Scheduled data refresh in Power BI - Step-by-Step Guide

Introduction

Scheduled data refresh lets your Power BI reports update automatically with the latest data. This saves you from manually refreshing and keeps your dashboards current.

When your sales report needs to show daily updated numbers without manual effort

When you want your marketing dashboard to reflect the latest campaign data every morning

When your finance team requires weekly updated budget reports automatically

When you have data sources that change regularly and want your visuals to stay accurate

When you share reports with others and want them to see fresh data without delays

Steps

Step 1: Sign in

- Power BI Service (app.powerbi.com)

You see your workspace and reports dashboard

Step 2: Select

- Workspace containing your dataset

Workspace content list appears showing reports and datasets

Step 3: Click

- Datasets tab or section

List of datasets appears

Step 4: Click the ellipsis (three dots) next to your dataset

- Dataset name

A menu opens with options

Step 5: Select

- Settings from the menu

Dataset settings page opens

Step 6: Click

- Scheduled refresh section

Scheduled refresh options appear

Step 7: Turn on

- Keep your data up to date toggle

Scheduled refresh is enabled

Step 8: Set

- Refresh frequency and time slots

Refresh schedule is configured

Step 9: Click

- Apply or Save button

Your scheduled refresh settings are saved

Before vs After

Before

Dataset refresh is manual; report shows data from last manual update, e.g., yesterday's sales

After

Dataset refresh runs automatically at set times; report shows today's updated sales data without manual action

Settings Reference

Keep your data up to date

📍 Dataset settings > Scheduled refresh

Enable or disable automatic data refresh

Default: Off

Refresh frequency

📍 Dataset settings > Scheduled refresh

Choose how often the dataset refreshes

Default: Daily

Time slots

📍 Dataset settings > Scheduled refresh

Set the exact time(s) when refresh happens

Default: One time slot

Credentials

📍 Dataset settings > Data source credentials

Provide access to data source for refresh

Default: Depends on data source

Common Mistakes

Not setting data source credentials in dataset settings

Without valid credentials, scheduled refresh will fail and data won't update

Go to Data source credentials in dataset settings and enter correct login details

Setting refresh frequency more than allowed by your Power BI license

Power BI limits refreshes per day based on license; exceeding causes refresh failures

Check your license limits and schedule refreshes within allowed frequency

Ignoring refresh failure notifications

Failures mean data is stale; ignoring them causes outdated reports

Regularly check refresh history and fix errors promptly

Summary

Scheduled data refresh keeps your Power BI reports updated automatically.

You set refresh frequency and time in dataset settings on Power BI Service.

Remember to provide valid data source credentials and respect license limits.