Power BI - Refresh a Dataset (All tables) With a Single Click Using Power Automate [On-demand Refresh]

Introduction

Power BI is an incredible tool for business intelligence, but managing dataset refreshes across multiple reports can be time-consuming. Instead of manually refreshing each dataset, Power Automate allows you to streamline the process by triggering a refresh for all datasets in your workspace with just a single click.

We do have an option of scheduled refreshes in Power BI but sometimes we might want to avoid that and refresh dataset only when we want it to, using a button on the report itself.

In this article, I’ll walk you through the step-by-step process of setting up Power Automate to refresh multiple Power BI datasets efficiently.

Why Use Power Automate for Dataset Refresh?

Power BI’s native refresh scheduling is great, but it has some limitations:

1. Manual Effort – If you manage multiple datasets, refreshing them manually can be tedious.
2. On-Demand Refresh – Sometimes, you need an immediate refresh based on an external trigger.

Power Automate helps overcome these challenges by enabling automated and on-demand refreshes with the click of a button.

Pre-requisites:

• Make sure that you are logged into Power BI.

Step 1: Drop Power Automate visual to the canvas

The first step is to add the Power Automate visual to the canvas. It can be done in two ways:

• Method 1: Click on Insert from the top menu and then click on Power Automate
• Method 2: Click on the Power Automate visual directly from the visuals pane

Either way, you'll see the Power Automate visual added to the canvas, as shown below:

Step 2: Create a new Instant Cloud flow

Now that you have imported Power Automate visual to your canvas, the next step is to edit and configure it.

• Click on the three dots of the visual and then click Edit.
• After clicking on Edit, you'll enter a page where you'll be able to set up the power automate flow for dataset refresh. Here, you might need to wait for a while until you see the screen that looks like the image shown below. Once seen, Click on New and then click on Instant cloud flow from the drop down.

Step 3: Add new step

• Click on New Step

• Then type refresh and then select Rrefresh a dataset from the options shown

• Once you click on Refresh a dataset, you'll be asked to select the Workspace and Dataset respectively from the drop downs of each. Simply click on each one by one and select the Dataset (in the respective Workspace) of the report that you want to get refreshed upon a single click in it. As shown below:

• After selecting the respective Workspace and Dataset from drop down of each, click on Save as shown in the image above.
• Next click on blue arrow to go back and Run the flow in order to Apply the changes.

• Now click on Back to report arrow from the top left of the page. Here, you'll be able to see the button ready to be used.

• Here you go! The flow is ready to be used. Of course, you can change the text and entire layout of the button as intended.

Benefits of Using Power Automate for Power BI Dataset Refresh

✅ Saves Time – No more manual dataset refreshes.

✅ On-Demand Execution – Refresh datasets anytime, beyond scheduled limits.

✅ Enhanced Automation – Can be combined with other workflows (e.g., refreshing datasets after a file upload).

Conclusion

Using Power Automate to refresh Power BI datasets with a single click is a game-changer for efficiency. Whether you’re managing multiple reports or need real-time data updates, this method ensures your dashboards always have the latest information.

Give it a try and let me know how it improves your workflow! 🚀