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Refresh and automate Power BI dashboards

Learn how to refresh data in Power BI Desktop and Service, schedule refresh, fix refresh issues, and automate marketing dashboards reliably.

Data sources & Connections

In Power BI, refresh is the mechanism that brings new data into your reports and turns static dashboards into reliable decision-making tools.

For marketers, understanding how refresh works is essential to avoid manual updates, broken dashboards, or outdated KPIs. In this article, we’ll explain how data refresh works in Power BI Desktop and Power BI Service, how scheduling works, and how to think about automation in a marketing context.

Refreshing data in Power BI Desktop

Power BI Desktop is where reports are built and edited. When you refresh data in Desktop, Power BI pulls the latest data from the connected sources into your local PBIX file.

This refresh is manual and happens only when you click the refresh button. It uses the same file paths, credentials, and connection logic defined in the report. You can also choose to refresh only the data or update the schema by clicking the arrow next to the Refresh icon.

Marketers typically refresh data in Power BI Desktop when:

Testing a new data connection
Updating visuals or KPIs
Working with local files or folders
Iterating on a report before publishing

Refreshing in Desktop is ideal during the build phase, but it is not automation. Once the file is closed, nothing updates automatically.

Refreshing data in Power BI Service

Power BI Service is where reports live once they are published and shared. Refreshing data in the Service works differently from Desktop.

In Power BI Service, refresh happens in the cloud. Power BI connects to the data sources using stored credentials and updates the dataset without needing your computer.

You can refresh the semantic model (data source) directly in the workspace or from any report that uses it.

Refresh from a report

Screenshot of a Power BI Service report interface highlighting the Refresh button used to update report data.

Refresh from the workspace

Screenshot of a Power BI Service workspace highlighting the Refresh option used to update datasets and reports.

This is a key step toward automation. Once a report is published, Power BI Service becomes responsible for keeping the data up to date.

Scheduled refresh basics in Power BI Service

Scheduled refresh allows Power BI Service to update data automatically at defined intervals. To set up a scheduled refresh:

Go to Power BI Service.
Open the Workspace where your data source is published.
Hover over the semantic model (dataset) you want to refresh, then select Scheduled refresh.
Scroll to the Refresh section.
Configure the schedule options you want (frequency and time), then Apply your changes.

GIF tutorial showing how to configure and schedule automatic data refresh in Power BI Service directly from a workspace.

With scheduled refresh, you can:

Choose how often data is refreshed
Define specific times during the day
Keep dashboards up to date without manual intervention

Not all data sources support scheduled refresh, and refresh limits depend on your Power BI license. However, for most marketing use cases using files, folders, or connectors, scheduled refresh works well.

Choosing the right refresh strategy in Power BI

Automation in Power BI is not all-or-nothing. Most marketing teams move through different levels of refresh maturity over time.

Refresh approach	When it works best	Typical use cases	Level of automation
Manual refresh in Power BI Desktop	When you are learning Power BI, doing one-off analysis, or working with data that changes infrequently	Testing data connections, exploring data, building or adjusting reports locally	Low – fully manual
Semi-automated refresh with files or folders	When data is exported on a regular basis and follows a predictable structure	Weekly or monthly exports, recurring reports, small to medium marketing teams	Medium – data updates when new files are added
Fully automated refresh with connectors or APIs	When dashboards must stay up to date with minimal manual effort	Daily performance dashboards, multi-platform reporting, shared dashboards with stakeholders	High – continuous, scheduled refresh

Scheduled refresh is configured in Power BI Service and applies to semi-automated and fully automated setups. Manual refresh in Power BI Desktop cannot be scheduled.

How to automate Power BI dashboards (principles, not tools)

Automation in Power BI is not about clicking a single button. It’s about combining three elements:

A reliable data source
A refreshable connection
A scheduled refresh strategy

Once these are in place, dashboards update automatically without manual file handling. Tools like Catchr help marketing teams automate data collection upstream by sending clean, ready-to-use datasets from multiple marketing platforms directly into Power BI, making automation easier to maintain over time.

Common refresh issues and how to fix them

Refresh issues are common, especially when moving from Desktop to Service.

Typical problems include:

Refresh works in Desktop but not in Service
Credentials expired or need to be re-entered
Files or folders were moved
Unsupported sources for scheduled refresh
Privacy level conflicts

In most cases, the issue can be resolved by checking Data source settings, credentials, or the dataset refresh history in Power BI Service.

FAQ: Power BI refresh and automation

How do I update a Power BI dashboard with new data?

By refreshing the dataset in Power BI Desktop or Power BI Service, depending on where the report is hosted.

Why is my Power BI dashboard not refreshing?

Common reasons include broken paths, expired credentials, unsupported sources, or privacy settings issues.

How often should marketing dashboards be refreshed?

It depends on the use case. Daily refresh is common for performance dashboards, while weekly refresh may be enough for strategic reporting.

Can Power BI refresh dashboards automatically?

Yes, using scheduled refresh in Power BI Service with supported data sources.

Do I need Power BI Pro to schedule refresh?

Yes, scheduled refresh in Power BI Service requires a paid license such as Power BI Pro.

Conclusion

Refresh is what turns Power BI dashboards into reliable reporting tools. Understanding the difference between Desktop and Service refresh, choosing the right strategy, and setting up automation progressively allows marketing teams to move away from manual updates and focus on analysis. A clear refresh strategy is the foundation of trustworthy, scalable marketing dashboards in Power BI.

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