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Yes. You can drop each new monthly Excel workbook or CSV into one folder and have Power Query append it to your history on refresh. In Excel, use Data > Get Data > From File > From Folder, choose Combine and Transform Data, filter out files that should not be imported, and load the combined query. Every month, save the new file in that folder and select Data > Refresh All. Power Query reruns the saved transformation for the folder contents, so the new month becomes additional rows when it passes the file filters and matches the expected structure.
What the folder method does
A folder query turns a collection of similarly structured files into one logical table. Power Query first enumerates the files in the folder, then uses a generated transform function to apply the same cleanup steps to each workbook or CSV. The combine operation appends the resulting rows into one output.
This is different from creating a new worksheet column for January, February, March and so on. An append is row-oriented: the next month’s records are added below the earlier records. Columns are matched by their header names, not by their physical position. If one file has a column that another file lacks, the missing values are returned as null for that file.
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Prepare the monthly files before connecting
Use a dedicated input folder
Create one folder solely for the source files that should become the history. Put the existing months there and save future months in the same location. Do not store the query’s exported workbook, a manually combined copy or unrelated spreadsheets in that folder unless you plan to exclude them with filters. The Folder connector can see files and, depending on the connector and settings, files in subfolders, so an untidy location can silently add unwanted rows.
Standardize the file contract
Decide what every month must contain before you build the query. A practical contract includes:
- The same extension, such as
.xlsxor.csv, unless you deliberately support more than one. - A predictable file-name pattern, for example
Sales_2026-01.xlsx. - The same worksheet name or, preferably, an Excel table with the same name in every workbook.
- Identical header spelling, including spaces, punctuation and capitalization where those affect your transformations.
- Compatible types for dates, identifiers, quantities and amounts.
- No title rows, subtotals or explanatory notes above the header unless the query removes them consistently.
Consistent structure is more important than identical column order. Power Query’s append logic uses header names, so reordered columns can still align correctly; renamed headers will create separate columns.
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Build the Power Query once
- Open the folder connector. In Excel, select Data > Get Data > From File > From Folder. Browse to the dedicated input folder and select Open.
- Inspect the file list. Excel displays metadata such as file name, extension, date modified and folder path. Check that the historical files you expect are present and that temporary files, lock files and prior exports are not going to be included.
- Filter before combining. Use the file-list filters to keep the correct extension, name pattern or folder path. For example, retain only names beginning with
Sales_and ending in.xlsx. Exclude files whose names contain words such asbackup,combinedorarchivewhen those copies are not source months. - Choose the combine command. Select Combine > Combine and Transform Data. Power Query opens the Combine Files dialog and chooses one file as a sample for discovering the transformation.
- Select the stable object. In the sample-file settings, select the worksheet or Excel table that exists in every workbook. A consistently named table is usually safer than relying on a sheet position, because users can insert or rename worksheets.
- Review the generated queries. Power Query creates supporting items, commonly including a sample-file query, a transform-file function and a final combined query. The function is what lets the same steps run against every file during refresh.
- Check the transformations. Confirm that header promotion, removed top rows, filtered records, split columns and calculated fields are appropriate for all months. A step that works only for the sample month will fail or produce incorrect data when another month is shaped differently.
- Check data types. Review the automatically generated Changed Type step. Set date columns to a date type, quantities and amounts to suitable numeric types, and codes that may contain leading zeroes to text. Move or edit the type step if an early conversion is causing errors.
- Load the result. Select Home > Close & Load (or Close & Load To) and choose an Excel table, PivotTable, connection-only query or Data Model according to how the report will use the data.
Keep the source files in the folder after loading. The query does not permanently copy the source history into its definition; it rebuilds the combined result from the files it can find whenever it refreshes.
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Monthly operating procedure
Once the query is configured, adding a month is a short repeatable process:
- Save or copy the new workbook or CSV into the same input folder.
- Use the established extension, naming pattern, worksheet or table name and header row.
- Check that the file is closed and fully saved before refreshing, especially when it was produced by another application or downloaded from a shared location.
- In Excel, select Data > Refresh All, or right-click the specific query and choose Refresh.
- Wait for the query and any dependent PivotTables or Data Model objects to finish refreshing.
- Verify the latest period in the output by checking a month field, file-name column or row count.
Refresh reruns the folder enumeration and the saved transformation logic. You do not need to edit the query each month unless the source contract changes.
Design choices that make refreshes reliable
Filter the file list deliberately
Filtering is a control, not just a convenience. Keep the extension and naming rules narrow enough that an exported result cannot be mistaken for an input. If the folder contains files from multiple departments, add a name or subfolder filter. If you intentionally use subfolders, confirm that the connector’s folder-path filter includes exactly the levels you need.
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When every workbook has an Excel table with the same name, selecting that table in the Combine Files dialog reduces dependence on worksheet order and surrounding notes. If worksheets are used instead, use one exact name and keep the data region consistent. A renamed sheet or a table missing from one month can make the combine step select the wrong object or return an error.
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Preserve source identity
Keep the source file name or folder path as a column in the combined result when possible. It provides an audit trail and makes it easier to identify which month produced an unexpected value. You can derive a month field from a reliable file-name pattern, but validate that pattern before using it for reporting.
Handle changing columns intentionally
If a new month introduces a genuinely new column, Power Query can append it by header name and return null for earlier files. That may be useful for an additive change, but it can also hide a spelling mistake. Compare headers across months and decide whether to rename, remove or formally add the field. Do not assume that two similarly named columns represent the same measure.
Why a new file sometimes does not appear
| Symptom | Likely cause | What to check or change |
|---|---|---|
| The new month is missing entirely | The file fails a filter, uses another extension, is in a different folder or was saved in a nested folder excluded by the query. | Open the folder query, inspect the file list and review extension, name and folder-path filters. Confirm the new file is in the exact configured location. |
| The file is listed but produces no useful rows | The selected worksheet or table is absent, renamed or empty. | Open the workbook and compare its object name and data range with a working month. Update the sample-file selection only after all files use the intended object. |
| Columns contain unexpected null values | Headers differ by spelling, spaces or punctuation, or a column exists in only some months. | Compare the exact header text and rename fields consistently. Remember that append matches names, not column positions. |
| Dates become errors or numbers are treated as text | The automatic Changed Type step inferred an unsuitable type, or regional date formats differ. | Inspect the step after the combine transformation and assign explicit types. Standardize the source date format where possible. |
| Totals are duplicated | The folder includes both an original source and an exported combined file, or a month was copied twice under different names. | Remove output files from the input folder or exclude them with a filter. Check the file list and retain one source copy per month. |
| Refresh fails after a template change | A transformation assumes a fixed number of columns, rows or a particular object structure. | Step through the query in Power Query Editor, identify the first failing step and rewrite it to tolerate the intended variation or restore the source contract. |
Understand append versus other Power Query operations
Folder connector plus Combine Files
This is the default choice for many recurring monthly files with a stable schema. One query discovers new files automatically, and one transformation function is maintained for all months. The trade-off is that folder contents and file structure must be disciplined.
Separate monthly queries plus Append Queries
Use separate queries when sources need materially different cleanup steps or come from only a few locations. An append query places all rows from the first query followed by rows from the second and aligns fields by header name. It gives fine-grained control, but adding another month usually requires another query edit, so maintenance grows with the number of sources.
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SharePoint Folder or another cloud connector
For team-managed files stored online, use the supported SharePoint Folder connector or the connector for the relevant storage service rather than treating a synchronized local cache as the authoritative location. The same combine pattern applies, but authentication, permissions, site paths and cloud refresh behavior become additional dependencies. Test the refresh in the environment where the report will run.
| Option | Best for | Trade-offs |
|---|---|---|
| Folder connector and Combine Files | Many recurring files with the same structure | Requires clean folder contents and a stable file contract |
| Separate queries and Append Queries | A small number of sources requiring different transformations | More manual work whenever another month is introduced |
| SharePoint Folder or another cloud connector | Teams storing source files centrally | Connector authentication, permissions and online refresh settings must be maintained |
Data type, schema and date safeguards
Power Query may add a Changed Type step automatically, particularly for CSV imports. Automatic inference is convenient for a first pass but can be unsafe for recurring data. A value such as 00127 should remain text if it is an identifier; converting it to a number removes the leading zero. Dates can also be interpreted differently when source files use regional formats. Set explicit types after the combine operation and use a consistent source format.
Decide how to treat blank rows, subtotal rows and duplicate records before the first refresh. If each monthly file contains a subtotal, remove it in the shared transform function so it is removed from every file. If the same transaction can legitimately appear in two files, define a key and a deduplication rule rather than deleting duplicates blindly.
When a schema change is intentional, document it in the source-file contract and test a copy of the query with an old and new month together. A successful refresh only proves that the steps ran; it does not prove that a renamed measure still means the same thing.
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Keep outputs separate from inputs
The safest layout has an input folder for original monthly files and a separate location for the report workbook, exported CSVs and any combined snapshots. If business requirements force outputs into the same folder, filter them by extension or name and test the filter after every naming change. This prevents the classic duplicate-history problem in which a previously combined export is imported as if it were another month.
Refresh downstream reports correctly
A query refresh can finish before every dependent object displays the new values. After Refresh All, check that PivotTables, charts, formulas connected to the output table and Data Model measures have also recalculated. If the query is loaded as connection-only, verify the dependent report is actually connected to that query and not to an old static export.
For a controlled monthly close, record the source file name, refresh date and row count. These checks are simple ways to spot a missing month or an accidental duplicate before figures are distributed.
Version and availability notes
Microsoft lists the folder-import workflow for Excel for Microsoft 365, Excel 2024, Excel 2021, Excel 2019 and Excel 2016. The exact wording of buttons can differ between Windows, Mac and web experiences, and some cloud connectors have separate authentication requirements. If a menu is missing, confirm that the Excel edition supports Power Query and that you are using the desktop experience appropriate to the connector.
Quick Recap
A practical checklist
- Every source month is in the configured folder.
- Only intended extensions and name patterns pass the file filters.
- The selected worksheet or table exists in every workbook.
- Headers use the same names and compatible meanings.
- Dates, IDs, quantities and amounts have deliberate data types.
- The output workbook or export is outside the input folder, or explicitly filtered out.
- The new file is closed and saved before refresh.
- Refresh All completes, and the latest month appears in the output and downstream reports.
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