Power BI Desktop: How to Connect to a Dataflow, Transform Data, and Build a Dashboard

Modified on Thu, 6 Aug at 10:46 AM

Before you start

Power BI Desktop is installed and you are signed in with your Power BI account.
A Dataflow is already created and refreshed in a Power BI workspace you can access. If not, create it first: Power BI Dataflow for Oracle Fusion: Steps to Connect Using BI Connector and Automate Refresh.
Any other data sources you plan to blend in, plus access to them.

Part A — Connect Power BI Desktop to the Dataflow

Step 1 — Open Power BI Desktop

Open Power BI Desktop and sign in with the account that has access to your workspace.

Step 2 — Get data from Dataflows

On the Home ribbon, click Get data, choose Power Platform, select Dataflows, and click Connect.

Note — Do not see Dataflows? Click Get data > More, then choose Power Platform > Dataflows. Sign in with the same account that has access to the workspace.

Step 3 — Select your Dataflow tables

In the Navigator, expand your workspace, then the Dataflow. Tick the tables you want, then click Transform Data to shape them first (recommended), or Load to use them as they are.

Part B — Transform and blend the data

Step 4 — Open the Power Query Editor

If you clicked Transform Data, the Power Query Editor opens. If you already loaded the data, open it from the Home ribbon by clicking Transform data.

Step 5 — Shape the data

Clean each table as needed: rename columns, change data types, filter rows, and remove columns you do not need. Each action is recorded under Applied Steps on the right, so you can undo any step.

Step 6 — (If applicable) Add and blend other sources

To blend in another source, click New Source (or Get Data) on the Home ribbon and connect to it. Then combine it with your Dataflow data using Merge Queries or Append Queries.

Tip — Use Merge Queries to join tables on a common key (like a database join), and Append Queries to stack rows from tables that share the same columns.

Step 7 — Apply your changes

On the Home ribbon, click Close & Apply to load the shaped data into your report.

Important — Your transformations are not applied to the report until you click Close & Apply. If you close the editor without it, your changes will not take effect.

Optional — Want faster refreshes that load only new or changed data? Set up incremental refresh for this table before publishing: Incremental Refresh in Power BI Desktop.

Part B complete! Your data is connected and shaped. Continue to Part C to build and publish the dashboard.

Part C — Build and publish the dashboard

Step 8 — Check your relationships

Open Model view on the left. If you have more than one table, make sure they are joined on a common key. Drag a field from one table onto the matching field in another to create a relationship.

Note — Correct relationships let your visuals filter and total across tables accurately. For beginners, aim for one central fact table linked to smaller lookup tables.

Step 9 — Add and format visuals

Open Report view. From the Visualizations pane, pick a visual, then drag fields from the Data pane into it. Add slicers and filters, then format titles, colours, and layout.

Step 10 — Save your report

Click File > Save and save your report as a .pbix file.

Step 11 — Publish the report to the Power BI Service

On the Home ribbon, click Publish. Sign in if prompted, choose the destination workspace, and click Select. When the upload finishes, click the link in the success message to open the report in the Power BI Service.

What would you like to do next?

What's your goal?	Go to
Automate the refresh of your published dashboard	Automate the semantic model refresh