How to Keep Your Power BI Reports Up-to-Date: A Beginner’s Guide to Scheduled Refresh

Imagine presenting a report to your boss, only to realize the sales numbers are from two weeks ago. Embarrassing, right?

In Power BI, reports don't always update themselves automatically. If you "Import" data (which is the most common method), you are essentially taking a snapshot of your data at that specific moment. To keep that snapshot fresh without manually clicking a button every day, you need to set up a Scheduled Refresh.

Here is how to automate your data updates so your reports are always ready for prime time.

Before You Start: The Checklist

Before you can schedule a refresh, Power BI needs two things:

1. Permission: It needs the username and password to access your data source (like your SQL database or Excel file).

2. A Gateway (Sometimes): If your file sits on a local computer or a private server (not in the cloud), you need a "Gateway" to bridge the connection. If you see a gateway error, you may need to ask your IT team for help.

Step-by-Step: Setting Up Your Schedule

1. Go to Your Workspace Log in to the Power BI Service (app.powerbi.com) and open the workspace where your report lives.

2. Find Your Dataset In the list of content, look for the Semantic model (formerly called "Dataset"). It usually has an icon that looks like a little database or stack of coins. Note: Do not click the report (the blue graph icon); you need the orange dataset icon.

3. Open Settings Hover your mouse over the dataset name. You will see an ellipsis (...) or a "Refresh" icon. Click the ellipsis (...) and select Settings.

   

4. Configure the Schedule Scroll down until you see Scheduled refresh. Click the arrow to expand the section.

   • Turn it On: Flip the "Keep your data up to date" switch to On.

   • Frequency: Choose how often you want it to update (e.g., Daily or Weekly).

   • Time Zone: Make sure this matches your local time, or your "9 AM refresh" might happen at 9 PM!

   • Add Times: Click "Add another time" to pick specific slots (e.g., 8:00 AM so it's ready for work, and 1:00 PM for a midday update).

5. Failure Notifications (Crucial!) Check the box that says "Send refresh failure notification emails to me." If the data fails to update (maybe the password changed?), you want to know before your boss does.

6. Apply Click Apply. You're done!

Frequently Asked Questions

• Why can't I schedule a refresh? If the option is greyed out, you might be using a "Live Connection" or "DirectQuery." In these modes, Power BI looks at the live data every time you open the report, so no schedule is needed!

• How often can I refresh? If you have a Pro license (standard), you can refresh up to 8 times a day. If your company has Premium, you can refresh up to 48 times a day.