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Using Enter Data in Power BI: The Most Underrated Feature You’re Probably Ignoring

When people talk about Power BI, the conversation usually jumps straight to big data sources—SQL Server, Fabric, Databricks, Snowflake, APIs, you name it. But sometimes, you don’t have a data source yet. Or worse… you’re waiting on one.

That’s where Enter Data quietly saves the day.

If you’ve ever needed to:

  • Add a small lookup table

  • Create mock data for a demo

  • Hardcode targets, KPIs, or assumptions

  • Build a quick prototype without touching Excel

…then Enter Data is your best friend.

Let’s break it down properly

hat Is Enter Data in Power BI?

Enter Data is a built-in Power BI feature that lets you manually create a table directly inside Power BI Desktop—no Excel file, no database, no external connection.

Think of it as:

“Excel-lite, living permanently inside your Power BI model.”

You define:

  • Column names

  • Data values

  • Data types

And Power BI treats it like any other table in your model.

Where Do You Find It?

In Power BI Desktop:

Home tab → Enter data

Click it, and you’ll see a grid that looks very familiar if you’ve ever used Excel.

When Should You Use Enter Data?

Let’s be honest—this feature isn’t for large datasets. But it shines in very specific (and common) scenarios.

1. Creating Small Reference or Lookup Tables

Examples:

  • Regions and Region Managers

  • Product Categories

  • Business Units

  • KPI descriptions

Instead of creating an Excel file just for 5 rows, you can do it in seconds.

2. Adding Targets, Budgets, or Thresholds

This is a huge use case.

For example:

  • Monthly sales targets

  • SLA thresholds

  • Performance bands (Red / Amber / Green)

These values don’t come from a system—they come from the business. Enter Data is perfect for this.

3. Prototyping and Demos

If you’re:

  • Teaching Power BI

  • Recording a demo

  • Presenting a proof of concept

You don’t want to waste time wiring up data sources. Enter a few rows, build visuals, and move on.

How to Use Enter Data (Step by Step)

  1. Click Enter data

  2. Rename columns by double-clicking the headers

  3. Type your values directly into the grid or paste the copied data using CTRL + V

  4. Click Load

1

That’s it.

Power BI will:

  • Create a table

  • Add it to the model

  • Make it available in Power Query if you need transformations

We can view the table in the table view as seen below

2

We can also visualize the data using the visuals in Power BI such as Table and Charts as seen below

3

Can You Edit the Data Later?

Yes—and this is important.

You can:

  • Go to Home → Transform data

  • Select the table

  • Edit values, rename columns, or change data types

But keep in mind:

This is manual data, not automated data.

If the values change often, this may not be the right approach.

Conclusion

Enter Data is one of those Power BI features that looks simple—but solves real-world problems elegantly.

It’s not about replacing proper data sources.
It’s about speed, flexibility, and control when you need it.

So next time you’re about to:

  • Open Excel

  • Create a tiny table

  • Save it somewhere random

Pause.

Enter Data might already be all you need.

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