How to Build a Flow That Connects Power BI and SharePoint

In modern business, data is everywhere. Many companies store key information, such as project lists and issue trackers, in SharePoint Lists while simultaneously using Power BI to create clear, visual reports from that data. It’s a challenge to keep Power BI reports up to date automatically when the SharePoint list changes.

The solution lies in building a “Flow,” which is an automated process (now called Power Automate). This article will guide you through easy steps to integrate SharePoint lists with Power BI for automated reporting. By using Power BI and SharePoint Flow, you can ensure your reports are always fresh and accurate, driving better decision-making.

Power BI and SharePoint Integration: The Strategy

The key idea behind the integration of Power BI and SharePoint is not a continuous pull for data, known as “polling”, but rather it’s about making use of a powerful automation tool to trigger an update only when truly needed. This strategy saves processing power and provides users with fresher data faster.

1. The Role of Power Automate (The Flow)

Power Automate acts as the smart bridge between the two systems. You will create a Flow that listens for an event to take place in SharePoint. When that event happens, the Flow wakes up and tells Power BI to start an action.

• The Trigger: A new item is added to the “Project Status” list in SharePoint. This could also be when an item is modified or deleted.
• The Action: In the case of Power Automate, the system sends a direct command to the Power BI Service to refresh the dataset.

This is a far superior approach because the refresh is triggered instantly by a change, rather than constantly checking the data source every few minutes.

2. Understanding Data Flow in Power BI

In the context of Power BI, data flow describes the route information taken from a source (such as SharePoint Lists) through to your final visual report. This is automation, of course, and requires your data connection to be correctly set up in the Power BI desktop file and valid in the service.

• Gateway: If your SharePoint data is stored on a company network (on-premises SharePoint), you will need a data gateway. This acts as a secure, always-on tunnel that lets the Power BI Service (which runs in the cloud) access your internal network data.
• Cloud Data: If you are using SharePoint Online (part of Microsoft 365), the connection is direct and much simpler because both services reside in the Microsoft cloud.

Power BI and SharePoint Integration Procedure

You must follow two major steps to set up your automated reporting: first, connecting the data, and second, automating the refresh process using the Flow.

1. Creating SharePoint Data Connections

Before you make your Flow, you must create a report that already retrieves your sharepoint lists to power bi. This initial connection is established in the desktop application.

• Connect in Power BI Desktop: In Power BI Desktop, you select Get Data and then SharePoint Online List. You paste the root URL of your SharePoint site and select the specific list (e.g., “Service Requests”).
• Clean and Model: You use Power Query to clean your data (e.g., remove unnecessary columns, format dates, filter out old records). Then, you create your visuals and arrange your data model.
• Publish: You publish the final report created in Power BI Desktop to the Power BI Service (the online environment). This published file becomes the Dataset that contains your key SharePoint data connections.

2. Creating Power BI Data Refresh Workflows

This is the step where Power Automate comes in to perform the specific Power BI data refresh workflows.

• Create a New Flow: Go to the Power Automate portal and click New Flow, then select Automated cloud flow.
• The Trigger (When an item is created or modified): You select the SharePoint connector and choose the trigger When an item is created or modified. You direct it to your specific SharePoint Site Address and List Name.
• The Action (Refresh a dataset): You select the Power BI connector and choose the action Refresh a dataset. You provide your Workspace name and the Dataset Name (the published file from step 1).

Now, every time data changes in SharePoint, this Flow runs within seconds, informing Power BI to refresh the report and show the latest data.

How to Integrate SharePoint Lists with Power BI for Automated Reporting

You must follow certain rules while integrating your systems so that your automated reports remain reliable and efficient over time.

1. Emphasis on Specific Lists

Do not try to draw data from your overall SharePoint site or use one list for everything. You should only connect those SharePoint lists to Power BI that your report absolutely needs. This practice ensures that your report refreshes quickly and reduces the complexity of the data source.

2. Manage the Refresh Rate

Although the Flow offers immediate updates, you are also supposed to schedule a backup refresh.

• Scheduled Refresh: In the Power BI Service settings for your dataset, you can set a standard daily or hourly refresh, even when the Flow is running. This ensures that even if the Flow temporarily fails or is turned off, the report can still be refreshed regularly. This layer of protection is crucial to a robust Power BI data refresh workflows strategy.

3. SharePoint Data Connections and Permissions

The automation can only work if the permissions are correct. The person who develops the Power BI dataset has to have proper access rights to work with the SharePoint List. Also, the Flow itself runs as a specific user. That user must be able to refresh the Power BI dataset and access the SharePoint list. You must verify that both the data connection and the Flow user have the necessary “Read” and “Refresh” permissions.

Why is it better to use Power Automate to trigger a report refresh instead of relying solely on scheduled refreshes?

It is better because Power Automate provides real-time reporting based on user actions. A scheduled refresh might only happen once an hour. If a manager needs to see a critical new entry in the SharePoint list right away, they must wait for the hour to pass. The Flow allows the report to update within minutes of the data change, enabling faster, more accurate decision-making based on the very latest data.

Conclusion: Power BI and SharePoint for Real-Time Decisions

The ability to create a flow that integrates Power BI and SharePoint is a game-changer for data management. By using the Power BI and SharePoint flow strategy, you are establishing a smart and efficient system. A reliable SharePoint data connection and data refresh flow for Power BI, which lets your Power BI report know that it should refresh only when it has received an update in data, has been established. This new wave of automated, real-time reporting is a very easy and effective way to capitalize on your Power BI SharePoint integration.

FAQs

Q: What tool connects Power BI and SharePoint Flow?

The tool that connects them is Power Automate-formerly called Flow. You use it to create an automated process that listens to changes in SharePoint.

Q: Should I use only the Flow or a scheduled refresh too?

You should use the Flow for instant updates, but you should also schedule a backup refresh (daily or hourly) in the Power BI Service. This ensures the report is updated even if the Flow temporarily fails.

Q: What is a data flow in Power BI?

The term data flow in Power BI describes the way data moves from its original source (like SharePoint Lists) into your final visual report.

Q: What happens if my SharePoint data is on my company network?

If your SharePoint data is on-premises, you will need to set up a data gateway. The gateway allows the Power BI Service to access those internal SharePoint data connections securely.