Power BI: Two Way To Get Data From SharePoint List / Library

Introduction

In this article, we will explore two way to get data from SharePoint List / Library in Power BI.

First, let's briefly define the OData?

The Open Data Protocol (OData) is a data access protocol for the web.
- OData provides a uniform way to query and manipulates data sets through CRUD operations (create, read, update, and delete).
- OData defines an abstract data model and a protocol that let the client access information exposed by SharePoint.

Open Power BI Desktop > at Home Tab > Click on Get Data > Select OData Feed.
Type the OData Feed URL for the SharePoint "http://siteurl/_vti_bin/listdata.svc" > Click Connect.
- ListData.svc provides a way of getting information from a list using REST.
In Navigator dialog, Select the required list > Click Load.
You should now find the list fields in Fields section, and you should be ready to build your report from SharePoint list items.

Note

In case the current user is not authorized to connect to the site, you will prompt to set the right credential as shown below

Power BI Desktop also provides a direct data source for the SharePoint list as shown below:

Open Power BI Desktop > at Home Tab > Click on Get Data > Click More.
In Get Data dialog, Search for SharePoint > Select SharePoint List > Click Connect.
Provide the SharePoint Site URL > Click OK.
In Navigator dialog, Select the required list > Click Load.
You should now find the list fields in Fields section, and you should be ready to build your report from SharePoint list items.

In this article, we have explored two methods to get data from SharePoint List/Library in Power BI.