Where is Dataset Settings in Power BI?

Trying to find the dataset settings in Power BI can sometimes feel like searching for your keys in a messy room - you know they're there, but you're not exactly sure where to look. This simple task is fundamental to managing your reports, from setting up automated data refreshes to fixing broken connections. This guide will show you exactly where to find and manage your dataset settings in both the Power BI Service (the cloud version) and explain how its counterpart, Power BI Desktop, handles things differently.

What is a Power BI Dataset, Anyway?

Before we go hunting for controls, let's quickly clarify what a Power BI dataset actually is. When you create a report in Power BI Desktop, you connect to data sources, clean up the data in the Power Query Editor, and build relationships and calculations (measures) in the Model View. All of this work - the connection, the transformed tables, and the logic - gets bundled together into what Power BI calls a "dataset."

Think of the dataset as the engine of your report. The colorful charts and visuals you see are just the dashboard and controls, but the dataset is the power source, containing all the prepared data. When you publish your report from Power BI Desktop to the Power BI Service, you're publishing both the visual report and this underlying dataset as two separate, but linked, items.

Understanding this separation is important because most of the critical ongoing management, like setting up a data refresh, happens in the Power BI Service, not the desktop application where you built the report.

Finding Dataset Settings in the Power BI Service

The Power BI Service is the web-based home for your published reports and dashboards. This is where you'll spend most of your time managing permissions, credentials, and refreshes. Finding the dataset settings is a straightforward process.

Step 1: Navigate to Your Workspace

First, log in to your Power BI account at app.powerbi.com. On the left-hand navigation pane, click on Workspaces and select the workspace where your report was published. This could be "My workspace" if you're working alone, or a shared workspace for your team.

Step 2: Locate Your Dataset

Inside your workspace, you'll see a list of dashboards, reports, workbooks, and datasets. Power BI uses distinct icons to help you tell them apart:

• ![Report icon] Report: This is a collection of visuals, like bar charts and maps.
• ![Dashboard icon] Dashboard: This is a single-page view that pins visuals from one or more reports.
• ![Database icon] Dataset: This is the data source we're looking for. It's often named the same as its corresponding report.

You may need to switch tabs at the top of the content list to view "All" or just "Datasets" to find what you're looking for. Find the dataset in the list whose settings you need to modify.

Step 3: Open the Dataset Settings

This is the final step. Hover your mouse over the dataset name in the list, and you'll see a "More options" icon, which looks like three vertical dots (...). Click on this icon, and a dropdown menu will appear. In this menu, click Settings.

That's it! You've successfully navigated to a dataset settings page.

Key Dataset Settings You’ll Actually Use

Once you’re on the Settings page, you’ll see several collapsible sections. While a few are for more advanced scenarios, most of the day-to-day management happens in just a couple of these areas.

Data source credentials

If you've encountered an error or scheduled updates have stopped working, it might be due to expired or changed data credentials. To fix this, expand the Data source credentials section. You’ll see a link that says “Edit credentials.” Clicking it will open a dialog box allowing you to re-authenticate or enter your new username, password, token, or API key.

Scheduled refresh

In the Scheduled refresh section, you can toggle the feature on and set up a refresh schedule. For accounts on a Power BI Pro license, you can schedule up to eight refreshes a day. With Premium capacity, you can schedule up to forty-eight refreshes daily. This way, you have confidence that everyone in your company is looking at a single source of updated data.

Gateway and cloud connections

The Gateway connection section is for cases when your data source is on-site, such as when your company's data is on an internal server. If you need to connect to data that isn't in the cloud, you'll require a gateway to bridge that gap, ensuring data flows seamlessly between your on-site server and Power BI Service.

Q&A

The Q&A section lets you control Power BI's natural language query feature. Here, you can add featured questions that appear by default, review questions people have asked of your data, and teach Q&A terminology specific to your business - like defining your company’s acronyms and synonyms.

What About Power BI Desktop? Where Are Its "Settings"?

This is a source of confusion for many newcomers. Power BI Desktop doesn't really have a "dataset settings" screen in the same way as the Power BI Service. Instead, the settings are integrated within various parts of the dataset building process.

1. Power Query Editor ('Transform Data')

The primary “setup” of your dataset happens in the Power Query Editor. This is where you clean, shape, and prepare your data. Click the Transform Data button to access the editor where you can configure data types, create calculated columns, and shape your data before it is used in your reports.

2. Data Source Settings

From the ribbon at the top of Power BI Desktop, you can access Data Source Settings. Click the Data Source Settings button to open a dialog box that allows you to manage data connections. Here, you can edit permissions for your data sources or remove any connections you no longer need.

3. Model View

The Model View is where you define the relationships between different tables. Building these relationships allows you to create powerful DAX (Data Analysis Expressions) calculations and build a core part of your report that works seamlessly with your data.

Final Thoughts

Managing your Power BI datasets effectively means knowing where to go for what you need. Understanding which platform (Power BI Service or Power BI Desktop) to use for specific tasks will streamline your workflow, from setting up data refreshes to managing credentials and permissions.

Mastering these skills can elevate your business intelligence capabilities, allowing your team to focus on creating insightful reports rather than struggling with technical hurdles. At Graphed, we understand the importance of time management in data handling. With effective use of tools and proper dataset management, you can transform your business intelligence operations.