How to Edit Enter Data Table in Power BI

Manually entering a data table in Power BI is a great way to add small, static datasets for testing or creating lookup tables, but editing that table later isn't always intuitive. If you're clicking around the main interface looking for an "edit" button, you won't find one. This article will show you exactly where to go to modify, add, or delete data from a table you created using the "Enter Data" feature.

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What is the "Enter Data" Feature in Power BI?

Before analyzing the "how," let's quickly cover the "what." The "Enter Data" functionality in Power BI allows you to create a small table of data manually, much like you would in an Excel or Google Sheet. You find it on the Home tab of Power BI Desktop.

Once you click it, a "Create Table" window pops up where you can start typing or pasting data directly into cells. You can name your columns, add new ones, and build a table from scratch without connecting to an external file or database.

This feature is perfect for a few specific scenarios:

• Creating Static Lookup Tables: This is the most common use case. For example, if you have user IDs but want to map them to friendly department names (e.g., ID 101 = "Marketing," ID 102 = "Sales"). Instead of asking IT to add this to the database, you can create a simple two-column table yourself. Other examples include mapping short-form status codes to full descriptions, creating tables for sales regions, or defining product categories.
• Rapid Prototyping and Testing: Sometimes you have an idea for a dashboard but don't have the final data ready. You can use "Enter Data" to quickly create a small, fake dataset that mimics the structure of your real data. This lets you build out your visuals, test calculations, and get the dashboard layout right while waiting for the final data connection.
• Supplementing Existing Data: You might need a table of monthly goals or performance targets to compare against your actuals. If this data doesn't live in your primary database, you can enter it manually to use in your reports and DAX measures.

While incredibly useful for these tasks, the key thing to remember is that Power BI treats this manually created table not as an editable grid in your report, but as a formal data source feeding into your model.

Why Tables Must Be Edited in the Power Query Editor

The main reason you can't just right-click and edit your table in the main Power BI window is due to how Power BI processes data. Think of Power BI as having two distinct worlds:

1. The Power BI Desktop Interface: This is where you work with data that has already been loaded. It consists of the Report View (for building visuals), the Data View (for looking at imported data), and the Model View (for managing relationships).
2. The Power Query Editor: This is "backstage" where data is brought in, cleaned, and transformed before it gets loaded into the Desktop interface. This is where all Extract, Transform, and Load (ETL) work happens.

When you use "Enter Data," you are fundamentally creating a new data source query. Because editing a data source is a transformation step, you must go backstage to the Power Query Editor to make changes. Any edits - from correcting a typo to adding a new row - happen at the source level.

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Step-by-Step Guide: How to Find and Edit Your Table

Editing your table only takes a minute once you know where to look. Follow these steps to find and update your manually entered data.

Step 1: Open the Power Query Editor

First, you need to access the Power Query Editor. From the main Power BI Desktop window, go to the Home tab on the ribbon at the top. In the "Queries" section, click the Transform data button. This will launch a new window, which is the Power Query Editor.

Step 2: Find Your Table in the Queries Pane

Inside the Power Query Editor, look at the pane on the left side of the screen labeled Queries. This area lists every data source you have connected to your report, including any tables you created with "Enter Data." Scroll through the list and click on the name of the table you want to edit.

The data from that table will now appear in the main preview pane in the center of the window.

Step 3: Access the Source Step with the Gear Icon

Now, direct your attention to the pane on the right side labeled Query Settings. Within this pane, you'll see a section called Applied Steps. This section logs every transformation you've made to the data, starting from its original source.

For a table created with "Enter Data," the very first step will be named Source. To its right, you will see a small gear icon (⚙️). This gear icon is the key to editing your table.

Click the gear icon.

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Step 4: Make Your Edits in the "Create Table" Window

Clicking the gear icon re-opens the original "Create Table" window that you used to create the data in the first place. You are now free to edit your data just as you did initially. Here's a quick rundown of what you can do:

• Edit a Cell: Double-click any cell to change its value.
• Add a New Row: Scroll to the bottom and click inside the empty row marked with an asterisk (*) to add a new line of data.
• Add a New Column: To the far right, you'll see an empty column header also marked with an asterisk (*). Click this to start a new column. You can then double-click "Column" at the top to rename it.
• Delete a Row: Right-click on the row number header on the left side of the row you want to remove and select Delete.
• Delete a Column: Right-click on the column header of the column you want to remove and select Delete.

Make all the changes you need - correcting typos, updating values, adding new product categories, or anything else.

Once you are finished, click the OK button at the bottom-right of the window.

Step 5: Apply Your Changes

After clicking "OK," you'll be returned to the Power Query Editor, where you'll see the preview of your data updated with your changes.

However, these changes have not yet been loaded into your final report. The final step is to click the Close & Apply button located in the top-left corner of the Home tab on the Power Query Editor's ribbon.

Power BI will close the editor, apply the changes to your data model, and refresh any visuals that use the table. You've successfully edited your data!

Advanced Tips and Common Issues

While the process is straightforward, a couple of common situations can pop up. Here’s how to handle them.

What if I Need to Add a Lot More Data?

The "Enter Data" feature is designed for small, manageable datasets. If you find yourself needing to add dozens or hundreds of rows, it becomes clunky and hard to maintain. In this scenario, it's a best practice to move the data to a more scalable source, such as:

• An Excel file saved on your computer or in a shared location like OneDrive or SharePoint.
• A Google Sheet.
• A simple database table.

Once you've moved the data, you can connect Power BI directly to that new source. It will be much easier to manage, update, and collaborate on in the long run.

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What if the Gear Icon is Missing?

It's rare, but sometimes you might find the gear icon next to the "Source" step is missing or grayed out. This typically happens if the source step was modified or if subsequent applied steps conflict with it. Your best path forward is to view the underlying M language code generated by Power Query.

1. From the Home tab in the Power Query Editor, click on Advanced Editor.
2. A new window will open showing the code for the query. For an "Enter Data" query, it will look something like this:

let Source = #table( type table[ID=Int64.Type, Region=text], { {101, "North"}, {102, "South"}, {103, "East"} } ) in Source

You can edit your data directly within the code. Each curly brace {} within the main braces represents a row. For instance, to add a "West" region, you would simply add a new line:

let Source = #table( type table[ID=Int64.Type, Region=text], { {101, "North"}, {102, "South"}, {103, "East"}, {104, "West"} } ) in Source

After editing, click Done and then Close & Apply. This method is more technical, but it's a powerful and direct way to make changes if the user interface doesn't cooperate.

Final Thoughts

Navigating Power BI involves understanding that all data shaping and source modifications happen in the Power Query Editor. Once you know to look there, editing a manually entered table is as simple as clicking "Transform data" and finding the small gear icon next to your source step.

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