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How to Refresh Semantic Model in Power BI

Cody Schneider•

A Power BI dashboard is only as useful as the data driving it. Keeping that data fresh and up-to-date is fundamental to making sound business decisions. This guide will walk you through the various ways to refresh your semantic model in Power BI, from simple manual updates to automated scheduled refreshes. We'll cover the step-by-step process and troubleshoot common errors you might encounter along the way.

Why Refresh Your Power BI Semantic Model?

In Power BI, a "semantic model" (formerly known as a dataset) is the heart of your reports. It's the collection of data connections, relationships, calculations (DAX measures), and transformation steps (Power Query) that sits behind your visuals. When the original data sources change - new sales are recorded in your CRM, more traffic hits your website, or your ad spend is updated - your Power BI model becomes outdated.

If you don't refresh the model, your dashboards will show old information, leading to inaccurate insights and potentially costly mistakes. A regular refresh cadence ensures that your entire organization is making decisions based on the most current and accurate data available. It transforms your reports from static snapshots into dynamic tools for analysis.

Understanding the Different Refresh Types

Power BI offers several ways to update your data, each suited for different needs. Understanding these options will help you choose the best method for your specific situation.

1. Manual or On-Demand Refresh

This is the simplest way to refresh your data. As the name implies, you manually trigger the refresh process in the Power BI Service with the click of a button. It's perfect for when you need an immediate update right after significant changes have occurred in the source data or before a major presentation.

2. Scheduled Refresh

This is the most common and practical method for keeping dashboards current. You configure your semantic model to automatically refresh at specific times and on a set frequency (e.g., daily at 8 AM). Scheduled refresh ensures your data is consistently updated without any manual intervention. How often you can schedule a refresh depends on your Power BI license and capacity - users with a Pro license can schedule up to 8 refreshes per day, while those on a Premium capacity can schedule up to 48.

3. Incremental Refresh

For very large semantic models, a full refresh can consume a lot of time and resources. Incremental refresh provides a more efficient solution by only updating the data that has recently changed. Instead of re-importing the entire dataset (for example, five years of sales data), it might only refresh the last seven days of transactions. This approach is faster, more reliable, and places less strain on both the Power BI service and your source systems. Setting it up requires some initial configuration in Power BI Desktop but is essential for scaling to enterprise-level datasets.

How to Manually Refresh Your Semantic Model

Need a quick, immediate update? A manual refresh takes just a few seconds. This is done in the Power BI Service (app.powerbi.com), not in Power BI Desktop.

  1. Navigate to the appropriate Workspace in the Power BI Service.

  2. Find your semantic model in the list. You can identify it by the icon or filter the content list to only show "Semantic models".

  3. Hover over the model and you'll see a few icons appear. Click the circular arrow icon, which stands for "Refresh now."

That's it. Power BI will begin queuing the refresh. You can check the status by going into the model's settings and viewing the "Refresh history."

How to Set Up a Scheduled Refresh: A Step-by-Step Guide

Automating your refreshes is where the real power lies. Setting up a schedule ensures your team always has access to timely data without having to think about it. Here’s how to do it.

Step 1: Check Your Data Gateway

The first step depends on where your data sources live.

  • For cloud-based sources (like Google Analytics, Salesforce, SharePoint Online, etc.), Power BI can connect directly, and you do not need a gateway.

  • For on-premises sources (like a SQL Server database on a local company server or an Excel file on a local computer), you need a data gateway.

A data gateway is a secure bridge that allows the Power BI service in the cloud to access your local data sources. You'll need to install and configure it on a computer that is always on and connected to your network. Without it, Power BI has no way to reach inside your company's network to pull fresh data.

Step 2: Navigate to Semantic Model Settings

Assuming your gateway is set up (if needed), head over to the Power BI service.

  1. Find your Workspace and your semantic model.

  2. Hover over the model and click the three dots (...) for "More options."

  3. Select "Settings" from the dropdown menu.

Step 3: Edit Data Source Credentials

Once in the settings, you need to tell Power BI how to log in to your data sources.

  • Expand the "Data source credentials" section. You'll see a list of every data source used in your model.

  • For each one, you'll need to click "Edit credentials."

  • Choose the appropriate authentication method (e.g., Basic for username/password, OAuth2 for cloud services) and enter your login information.

This step is critical. If your credentials are incorrect or expire, your scheduled refresh will fail.

Step 4: Configure the Refresh Schedule

Now you're ready to set the schedule.

  1. In the settings pane, find and expand the "Scheduled refresh" section.

  2. Toggle the switch to turn scheduled refresh On.

  3. Choose the Refresh frequency you want (Daily or Weekly).

  4. Select your preferred Time zone to ensure the refresh happens at the correct local time.

  5. Under Time, click "Add another time" to specify when the refresh should run. Remember, you can add up to 8 per day on a Pro license and 48 on a Premium capacity. It's often best to schedule them during off-peak hours to reduce system load.

Step 5: Set Up Failure Notifications

Refreshes can sometimes fail. It's important to know when they do so you can fix the problem.

  • At the bottom of the "Scheduled refresh" section, you’ll find an option to "Send refresh failure notifications."

  • By default, this is on and will email you (the model owner). You can also add other team members or email groups to be notified as well.

Once you're done, click "Apply." Your automated refresh is now configured and will run at the times you specified.

Troubleshooting Common Power BI Refresh Errors

Even with everything configured, you may occasionally run into issues. Here are some of the most common reasons why a Power BI refresh fails and how to fix them.

  • Gateway is Offline or Unreachable: If you're using a gateway, it must be online for the refresh to work. If you receive an error about the gateway, check that the machine it's installed on is powered on and connected to the internet.

  • Invalid Data Source Credentials: This is the most frequent issue. It usually happens because a password expired or was changed. To fix it, go back into the semantic model settings, edit the credentials for the problematic data source, and sign in again with the updated information.

  • Source Schema Changes: The refresh will fail if the structures of your source data have been altered. For instance, if a column used in a report was renamed or deleted in the source Excel file or SQL database, Power BI won't be able to find it. You'll need to open your report in Power BI Desktop, correct the references in the Power Query Editor, and republish.

  • Refresh Timeout: Semantic models hosted in a Pro workspace have a two-hour refresh time limit, Premium has a five-hour limit. If your dataset is massive and takes too long to refresh, it will time out. The solution is to optimize your Power Query transformations or implement an incremental refresh strategy.

  • Errors in Your Power Query Code: Sometimes, an error in one of your M language transformation steps can cause a failure. This could be due to a change in the data that your code can't handle (e.g., a text value in a numeric column). You must debug the query in Power BI Desktop to identify and fix the issue.

Final Thoughts

Keeping your Power BI data up-to-date is a non-negotiable part of effective business intelligence. By mastering manual, scheduled, and incremental refreshes, you can ensure that your reports are always timely, accurate, and ready to guide your next big decision. Taking the time to properly configure your gateways, credentials, and schedules will save you countless hours down the road.

While Power BI is a powerful tool, managing refresh schedules and gateways across multiple data platforms can become a job in itself. At Graphed , we simplify this entirely. By connecting your SaaS tools like Google Analytics, Shopify, Salesforce, and Facebook Ads directly, we automate the data pipeline and keep your dashboards updated in real-time. There are no schedules to configure or gateways to manage - your data just stays fresh, so you can focus on finding insights, not wrestling with refresh errors.