Get data from OneDrive Personal files with Power Query

I shared how to get data from OneDrive or SharePoint into Power Query in a previous post. Many people noted that the method shown in that post works with OneDrive for Business but doesn’t work with OneDrive Personal. So, in this post, I will demonstrate the technique needed to connect Power Query to files in OneDrive Personal.

Watch the video

Watch the video on YouTube.

NOTES:

There is not an official OneDrive Personal connector from Microsoft. The method in this post uses a standard web approach which may not be optimal for your scenario.
While it is possible to connect to a folder in OneDrive for Business, there is no way (to my knowledge) to connect to a folder within OneDrive personal.

Find the URL

To access files stored in the cloud on OneDrive Personal, we require a web connector in Power Query. Therefore, finding the correct URL is critical to getting this method to work.

Follow these steps:

Navigate to the file in OneDrive
Click on the three dots next to the file name, select Embed from the menu
A pane will open requesting if you wish to generate the HTML. Click the Generate button
Copy the generated code and paste it into Excel, Word, or Notepad, as we need to edit it.

The generated code looks like this:

<iframe src="https://onedrive.live.com/embed?cid=F802C05E130E74FE& resid=F802C05E130E74FE%xxxxxx&authkey=xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx&em=2" width="402" height="346" frameborder="0" scrolling="no"></iframe>

Now let’s edit this code. Remove the start, end, and cid code.

<iframe src="https://onedrive.live.com/embed?cid=F802C05E130E74FE& resid=F802C05E130E74FE%xxxxxx&authkey=xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx&em=2" width="402" height="346" frameborder="0" scrolling="no"></iframe>

The remaining code looks like this:

https://onedrive.live.com/embed?resid=F802C05E130E74FE%xxxxxx &authkey=xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx&em=2

Replace the word embed with download. The final URL looks like this:

https://onedrive.live.com/download?resid=F802C05E130E74FE%xxxxxx&authkey=xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx&em=2

Copy the URL to the clipboard

Connect to the file in Power Query

Now it’s time to get the data into Excel/Power Query.

In Excel, click Data > From Web (or the alternative is Data > Get Data > From Other Sources > From Web).
Paste the URL into the URL box.
Click OK.

As the authentication key is included in the URL, you will not need to sign in.

Ta-dah! You are now connected to the file on OneDrive or SharePoint.

A little warning

In OneDrive, when you created the HTML code, did you see the warning message:

“Note: Anyone who visits the blog or webpage with this embedded file will be able to view it without signing in.”

The HTML code created includes an authentication key; therefore, it is not necessary for anybody to sign in to view the file. The file is shared with anybody who has the URL. So, while this method works for getting data from OneDrive Personal, I would not recommend it for highly sensitive data that should not be viewed by others.

Conclusion

Just like connecting to OneDrive for business, OneDrive personal also requires a bit of URL trickery to identify the correct files. I wish Microsoft would make this straightforward and obvious to users. Until then, at least you know this other method. 👍

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About the author

Hey, I’m Mark, and I run Excel Off The Grid.

My parents tell me that at the age of 7 I declared I was going to become a qualified accountant. I was either psychic or had no imagination, as that is exactly what happened. However, it wasn't until I was 35 that my journey really began.

In 2015, I started a new job, for which I was regularly working after 10pm. As a result, I rarely saw my children during the week. So, I started searching for the secrets to automating Excel. I discovered that by building a small number of simple tools, I could combine them together in different ways to automate nearly all my regular tasks. This meant I could work less hours (and I got pay raises!). Today, I teach these techniques to other professionals in our training program so they too can spend less time at work (and more time with their children and doing the things they love).

Do you need help adapting this post to your needs?

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But, if you're still struggling you should:

Read other blogs, or watch YouTube videos on the same topic. You will benefit much more by discovering your own solutions.
Ask the 'Excel Ninja' in your office. It's amazing what things other people know.
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