Where is Append Query in Power BI?

If you're looking to combine multiple tables in Power BI by stacking them on top of each other, the 'Append Queries' feature is exactly what you need. It’s the perfect tool for consolidating data, like merging monthly sales reports into a single yearly table. This tutorial will show you exactly where to find the append feature in Power BI, explain the difference between its two main options, and walk you through step-by-step examples for combining your data.

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What Exactly Does "Append Queries" Do?

Think of appending as stacking. If you have two or more tables (or "queries" in Power Query language) with a similar structure, appending will stack them into a single, longer table. For example, if you have sales data from January in one table and data from February in another, appending them creates one continuous table containing sales from both months.

For this to work smoothly, your tables should ideally have:

• The same number of columns.
• Matching column headers (e.g., Date, Product, Revenue).
• Identical data types for each matching column (e.g., the Date column should be a "date" type in all tables).

Don't worry if your tables aren't a perfect match - Power BI can still append them. However, any mismatched columns will create new, separate columns in the final table, often resulting in null values for rows that didn't have that original column. We'll touch on how to fix that later.

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How to Find Append Queries in Power BI

The Append Queries feature lives inside the Power Query Editor, which is Power BI's built-in tool for transforming and cleaning your data. Here’s how you get there.

Step 1: Open the Power Query Editor

First, make sure you've loaded your data into Power BI Desktop. From the main window, look at the Home ribbon at the top. You'll see a button labeled Transform data. Click it.

This action will launch a new window: the Power Query Editor. This is where all the data magic happens before it gets loaded into your report dashboards.

Step 2: Locate the Append Queries Button

Once you are in the Power Query Editor, click on the Home tab in the ribbon. Look toward the right side for a section called "Combine." Inside this section, you will find the Append Queries button. The icon for it looks like one table stacked on top of another with a small plus sign.

That's it! Now you're ready to start combining your tables.

Append Queries vs. Append Queries as New: What's the Difference?

When you click the dropdown arrow on the Append Queries button, you’ll see two options: Append Queries and Append Queries as New. Choosing the right one is important for keeping your data model clean and manageable.

Append Queries

This option takes the data from a second table and adds it to the end of the table you currently have selected. In other words, it modifies one of your existing queries. Think of it like pouring a new carton of milk into the one you already have open in the fridge.

• Pros: Reduces the number of queries in your file, which can make your data model look a little cleaner.
• Cons: It permanently alters one of your source queries. If you ever need to reference that original, un-appended table later, you can't. You lose that original step.

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Append Queries as New

This is the more common and generally recommended option. It takes two or more tables and combines them to create a completely new query, leaving your original queries untouched. Following our milk analogy, this is like pouring both cartons of milk into a brand-new pitcher, leaving the original cartons empty but intact.

• Pros: It's a non-destructive action. Your original data sources remain separate and unchanged, which is great for troubleshooting and auditing.
• Cons: It adds another query to your list, which can lead to clutter if you aren't diligent about naming and organizing your queries.

Our recommendation: Always start with Append Queries as New. It’s safer and gives you more flexibility. You can always delete the original queries later if you are certain you no longer need them.

Step-by-Step Example: Appending Two Tables

Let's walk through a common scenario: you have Q1 Sales and Q2 Sales in two separate tables and want to combine them into a single FirstHalfSales table.

1. Load Your Data: Make sure your Q1Sales and Q2Sales queries are loaded into the Power Query Editor.
2. Choose Your Action: In the Power Query Editor, go to the Home tab, click the dropdown for Append Queries, and select Append Queries as New.
3. Configure the Append Dialog Box: A dialog box will pop up. Since we're combining two tables, leave the "Two tables" option selected.
4. Create the New Query: Click OK. A new query, likely named "Append1," will appear in your Queries pane on the left.
5. Rename the Query: Right-click on "Append1" and rename it to something descriptive, like FirstHalfSales.
6. Verify the Results: Click on your new FirstHalfSales query. You should see all the rows from Q1Sales followed by all the rows from Q2Sales. You can verify this by checking the total row count at the bottom of the editor.

How to Append Three or More Tables Together

What if you want to combine data from an entire year, broken down into four quarterly tables (Q1, Q2, Q3, Q4)? The process is just as simple.

1. Start the Append Process: Just as before, navigate to Home > Append Queries as New.
2. Select "Three or More Tables": In the Append dialog box, click the radio button for Three or more tables. You'll see two list boxes.
3. Add Your Tables: Select your quarterly sales tables (Q1Sales, Q2Sales, Q3Sales, Q4Sales) from the "Available tables" list. You can select multiple tables by holding the Ctrl key. Click the Add >> button to move them to the "Tables to append" list.
4. Create and Rename: Click OK. A new query is created with all four quarters combined. Don't forget to give it a descriptive name like FullYearSales.

Common Problems and Quick Fixes When Appending

Sometimes, appending doesn't go as planned. Here are a few common issues and how to fix them inside the Power Query Editor.

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Problem: Mismatched Column Names

• The Issue: One table has a column named SaleAmount, while another has Sale_Amount. When you append them, Power BI sees them as two different fields and creates two separate columns in the final table, filled with nulls where the data didn't exist.
• The Fix: Before you append, go back to the individual queries. Double-click the header of the column you want to change and rename it so it exactly matches the name in your other table(s). Consistency is crucial.

Problem: Different Data Types

• The Issue: The OrderID column is a number in one table but formatted as text in another. Power BI might get confused and set the combined column's data type to Any, which can cause issues with calculations or sorting in your reports.
• The Fix: In each source query, click the icon on the left of the column header to set a specific data type. Ensure the data types are the same for corresponding columns across all tables before you append.

Problem: Missing Columns

• The Issue: Your Q1Sales table has a DiscountCode column, but your other tables do not. In the combined table, you will see the DiscountCode column, but all rows from Q2, Q3, and Q4 will show a null value in that column.
• The Fix: This isn't necessarily an "error" but a result of your data structure. You have two options here: accept the null values (which might be totally fine) or decide if that column is needed. If it's not critical, you could remove it from the Q1 table before appending for a cleaner result.

Final Thoughts

The "Append Queries" function in Power BI's Power Query Editor is your go-to tool for stacking and consolidating similarly structured tables. Whether you're combining two tables or ten, following the steps above will help you merge your data into a single, analysis-ready set. Knowing the difference between appending to an existing query versus creating a new one is a key skill that helps keep your data model organized and easy to understand.

While Power BI is fantastic for detailed data transformations like this, sometimes you just want answers without manually cleaning up tables. We created Graphed for exactly that situation. You connect disparate data sources - like Google Analytics, Salesforce, and Facebook Ads - and can immediately ask for combined insights in simple language, such as "Show me total conversions from Google and Facebook ads last month." Our platform automatically handles blending the data in the background, delivering a unified chart or dashboard in seconds without you ever having to think about matching column names or data types.