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How to Automate Data Cleanup with Excel Power Query

Tap a step to see it in order.

  1. Import data from the Data tab

    Go to Data > Get Data and choose your source β€” an Excel file, CSV, a website, and more.

  2. Clean up the data in the Query Editor

    Remove unneeded columns, drop duplicates, and convert formats β€” all with clicks in the Query Editor, no formulas required.

  3. Load the results with "Close & Load"

    Once your edits are done, click Close & Load to bring the cleaned data into an Excel sheet.

  4. Update the data with Refresh

    When the source data changes, one click of Refresh re-runs your entire cleanup process and pulls in the latest data.

  5. Why it's worth doing

    Repetitive data cleanup you'd otherwise redo by hand β€” no formulas or macros required β€” gets set up once and then handled automatically every time you hit Refresh.

Tired of Doing the Same Data Cleanup Every Time?

You do not need to know complex formulas or macro code β€” set up a series of point-and-click cleanup steps once, and from then on a single click of Refresh handles it automatically.

It Handles Multiple Files at Once, Too

Power Query can pull in every file from a folder and combine them automatically, which is a common way to merge monthly reports or exports into a single clean table.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can it combine multiple files into one at the same time?

Yes β€” Power Query can import every file in a folder at once and automatically merge them together.

Which version of Excel supports Power Query?

It's built in by default starting with Excel 2016, though older versions may need a separate add-in installed.