows, Columns. This table uses columns: Wrong result, Reason, Correction. Values shown are the lesson examples already on this page (not a new dataset).
Fictional sample data. Practice file: bank_statements/Jan.xlsx, bank_statements/Feb.xlsx, bank_statements/Mar.xlsx, bank_statements/notes.txt (source: src/practice/).
Demonstrate
- Download the practice files Jan.xlsx, Feb.xlsx, Mar.xlsx, notes.txt and README.txt into one folder, for example
C:\Finance\BankStatements. Keep Apr.xlsx aside for lesson 9.8. - Home › Get data › More… › File › Folder › Connect.
-
Folder path: paste the folder path (or Browse…) › OK.
Your result should look like this:
Content Name Extension [Binary] Feb.xlsx .xlsx [Binary] Jan.xlsx .xlsx [Binary] Mar.xlsx .xlsx [Binary] notes.txt .txt [Binary] README.txt .txt -
Click Transform Data (not Combine yet), so you can filter first.
- Rename the query
Bank Transactions.
Show the result
Your result should look like this (fictional sample):
| Query | Rows | Columns |
|---|---|---|
| Bank Transactions | 5 (one per file) | Content, Name, Extension, Date accessed, Date modified, Date created, Attributes, Folder Path |
Explain what happened
Power Query wrote Folder.Files("C:\Finance\BankStatements"). Each row is a file, not a transaction. The transactions are still inside the Content binaries; lesson 9.4 opens them.
Explore further
Folder.Filesalso lists files in subfolders.Folder.Contentsshows only the top level, as a navigation table.- Make the path a parameter (Module 10.3) so a colleague can point the report at their own folder.
Detailed reference for this lesson:
Steps in Power BI
- Home › Get data › More… › File › Folder › Connect.
- Folder path:
C:\Finance\BankStatements(or click Browse…) › OK. - A preview lists every file with columns Content, Name, Extension, Date accessed, Date modified, Date created, Attributes, Folder Path.
- At the bottom choose Transform Data. (Combine & Transform Data also works, but filtering first is safer.)
Ravindra Bagale's Tip
A common mistake is pointing the Folder connector at a folder that also holds other files (drafts, PDFs, old versions). Keep one dedicated folder per dataset, for example "Bank Statements 2026", and put nothing else in it. Remember this rule.
Ravindra Bagale's Tip – मराठी
एक common चूक म्हणजे Folder connector अशा folder कडे point करणं ज्यात इतर files पण आहेत (drafts, PDFs, जुनी versions). प्रत्येक dataset साठी एक वेगळा folder ठेवा, उदाहरणार्थ "Bank Statements 2026", आणि त्यात दुसरं काहीही ठेवू नका. हा नियम लक्षात ठेवा.
Ravindra Bagale's Tip – हिंदी
एक common गलती है Folder connector को ऐसे folder पर point करना जिसमें दूसरी files भी हैं (drafts, PDFs, पुराने versions). हर dataset के लिए एक अलग folder रखो, जैसे "Bank Statements 2026", और उसमें कुछ और मत रखो. यह नियम याद रखो.
Fix common mistakes
| Wrong result | Reason | Correction |
|---|---|---|
| Only file names appear, no transactions | Expected the connector to open the files | This is normal; combine them in 9.4 |
| Files from an old Archive subfolder appear | Folder.Files includes subfolders | Filter on Folder Path, or keep archives somewhere else |
| DataSource.Error: could not find a part of the path | Typo in the path, or the folder moved | Browse to the folder, or use a FolderPath parameter |
Practise independently
Practice task
Add Apr.xlsx to the folder and refresh the preview. How many rows does the query show, and how many are .xlsx files?
Hints
- One row per file.
- README.txt and notes.txt are rows too.
Solution
6 rows: 4 are .xlsx (Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr) and 2 are .txt.
Think like a professional
Agree with the finance team on one folder that holds only statements. A clean folder is the cheapest data-quality control you will ever get.
Revision card
Comparison card