Column Added to Power Query Table Not Displaying in Power Pivot

Justin 20 Reputation points
2025-11-12T00:27:34.4333333+00:00

Hi all.

I have setup a report that use Power Query to import multiple data tables, then creates a connection and loads the resulting tables to the data model (Power Pivot).

I have gone back and added a custom column to one of the tables in Power Query, however no matter what I do, this custom column is not displaying in the corresponding table in Power Pivot.

I have tried "refresh all" and checking connections. The "Table Properties" button in Power Pivot is greyed out. The only thing that does work is if I reload the table into Power Pivot, which creates a duplicate table with the additional column, but causes all sorts of issues with existing measures, etc.

Any advice to make the new column in Power Query appear in Power Pivot?

Thank you

Microsoft 365 and Office | Excel | For business | Windows
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Answer accepted by question author
Vivian-HT 17,910 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator
2025-11-12T02:37:31.2533333+00:00

Dear @Justin,

Thank you for posting your question in the Microsoft Q&A forum.

I truly appreciate the time to share your experience and resolution. Your detailed explanation about the root cause, tables being loaded from the source instead of Power Query, and the corrective steps you took will be extremely helpful for others facing similar issues. Community contributions like yours make troubleshooting faster and more effective for everyone.

Therefore, I would make a brief summary of this post so that other forum members could easily find useful information here:  

Issue Description:

A custom column added in Power Query did not appear in the corresponding table in Power Pivot. Attempts to refresh the data model and check connections failed. The Table Properties option was greyed out, and the only workaround seemed to be reloading the table, which caused duplicate tables and broke existing measures.

Current Solution:

The tables in the Power Pivot data model were not actually loaded from Power Query as assumed. They were loaded directly from the source data, so schema changes in Power Query were never propagated to the model.

All tables in Power Pivot were deleted and reloaded from Power Query to ensure the data model is driven by Power Query queries. This allowed new columns and transformations to sync properly without duplication issues.

To avoid this issue going forward, here are some steps I recommend you try:

Step 1: Always load tables from Power Query into the Data Model

In Power Query, use Load To… and select: Only Create Connection or Add this data to the Data Model. Never load directly from the source if you plan to apply transformations in Power Query. For reference: Connection only Power Query

Step 2: Check “Queries & Connections” regularly

Step 3: Avoid mixing source and PQ loads

If you need raw data for reference, keep it separate from the tables used in the Data Model.

Step 4: Refresh strategy

Use Refresh All from the Data tab or Power Pivot > Refresh after any schema change in Power Query. For more information, please refer to Refresh PivotTable data

I hope this information is helpful. If you have any further questions or need clarification, please feel free to reach out.

Again, I truly appreciate your patience and understanding. I'm looking forward to hearing from you. 

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  1. Justin 20 Reputation points
    2025-11-12T01:15:18.3266667+00:00

    OK, this was a user error issue.

    For those that might be making the same error, the issues was that I thought the tables in the data model were being loaded from Power Query, but they were being loaded from the source data instead.

    Unfortunately, I've had to delete all the tables in Power Pivot and re-load from Power Query.

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  2. AI answer

    2025-11-12T00:27:53.4266667+00:00

    To ensure that the custom column added in Power Query appears in Power Pivot, follow these steps:

    1. Check the Load Settings: Make sure that the table is set to load to the data model. In Power Query, go to the query settings and ensure that the option to load to the data model is selected.
    2. Refresh the Data Model: After adding the custom column, you should refresh the data model. You can do this by going to the Data tab in Excel and selecting "Refresh All". However, if this does not work, you may need to try the next steps.
    3. Reopen Power Pivot: Sometimes, simply closing and reopening the Power Pivot window can help refresh the view and display new columns.
    4. Check for Duplicates: If you find that the custom column still does not appear, ensure that there are no duplicate tables in the data model. If there are duplicates, it might be necessary to remove them to avoid confusion.
    5. Reload the Table: As a last resort, if the custom column is still not visible, you may need to delete the existing table from Power Pivot and reload it from Power Query. This will create a new instance of the table with the updated schema, including your custom column.

    If the "Table Properties" button is greyed out, it typically indicates that the table is not correctly linked or loaded into the data model. Ensure that the connection settings are correct and that the table is properly loaded into Power Pivot.

    If you continue to experience issues, consider checking the connections and the query steps in Power Query to ensure everything is set up correctly.

    AI-generated content may be incorrect. Read our transparency notes for more information.

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