Excel for Web: Power Query Editor

Key insights

• Power Query Refresh: Microsoft now supports refreshing Power Query queries in Excel for the web, making it possible to update data directly in the browser.
  This update reached general availability for several common sources and simplifies keeping datasets current.
• Power Query Editor: The full web-based editor for creating and editing queries is still in development.
  For now, the web app emphasizes viewing, managing, and refreshing existing queries rather than full query creation.
• Asynchronous background refresh: Refresh operations run in the background so users can keep working in the spreadsheet while queries update.
  Multiple queries process concurrently, which speeds up refreshes for multi-query workbooks.
• Supported data sources: The web refresh supports workbook tables/ranges, anonymous OData feeds, and now selected authenticated data sources with credential handling.
  New Data Source Settings let users manage these connections in the web app.
• Query steps and M language: Power Query records each transformation as named steps that you can review and adjust.
  Advanced users still rely on the M language for deeper customization, with more editing features planned for the web.
• Team and enterprise benefits: Web-based refresh increases productivity and collaboration by removing the need for a desktop app and enabling secure, credentialed refreshes for teams.
  It also aligns web behavior with desktop Excel and prepares the platform for future automation and AI enhancements.

Video Summary and Context

Wyn Hopkins [MVP] published a YouTube video that outlines recent progress toward bringing the full Power Query experience to Excel for the web. In the clip, he highlights that Power Query Refresh is now generally available for selected data sources and that the team has begun expanding support for authenticated feeds and data source settings. Consequently, the update represents a meaningful step toward parity with the desktop experience while still leaving some authoring capabilities for a future release. Overall, Hopkins frames the announcement as practical progress rather than a finished product.

Moreover, Hopkins places the change in context by explaining how users and organizations rely on Power Query to import, clean, and shape data without altering original sources. He notes that the web version now focuses on viewing, managing, and refreshing queries, which is distinct from full query creation and advanced editing that remain primarily desktop features. Therefore, this shift targets everyday refresh scenarios first, which aligns with many organizations’ immediate needs. At the same time, Hopkins cautions that the full editor is still under development.

How the Web Refresh Works

In the video, Hopkins walks through the mechanics of refreshing queries inside the browser-based Excel interface, demonstrating use of the Data tab and the Queries pane. He shows that refreshes occur asynchronously and in the background, so users can continue editing the grid while queries run, and that multi-query workbooks refresh faster because queries no longer process strictly one-by-one. Additionally, he highlights support for workbook tables, anonymous OData feeds, and selected authenticated data sources, which cover many common scenarios.

Hopkins also explains technical details in approachable terms, such as the role of the M language in storing transformation steps and the presence of a Query Settings pane for examining those steps. He points out that refresh operations are now managed more like background jobs, reducing interruption and making collaboration smoother in shared files. However, he emphasizes that creating and editing complex queries still requires the desktop editor. Thus, the web improvements largely target maintenance and operational workflows rather than full development.

Benefits for Users and Teams

According to the video, the update yields immediate productivity gains because users no longer need a desktop client to run frequent refreshes, which makes shared, browser-hosted workbooks more viable for data-driven teams. Furthermore, asynchronous background refreshes allow multiple collaborators to work simultaneously without waiting for each data pull to finish, which can accelerate decision-making in live documents. Hopkins also points out that adding support for authenticated sources expands the feature’s usefulness for enterprise scenarios where secure credentials are required.

In addition, the web-based refresh reduces friction for distributed teams since people only need a browser and a Microsoft 365 subscription to refresh many common data feeds. This broader accessibility mitigates the classic desktop-or-cloud tradeoff for light-to-moderate data tasks and supports hybrid workflows where some users rely on the desktop and others work entirely in the browser. Consequently, organizations can standardize more processes on cloud-hosted workbooks while still preserving advanced desktop scenarios.

Tradeoffs and Technical Challenges

Despite the clear advantages, Hopkins addresses several tradeoffs that organizations should weigh. For example, although web refresh removes a dependency on desktop software, it does not yet provide full editing capabilities, meaning power users still need the desktop editor for complex transformations. Therefore, teams must manage mixed workflows and ensure that authoring remains controlled when some edits require offline tools.

Hopkins also discusses infrastructure and governance challenges, noting that authenticated refreshes introduce added complexity around credential management and data security. While the update supports selected authenticated sources, not all connectors are available yet, and administrators may need to adjust policies for cloud refresh operations. Moreover, asynchronous background processing can raise concerns about resource usage and throttling, especially in large organizations where many refresh requests could compete for capacity.

Finally, the video highlights engineering challenges in porting the full Query Editor to the browser, such as reproducing a rich UI, handling the M language reliably in a web runtime, and maintaining feature parity across platforms. Hopkins suggests that progress will be iterative, and that feedback from early adopters will shape priorities. Consequently, organizations should plan for gradual adoption and test critical scenarios before fully relying on web-only workflows.

Looking Ahead

Hopkins closes by considering what comes next, including potential integration with AI-assisted tools and deeper automation that could further reduce manual data handling. He expects that future updates will bring more connectors, enhanced data source settings, and eventually the ability to create and edit queries fully in the browser, although he does not promise exact timelines. As a result, the current release should be seen as a practical milestone rather than the final vision.

In summary, the YouTube video by Wyn Hopkins [MVP] offers a clear, measured take on the arrival of Power Query Refresh in Excel for the web. While the update brings tangible benefits for collaboration and accessibility, it also presents tradeoffs around feature parity, governance, and performance. Therefore, teams should begin experimenting with web refreshes while maintaining desktop-based processes for complex data preparation until the full editor arrives.

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