Microsoft has started a six-part Power Query Corner series by detailing the new Power Query Get Data experience in preview for the October 2026 Power BI Desktop release and Power BI web modeling. For report authors, the first choice moves from a connector-only dialog to task-based routes such as New, Recent data, OneLake catalog, Blank table and Blank query.
The change affects how users find data before they configure a connection. A user who knows the server, file path or service URL can still use New to find the connector. A user who knows the business item but not its endpoint can start in OneLake catalog and review its type, owner, location, endorsement and sensitivity information before connecting.
Get Data starts from the task
The module approach is intended to reflect different starting points. Recent data returns to sources a user has already worked with. Blank table supports small entered tables, while Blank query lets a user paste or write M, Power Query’s formula language.
The route does not remove the normal connection stages. Users still authenticate, choose the right objects, inspect a preview where the connector offers one, and maintain the query afterwards. A recent source is not a snapshot of data, and catalog visibility does not grant permission to read an item.
The new Desktop experience can be enabled under File > Options and settings > Options > Preview features by selecting New Power Query experience. Power BI web modeling uses Power Query Online and does not use the Desktop preview toggle.
Desktop and online hosts differ
The same module pattern does not mean the same capabilities in every host. In Desktop, the listed modules include Home, New, Recent data, OneLake catalog, Blank table and Blank query. Browse Azure, SharePoint browsing and Upload are not currently Desktop modules.
Those source-browsing experiences are part of Dataflow Gen2, and some are also available in Power BI web modeling. There is no committed release date for bringing those modules to Power BI Desktop. This does not affect the availability of individual Azure or SharePoint connectors through New.
Power Query Desktop and Power Query Online also differ in their connection stages. Desktop separates connection settings and authentication before preview and destination selection. Power Query Online combines settings and credentials into a reusable connection, then opens selected data in the editor before saving.
Preview gaps remain material
The new experience remains in preview, and the first feedback review covered 386 replies in the community discussion from 11 May to 26 October 2026. Microsoft grouped the most frequently reported problems by distinct contributors, not by post count or likes, so the numbers describe that thread rather than overall customer impact.
The most reported issue was native SQL entry at first connection, raised by 24 distinct contributors. Microsoft says the missing input has been addressed for supported connectors. That fix covers creation of the connection, not every later editing path.
A related problem remains around reopening connection settings through the Source step’s gear icon. Sixteen contributors reported cases where an editable connection form was needed later, including native SQL and extension-based connectors. Coverage for those editing scenarios is still partial.
Eight contributors raised startup and loading time in Get Data. The concern is not only total wait time, but how quickly a user can act when they already know the connector they want. Improvements to Get Data startup and loading are expected in the December 2026 Power BI Desktop release.
Five contributors reported missing advanced Web settings, including request-header inputs. Microsoft is working on advanced configuration for the Web API and Web Page connectors, but the two connectors have different purposes and options. Another five contributors reported Combine Files problems in Folder and SharePoint Folder workflows, where the expected result is combined file contents rather than a file list or incomplete output.
What teams should test
Teams testing the preview should separate discovery benefits from connection parity. OneLake catalog may help users choose an existing Fabric item with better context, but established SQL, Web and file-combination workflows still need validation against current limitations.
The fallback in Power BI Desktop is to clear the New Power Query experience preview checkbox. Microsoft says this does not require a Desktop restart. The same fallback does not switch Power Query Online in web modeling to a legacy interface.
Decisions about whether Power Query starts from a connector, a Fabric item, a recent source or M code are the practical data-access questions ECS’s Data topic covers, alongside Microsoft Fabric, Power BI, SQL Server and Dataverse. Sessions and workshops give attendees room to compare preview features with production reporting habits, including governance, semantic models and connector behaviour. Bring the Power Query workflows that are difficult to judge from release notes alone.
This article was written by the ECS editorial team with the assistance of Amal Agent, run.events' AI assistant, which supported the research, drafting and proofreading.