5 STEPS TO AUTOMATING DATA IMPORTS INTO EXCEL USING AI AND POWER QUERY

Power Query is Excel's powerful tool for Extracting, Transforming, and Loading (ETL) data, and AI dramatically simplifies this automation process. Instead of manually writing code or repeating cleanup steps, you can set up a robust, reusable import pipeline.

5 Steps to Automating Data Imports into Excel Using AI and Power Query

Here are 5 steps to automate data imports into Excel using AI and Power Query:

• CONNECT TO THE DATA SOURCE (EXTRACT)

  The first step is establishing a live connection to the data source so that the import can be refreshed later.

  Action: Go to the Data tab $\rightarrow$ Get Data. Choose your source (e.g., From File, From Web, or From Database). If using an external AI add-in, it will often provide a custom connector here. This step creates a query connection without dumping the data into Excel yet.

  
  

• AI-ASSISTED DATA EXTRACTION FROM UNSTRUCTURED FILES (EXTRACT)

  For non-tabular sources, AI intelligently extracts the usable tables.

  Action: If importing from a PDF or Web Page, the Power Query Navigator pane uses AI to analyze the file and present a list of detected tables. Select the necessary table(s) and click Transform Data. This automates what used to be manual copy-pasting.

  
  

• USE PATTERN RECOGNITION FOR CLEANING (TRANSFORM)

  Use Power Query's AI to standardize messy columns without writing complex M-code.

  Action: In the Power Query Editor, go to Add Column $\rightarrow$ Column From Examples. Provide 2–3 examples of how you want to reformat a column (e.g., extract the last name, or standardize a product code). The AI recognizes the pattern, generates the necessary M-code, and fills the remaining rows, automating the repetitive cleaning steps.

  
  

• BUILD REUSABLE TRANSFORMATION WORKFLOWS (TRANSFORM)

  All steps you perform in the Power Query Editor (filtering, removing columns, splitting text) are recorded as a reusable workflow.

  Action: Complete all necessary data cleanup in the Power Query Editor: change data types, remove duplicates, and filter irrelevant rows. This sequence of Applied Steps forms your permanent, automated ETL script that will be run every time the data is refreshed.

  
  

• LOAD AND AUTOMATE REFRESH (LOAD)

  Load the final, clean data into Excel and configure the system for automatic updates.

  Action: Click Home $\right arrow $ Close & Load To... and choose to load the data into a Table on a new worksheet. Then, go to the Data tab $\right arrow$ Queries & Connections, right-click your query, select Properties, and check the box for "Refresh data when opening the file." The data is now fully automated and will update itself with the latest source information.

  
  

AI is fundamentally transforming Power Query by turning complex ETL into an automated, repeatable process. By enabling intelligent data extraction and pattern recognition, AI reduces manual data preparation time, minimizes human error, and ensures that the data loaded into Excel is clean, structured, and ready for analysis faster than ever before.