How to Refresh Data in Excel: A Comprehensive Guide
In today’s fast-paced business environment, data accuracy and up-to-date information are crucial for making informed decisions. Excel, being one of the most widely used spreadsheet software, offers various ways to refresh data. Whether you are working with external data sources, linked tables, or simply updating your existing data, this article will provide you with a comprehensive guide on how to refresh data in Excel efficiently.
Understanding the Different Types of Data Refresh in Excel
Before diving into the steps to refresh data in Excel, it is essential to understand the different types of data refresh options available:
1. Refreshing external data sources: This involves updating data from external sources such as databases, web pages, or other Excel files.
2. Refreshing linked tables: Linked tables are a collection of related tables that are stored in a single workbook. Refreshing linked tables updates the entire collection.
3. Refreshing data from external queries: External queries allow you to retrieve data from external sources, such as SQL databases. Refreshing these queries updates the data displayed in your workbook.
4. Refreshing data from Power Query: Power Query is an Excel add-in that enables you to import, transform, and combine data from various sources. Refreshing Power Query data updates the data loaded into your workbook.
How to Refresh Data from External Data Sources
To refresh data from external data sources in Excel, follow these steps:
1. Open the workbook containing the external data source.
2. Click on the “Data” tab in the ribbon.
3. In the “Get & Transform Data” group, click on “Refresh All.”
4. Excel will prompt you to confirm the refresh. Click “Yes” to proceed.
If you have multiple external data sources, you can select specific sources to refresh by clicking on “Refresh All” and then choosing “Select Sources to Refresh.”
Refreshing Linked Tables
Linked tables in Excel allow you to combine data from different sources into a single, coherent dataset. To refresh linked tables, follow these steps:
1. Open the workbook containing the linked tables.
2. Click on the “Data” tab in the ribbon.
3. In the “Table Tools” group, click on “Design” and then “Refresh All.”
4. Excel will prompt you to confirm the refresh. Click “Yes” to proceed.
This will update all linked tables in your workbook.
Refreshing Data from External Queries
To refresh data from external queries, follow these steps:
1. Open the workbook containing the external query.
2. Click on the “Data” tab in the ribbon.
3. In the “Queries” group, click on the external query you want to refresh.
4. In the context menu, click on “Refresh.”
This will update the data displayed in your workbook based on the external query.
Refreshing Data from Power Query
Power Query is a powerful tool in Excel that allows you to import, transform, and combine data from various sources. To refresh data from Power Query, follow these steps:
1. Open the workbook containing the Power Query data.
2. Click on the “Data” tab in the ribbon.
3. In the “Get & Transform Data” group, click on “Refresh All.”
4. Excel will prompt you to confirm the refresh. Click “Yes” to proceed.
This will update the data loaded into your workbook using Power Query.
Conclusion
Refreshing data in Excel is a crucial skill for anyone working with data. By understanding the different types of data refresh options and following the steps outlined in this article, you can ensure that your data remains accurate and up-to-date. Whether you are refreshing external data sources, linked tables, or data from external queries, Excel provides the tools to help you manage your data effectively.
