Power query rename column by position. I don't mind the names of the other columns.

Power query rename column by position Aug 29, 2025 · Learn how to handle column name changes in Power Query and prevent workflow failures with expert tips and dynamic solutions. SelectRows(#"Removed Colum Feb 11, 2024 · In this blog post, we explore three easy ways to rename columns in Power Query - whether you're accessing it from Power BI or Excel. This is typically the output May 28, 2025 · Function: Would you like to rename multiple columns in a single operation? This custom step allows you to rename as many columns as needed. ExpandTableColumn function without knowing the names of the columns ? May 15, 2018 · As I have shown above a quick and easy way to rename multiple columns at once. Remarks Performs the given renames to the columns in table table. In this post, I will illustrate two methods. When the column headers change in the source data, it gives us a big problem. The data comes from different datasets, and I need to standardize c Feb 10, 2022 · I'm trying to rename the column headers based on the values inside the column. Avoid renaming the column header in the data source because it can cause query errors. Sep 16, 2025 · About Performs the given renames to the columns in table table. Learn how to use Table. May 11, 2025 · All metadata are in English though. To start with, I've imported CSV data from a text file (sample below), but the file doesn't have headers, so Power Query assigns generic headers: Column1, Column2, Column3 Column1 Column2 Column3 Online 2/10/2022 1:30:4 Jul 29, 2019 · Hi all, I would like some help on how to rename a column header by referencing the column position rather than the name. RenameColumns function in Power Query. Whether you want to add a prefix, capitalise each word or conditionally replace column values. I´m trying to rename Columns by position, but my tables are inside a column. #dataanalytics #dat Jan 13, 2021 · This video shows how to change a column type by its position in the table in Power Query. Is this possible? Any help would be greatly appreciated. I have been searching, but have not found a way to rename a column by its column number verse the column name. Is there a way to do this using Power Query Advanced Editor? here is a peak at my 'dictionary' on the right and the list of tables in which I want columns renamed. Nov 16, 2020 · For example, to change the first three column names of a table (beware that Power Query references rows and columns starting at "0"): Or You can do this in the "Changed Type" line which also references column names: Aug 5, 2024 · Hi , In Power Query editor, 1st column has position 0, 2nd column has position 1 and so on. Method-1:let Source = Excel. Column Name Columns Operations Rename Move Delete Duplicate in Power Query In this video, I will show you how to perform some common column operations in Power Query, su Feb 21, 2023 · As I have created various custom columns and measures in this data table based on the source columns, whenever am uploading the data files, the column reference changes and am forced to create all those measures once again. I would like to create a formula to calculate the month over month change as Current Month - Prior Month. You can find the sample file here: Renaming Multiple Columns. Separate words, split cells by delimiter, extract text after space, extract numbers from text and a lot more. Here´s what I´m trying to do: Thanks in advance Solved! Go to Solution. RenameColumns function in Power Query is used to rename one or more columns in a table. One of the steps it allows you to take is to rename a column using multiple methods. Mar 29, 2021 · Need help here. Dec 9, 2019 · Learn how to dynamically rename the column headers in Power Query. Zip ( { Sipee, Siebel} ) This query contains a list of lists of old/new pairs, for example {Column1_Old, Column1_New} Table. Thanks, Craig Solved! Go to Jul 7, 2021 · I have to caveat this with the fact that I have only just started using Power Query and my previous experience was simply changing data types for columns etc. Whether you tap into… Nov 11, 2020 · Ed Hansberry shows how to deal with renaming columns whose names regularly change: The easiest way to rename a column in Power Query is to do it the same way you do in Excel – just double-click it and rename it. Jun 17, 2022 · I want to be able to go through my tables and rename them with the descriptive name, however, there are thousands of columns in this database. Feb 8, 2023 · Hi there, I have a table to transform to a certain layout. RenameColumns functions in Jan 4, 2021 · New to PowerQuery and M-Code. Learn how to create a user interface that allows you to define the Renaming a column header in Power Query doesn’t rename the original data source column header. pbix As with every blog post if there are any comments or suggestions please leave them in the section below. If you want to add Growth calculation in Power Query you have to reference to these two columns. BONUS: Also learn how to extract data from the last file added to a folder. You can use the below code to rename a column by its position to a default value The source data includes columns for Name and Month Number, ranging from 1 to 12. Jan 26, 2023 · I am trying to dynamically rename the 1st column from whatever its Number value is to just "Column1" From here i use = Table. How can I use the Table. Table. It will look something like: Feb 10, 2016 · this should give the list of column names =Table. From there i only want the first item in the list so i use List. The sixth pitfall is quite tricky, and is one of the most common pitfalls you always encounter. Apr 5, 2022 · Rename the query "Sipee" Do the same for tblReplacement [Siebel] What you you should have are two queries containing a list of values for each respective column in your replacement table Create another blank query: = List. Oct 17, 2021 · Hi All I have project where I need to dynamically Rename Columns and change the Column Types based on a Master List. RenameColumns function. Sep 16, 2025 · Adds a column named newColumnName to the table table. Apr 26, 2024 · List. So instead of referring it by name, I want it by position dynamically. My problem is that one of the columns shows the file names imported and when I promote the top row to a header row, that column doesn't have a fixed header it just has the name of the source file. Sometimes though the column you are renaming can have different names with each refresh, so this method won’t work. For instance, rather than h Feb 10, 2016 · If the subject isn't enough, hopefully the image will better explain. Power Bi Rename Column By Position - There are three ways to rename a column in Power Query Double click the column header The double click action immediately lets you rename the column Right click the column of your choice A contextual menu is displayed and you can select the Rename option to rename the selected column Rename option in the Mar 28, 2024 · Let's say that we want to rename the first column of the following table by replacing the text '202400. This can prevent errors when the column name in the source data changes. This is my current Master List which includes: TABLE_NAME = Original Source txt file name (there could be multiple different tables listed as there may be columns with the same na May 24, 2024 · Changing column names are a frequent cause of Power Query errors. A replacement operation renames consists of a list of two values, the old column name and new column name, provided in a list. ToRows(#"name of previous step")Step 2 Table. work with the first, third, last…one. On the old file it’s the 30th column and on the new file it’s in the Jan 6, 2025 · How to dynamically rename columns and unify data from multiple files without breaking your Power Query workflow. Jul 29, 2022 · It takes all the files from within a folder combines them and transforms and transposes the data. It takes a nested list of old and new column names as its second argument. ColumnNames(#"Promoted Headers") to get the column names as a list. Oct 13, 2020 · In this article, we are going to talk about cleaning and transforming column names dynamically and in a bulk. We can use a List in Power Query to make this dynamic. I am trying to have my column name(s) be dynamically updated based on the current year. #dataanalytics #dat Aug 27, 2024 · In Power Query, you can rename columns to format the data set in a clear and concise way. In this video, I share two ways to rename columns in Power Query when the column names change. We don’t want to update the query, and we don’t want to edit the workbook. RenameColumns( table as table, renames as list, optional missingField as nullable number ) as table where: table as table – The source table containing the columns you want to rename. Bit annoying as any later step in my query that references those headers will break. Apr 14, 2017 · This causes issues when refreshing the data and the column has now changed names as well as in the visual that I am performing some filtering on. If the columns are changing position and names, I don't know how that would work. Nov 10, 2020 · The easiest way to rename a column in Power Query is to do it the same way you do in Excel - just double-click it and rename it. Therefore, every month when the data refreshes, the column names change by one month. So the 2016/17 column will be dropped and the 2021/22 column will be added in the excel spreadsheet. Power Query code Nov 11, 2021 · Hello, i have the following issue in power query. Is there a way of renaming colum Jan 26, 2017 · Today, we will learn how to avoid the 6th pitfall as part of the Power BI / Power Query Pitfalls series. dynamically. If the column doesn't exist, an exception is thrown unless the optional parameter missingField specifies an alternative (eg. use this trick to avoid hardcoding. That is super easy by using Convert to List on the Transform tab of Power Query Editor. I don't mind the names of the other columns. And as Power Query works with column names, it is a good idea to firstly rename them to “PY” and “CY”, otherwise you have to change formula each year. Yellow markings indicate the difference between Old and New Columns after the custom step. Jan 30, 2017 · Automatical or Bulk- Rename Columns in Power BI and Power Query Edit 7th Feb 2017: Friendly reader Roknic pointed out in the comments below that there’s actually an existing function for it in M: Table. RenameColumns(#"name of previous step" , RenameC This video shows you how to transform column names in bulk. Is there a way I can insert a cond Mar 31, 2021 · Hello, I am newer to PBI / Power Query, and new to this community (this is my very first post, so please excuse if this is not the right forum or if this has already been answered). Learn how to dynamically rename a column in a table where the column name keeps changing. As an example, let's start with a data set that has two columns. xlsx' by 'Date'. Nov 5, 2020 · You want to rename the columns based on their index position I think, which you call 1 and 2, but Power Query calls this 0 and 1, since it indexes at 0 @Anonymous 2 I have a SQL query as a data source which pulls in a table into Power Query. There can be multiple tricky ways to do this. The end result should be that any column, that has (text)values in the rows starting with "L" should be renamed to Level 1, Level 2, Level 3 etc. Oct 3, 2023 · Learn how to use the Table. RenameColumns ( [Limpa], { Jan 16, 2025 · The following Power Query Works great for the old excel files w/ columns 1 thru 30. This is done by embedding the Table. I create two functions that filter TableName to the table I want, and I keep either ColumnNameOld or ColumnNameNew and returns a list. I am trying to rename the column IF it has the word "Status" in it to remove Nov 3, 2019 · How to select, rename and reorder columns in Power BI / Power Query using a helper table and M code such as Table. Syntax Below is the syntax of the Table. In this video, you will learn how to dynamically reorder columns in Power Query, whether you're working in Excel or Power BI. A standard part of the transformation process involves Power Query using column headers to reference each column. Instead, how can we get it by position? Renaming a column header in Power Query doesn’t rename the original data source column header. In this video, I will show you an easy way to rename columns dynamically in Power Query. We would like to show you a description here but the site won’t allow us. Could anybody help me on this? Thanks, Deepak Narayan Mar 29, 2021 · Hi Use Table. Mar 28, 2024 · There is an idea to solve your problem: Let's say that we want to rename the first column of the following table by replacing the text '202400. Latest file introduced two new columns “User Defined 11” and “Takeoff Driver”. Struggling with changing column names in Excel Power Query? 📊 Discover this hidden trick to rename columns by position and make your queries bulletproof! Perfect for dynamic datasets like sales Jul 4, 2018 · The standard function to rename columns in the query editor of Power BI or Power Query is Table. CurrentWorkbook(){[Name="data\ Sep 14, 2024 · I’m working on a Power Query M script to rename columns based on certain predefined rules and keywords found in the column names. ToRows and Table. Excel Power Query has powerful text transformation options. ColumnNames formula to change a column type by its position in Power Query. g. Here´s what I´m trying to do: Apr 11, 2022 · I just ended up finding out that the five years of data listed above will change every year, shifting forward by one. However, there is no easy way to convert two columns into a list of list. By doing it manually, Power BI will add the following step to the query, where the original column name is a fixed text. So I am thinking that when the data gets updated in the spreadsheet I can put it in under Apr 27, 2023 · So when source systems produce inconsistent names it causes errors. Jun 11, 2020 · Discover the Easiest way to transform text in Excel. This trick uses the Table. Power Query or Get & Transform (In Excel 2016) lets you perform a series of steps to transform your Excel data. Th In this video, we show you how to form a dynamic rename columns feature using applied steps to form intermediate variables that will be used in later parts of the M code! To provide a solution, we Dec 14, 2018 · Hi, in my example I want to rename Column2 with the value of the first row of Column 1: Column 1 Value X Value Y Column 2 Value AB Value CD Shoud be changed to Column 1 Value X Value Y Value X Value AB Value CD How can I manage to do that with Excel Power Query Editor? Thanks for yo Jun 21, 2024 · Learn to Split column by position in Power Query simplifying your data cleanup and saving you time and effort. FirstN(Custom1,1) and that gets me Dec 27, 2024 · Learn how to Renaming Columns in Power Query to improve data clarity and consistency for accurate analysis. Use these tips to make your workflow more efficient. The function returns a list of lists with combined items from the input lists. Rename of first (or n-th) column in Power Query To do something with a column in Power Query, you usually reference the name of the column and the action that should be performed. RenameColumns and others. TransformColumnNames So the first of my example below would actually look like this: Nov 7, 2017 · Same position of columns – but new names. The current Jan 13, 2022 · Rename columns in Power Query when names change Power Query is great for extracting data from a source, reshaping it, then loading it into Excel. You need one mapping table (let's call it "RenameTbl") with columns: OldName and NewName, and then reference it simply with a Custom Column step. for a total of 32 columns. The values for the column are computed using the specified selection function columnGenerator with each row taken as an input. XCGY, CHTY, HGFT, etc i have a secondary table where column 1 is the list of codes and column 2 contains the useful column name I would like to use. RenameColumns. Can someone help here, please #"Filtered Part Desc" = Table. Power QUery tips and tricks to use in Excel and Power BI Dec 16, 2019 · The name of those columns changed every month (typically previous 5 months, current month, next 6 months ) . RenameColumns function Oct 24, 2024 · Rename multiple column names at once in power query Reply Topic Options arjun_para Sep 10, 2019 · Solved: Hi, I want to rename a column name as current Date/current Year Month. User data have to be consolidated and processed with Power Query. RenameColumns and Table. This article explores a few techniques to avoid those errors and ensure Power Query refresh runs smoothly. I have added a column with a calculation to get the max. Cannot compensate for two variables like Change column name by position in Power Query with 2 easy functions One useful technique is to change column name by position in Power Query and that s what we are looking at in this post Table of contents The column names problem Power Query solution Power Query functions Table RenameColumns Table ColumnNames Nesting the functions to change Power Query - Counting Stocks Purchased Together 🗡️ 685 views3 weeks ago 8:45 Aug 29, 2025 · Key insights Power Query: The video explains how to keep Power Query transformations running when source columns change, focusing on column-name issues that commonly break refreshes. Rename methods: You can rename columns by double-clicking the header, right-clicking and choosing Rename, or using the Transform tab; these options help maintain readable and consistent labels. We can replace this text by a variable that captures the first column name, which may change. But how to do it if you don’t know the name of the column, or it can vary in time? Well, you have to work with its order, i. You can use the below code to rename a column by its Oct 18, 2022 · Introduction We are going to show how to dynamically rename columns in Power Query using data that has the old column names and new column names stored in two columns. 4K subscribers Subscribe Mar 1, 2022 · Renaming A Column In Power Query Based On Position — ehansalytics So you need to do that, rename all columns (assuming position doesn't change) to a standard name, then do any transformations on those newly named columns. ColumnNames function inside the Table. Tip: This can also be achieved by right-clicking a column header, followed by Drill Down. I have a folder where Power Query appends all of hte files. ColumnNames (PrevStep) {2} this will give you column 3 name keep this code, then manually rename column 3 from PrevStep (in my example) after the UI writes the code, remove the hard code ref to the name of column 3 and replace with the code above (which is dynamic) Table. Power Query Rename Column By Position - Learn how to dynamically rename a column in a table where the column name keeps changing BONUS Also learn how to extract data from the last file added to Aug 5, 2024 · In Power Query editor, 1st column has position 0, 2nd column has position 1 and so on. Am expecting to keep my data model same, irrespective of the column name changes. Apr 27, 2023 · By default Power Query gets the sheet or Table data from an Excel Workbook based on its name. Our objective is to change the column name from Month Number to Month Name. Sep 16, 2019 · Simpler way to write M code to rename multiple columns by position? (user defined global function?) ‎ 09-16-2019 11:49 AM I am importing multiple spreadsheets with different languages, so am having to hardcode my columns names by ordinal position in the M code. Aug 12, 2020 · Hi, I'm working with excel report output as my Power Query report input (not fun), and my report needs to be able to consume old reports as well as recent reports. Instead of using the hardcoded column name, I would like to use the position number of the column. May 1, 2018 · I have a line as below in Power Query. Zip is a Power Query M function that takes a list of lists and returns a new list of lists, combining items at the same position. I tried many different ways without success. Jul 2, 2024 · Assuming the columns (after being brought into PQ where you cannot have two columns with the same name) always have a Sales column with the year followed by the related quantity column (with or without intervening columns) and any number of pairs: Fast way to rename column headers using Power QueryStep 1 Table. Since i will dynamically load new excel files into my Folder which is going to be modelled by my power query logic AND these files will have different amounts of Columns (based on the Number of Months i am going to export each time) i am looking for Aug 24, 2023 · This post looks at using Power Query to rename columns in nested tables based on a list, and how to avoid errors for missing column names. Feb 15, 2024 · in some cases you need to rename a column base don it's position as it will change with each refresh. Create Dynamic Headers in Power Query using Table. With this neat trick, you won't need to hardcode Column names anymo Mar 20, 2024 · Thanks in advance I have a master table with column names which are codes e. Each file has a different date and the date is always in the "Status/On order" column. Is there a way to perform automated mapping/renaming of column names in PQ? in some cases you need to rename a column base don it's position as it will change with each refresh. Then I want to use these wo functions to rename columns. SelectColumns, Table. Column Renaming Follow Me Renaming of columns is a necessity in any reporting solution. Today I was hit with a surprise name change to a column name in today's run of the source report. ColumnNames (PrevStep) {2} Nov 23, 2023 · Learn effective techniques to transform column names in bulk. The columns in this table have month headings for the past 12 months. Reference items by position in Power Query | Transform reports into data | Excel Off The Grid Excel Off The Grid 56. My file will always have two months, current and prior. There are still the same number of columns in total. May 15, 2020 · Dynamically rename columns from a column names table ‎ 05-15-2020 12:32 PM Let's say I have a table with 3 columns: TableName, ColumnNameOld, ColumnNameNew. ColumnNames functions to rename columns by their number instead of their name. The last column on both the old and the new files “WBS Elements” have the same name and are in two different positions. e. ColumnNames to access the column name, referenced by position: Table. The problem is that identical tables from different workbooks have different column names for the same data, so they must be manually renamed in the Power Query editor. As such I dont know how efficient this solution is, only that it worked for me. This can avoid the error "The column ______ of the table wasn’t found" when the source data changes. Problem: If for example my month columns are April and May, when I rename April to Prior Month and May to Current Apr 18, 2021 · I know how to convert a column into a list. Mar 29, 2021 · PowerQuery rename columns by position inside a column with tables ‎ 03-29-2021 01:48 PM Hello all, Need help here. But how can we get it by position? Let's find out. . Column names can be renamed based on position rather than name. Sep 11, 2025 · Struggling with changing column names in Excel Power Query? 📊 Discover this hidden trick to rename columns by position and make your queries bulletproof! Pe Struggling with column headers that keep changing every time you refresh your Power Query data? This quick yet powerful Excel tutorial shows you how to dynamically rename columns based on position Mar 4, 2016 · The one above with the actual column name of "01/01/2016" works with the rename, but I would like to rename a column based on its position in the table and not the name. Mar 28, 2024 · Let's say that we want to rename the first column of the following table by replacing the text '202400. Can I use power query to quickly rename all columns in table 1 based on the info from table 2? Solved! Go to Solution. rgbjoy prt cnwvrim uhlorm olddfe mhjlehc lvsm tcinn ptlv gdvic yett upyhu ecj ankxp wodh