Excel: Do This Without Power Query

Key insights

• IMPORTCSV and IMPORTTEXT: Excel now offers native functions to pull CSV and text files directly into sheets.
  These functions make file encoding, delimiters and structure visible in formulas, so imports are clearer and easier to control.
• When to use them: Use these functions for clean CSV/Text files and quick imports without heavy reshaping.
  If you need complex cleaning, joins, or repeated ETL steps, keep using Power Query.
• Transparency and troubleshooting: Formulas show exactly how data loads, so you can spot encoding or delimiter issues fast.
  This reduces the mystery of hidden query settings that sometimes make Power Query hard to debug.
• Performance and scale: IMPORTCSV/IMPORTTEXT work well for typical file sizes and straightforward loads.
  For very large datasets or real-time analytics, prefer server-side processing, query folding, or live SQL streaming tools that run heavy work at the source.
• Sharing and security: Inline functions keep import logic visible in the workbook, which simplifies collaboration and troubleshooting.
  For governed access and enterprise setups, use managed connectors or database-level security instead of embedding credentials in workbooks.
• Practical tips: Always set the correct encoding and delimiter when you import, and preview a sample before full load.
  Switch to Power Query or database ETL when you need repeatable transforms, scheduled refreshes, or to handle very large or messy data sources.

The YouTube video "You Don't Need Power Query for This Anymore | Excel" by Mynda Treacy (MyOnlineTrainingHub) [MVP] highlights two new Excel functions that promise to change how users import simple text-based files. In the video, Mynda demonstrates how IMPORTCSV and IMPORTTEXT make it easier to bring CSV and text data into worksheets without opening the Power Query editor. Consequently, the functions emphasize clarity by making encoding and structure explicit and easier to control than some Power Query workflows.

What the New Functions Do

The new functions provide direct, cell-level import of delimited files so users can preview and control how a file is read into a sheet. For example, IMPORTCSV targets comma-separated files while IMPORTTEXT handles more general text imports, and both expose options such as delimiter and encoding settings. As Mynda shows, the result is transparent: the parameters appear in the worksheet formula instead of hidden inside an editor, which simplifies quick troubleshooting. Moreover, this transparency helps users understand exactly how data is interpreted by Excel, reducing surprises when files come from different systems.

Why This Matters for Everyday Excel Work

For many users, the new functions offer a faster and lighter-weight path to getting clean data into Excel because CSV and text files are often already well-structured. Therefore, teams that routinely receive export files can avoid the extra steps of launching a query editor and creating transformation steps that may not be necessary. Additionally, because the import settings are visible in the worksheet, colleagues can more easily review and modify imports without needing deep familiarity with Power Query. As a result, routine tasks like monthly reports or departmental imports become more approachable for casual Excel users.

When to Keep Using Power Query

However, Power Query remains the better choice for complex extraction, transformation, and load scenarios where data requires cleaning, merging, pivoting, or reuse across multiple files. When files are inconsistent, or when you must automate multi-step transformations, Power Query’s visual steps and M language offer power and traceability that simple import functions cannot match. Furthermore, for scheduled refreshes, centralized query management, or integration across many sources, Power Query and back-end data platforms still provide governance and scalability. Consequently, the new functions are complementary tools rather than wholesale replacements for advanced ETL workflows.

Tradeoffs and Technical Challenges

Adopting IMPORTCSV and IMPORTTEXT requires balancing ease-of-use against limits around size, encoding, and automation. On one hand, these functions make encoding choices explicit and reduce black-box behavior; on the other hand, extremely large datasets may still exceed Excel’s practical performance envelope, forcing users to move processing to databases or cloud services. Additionally, enterprise governance can become a challenge if imports proliferate across many workbooks with inconsistent parameters, because visible formulas are easy to change but harder to version-control centrally. Therefore, teams should consider policies that combine simple imports for routine files with controlled query or database solutions for mission-critical data.

Practical Tips and Next Steps

First, test the new functions on representative files and pay attention to delimiter and encoding settings so you catch issues early. Second, use these functions for quick, repeatable imports of well-formed CSV or text exports, and document the formula parameters in your worksheet so colleagues understand the choices made. Third, reserve Power Query or server-side processing for messy inputs, very large datasets, scheduled refreshes, or situations requiring complex transformations and audit trails. Finally, if your work demands both speed and governance, consider a hybrid approach that stages data cleanly before quick imports, thereby combining transparency with centralized control.

In summary, Mynda Treacy’s video offers a practical demonstration of how IMPORTCSV and IMPORTTEXT change the import landscape for many Excel users by improving transparency and reducing complexity for straightforward files. Nevertheless, teams must weigh simplicity against enterprise needs such as scale, repeatability, and governance, and choose the right tool for the task at hand. Ultimately, these functions expand Excel’s toolkit and give users more options, and therefore they merit evaluation as part of any modern Excel workflow.

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