What is the function of Power Query in Power BI?

Power Query is a powerful tool within Power BI that is specifically designed for data transformation and preparation. Its primary function is to refine and shape data obtained from various sources before it is loaded into the Power BI environment. This includes tasks such as cleaning data, filtering rows, merging data from different tables, and pivoting or unpivoting data for better analysis. By managing the data preparation process, Power Query ensures that the data model is built on accurate and well-structured data, which is essential for effective reporting and analysis in Power BI.

Analyzing data trends and visualizing financial data are tasks typically handled after the data has been processed and modeled within Power BI, rather than during the initial data preparation phase. Creating user interfaces for reports is also not a function of Power Query; instead, this relates to the design and layout aspects of Power BI where users build dashboards and reports based on the prepared data. Thus, the specific role of Power Query in refining data underscores its importance in the overall data workflow within Power BI.