Combine 2 Excel Files Into 1 Dashboard

To turn two Excel files into one dashboard, first decide how their data fits together: append rows when both files contain the same kind of records, or merge columns when one file adds information to the other. Then build your charts from the checked result—not from two separately maintained ranges.

The workflow below uses Power Query in Excel for Windows. It produces one combined table, a small Excel dashboard, and a separate dataset you can publish for readers who do not use Excel.

1. Choose append or merge

What the two files contain	Use	Expected result
January sales and February sales, with the same fields	Append	One table containing both months’ rows
Sales records and a store directory, linked by store_id	Merge	Sales rows with added store details

Power Query’s append operation matches column names, not column positions. If one file uses Revenue and the other uses Sales, those become separate columns with missing values unless you standardize the headers first. Microsoft’s append documentation explains this behavior.

For either approach, define what one row represents. Do not combine individual transactions with monthly totals as though they were equivalent records. If your inputs are formatted reports rather than clean tables, first reshape them into tabular data.

2. Prepare the two inputs

Here is a fictional example, with one row per month and region. Revenue is measured in USD.

January.xlsx

month	region	revenue_usd
2026-01	North	1000
2026-01	South	600

February.xlsx

month	region	revenue_usd
2026-02	North	1200
2026-02	South	700

Before importing:

• Use one header row, with no merged headings or subtotal rows.
• Give equivalent fields identical names and meanings.
• For this example, store month as text in YYYY-MM form, keep region names consistent, and make revenue numeric.
• Check that both inputs use the same currency and revenue definition.
• Record each file’s row count and revenue total: January has 2 rows and $1,600; February has 2 rows and $1,900.

These figures give you a simple acceptance test for the combined data.

3. Import and append with Power Query

Create a new workbook for the dashboard, keeping the two source files separate.

1. Select Data → Get Data → From File → From Excel Workbook and open January.xlsx.
2. In Navigator, select the table or sheet containing the records, then select Transform Data.
3. Check that the first row supplies the column headers. For this sample, set month and region to Text, and revenue_usd to Fixed decimal number, using the data-type icon beside each column heading. Name the query January.
4. Select Home → Close & Load to load it into the workbook.
5. Repeat for February.xlsx, naming that query February.

Microsoft documents the Excel import path, the Navigator and Transform Data choices, setting column data types, and loading queries to worksheets.

Now combine the queries:

1. Open Data → Queries & Connections and double-click January.
2. In Power Query Editor, select Home → Append Queries → Append Queries as New.
3. Choose Two tables, select February as the second table, and select OK.
4. Name the new query CombinedSales, then select Home → Close & Load.

Using Append Queries as New creates a separate combined query while retaining the two input queries. These are the steps in Microsoft’s append guide.

Check the loaded result before charting it: 4 rows, $3,500 total revenue, and no unexpected empty columns. If the two files overlap, check for repeated records using the fields that identify a row; appending is not a deduplication rule.

If the files need a merge instead

For sales plus a store directory, import both files as separate queries first. Select Home → Merge Queries as New, choose sales as the left table and the directory as the right table, and select store_id in each. Use Left outer to retain all sales rows, select OK, then expand only the directory fields you need from the new table column. Load the merged result with Home → Close & Load.

The matching columns must have the same data type. A left outer join retains left-table rows and returns null for unmatched directory information. See Microsoft’s merge overview and left outer join example.

For a directory intended to contain one row per store, check that store_id is unique before merging. Multiple directory matches can multiply sales rows when expanded. Compare row counts and revenue totals before and after the merge, and investigate unmatched IDs.

4. Build the dashboard from the combined table

Select a cell in the combined table, choose Insert → PivotTable, and place it on a new worksheet. Rename that worksheet Dashboard.

In the PivotTable Fields pane, drag the sample fields into these areas:

• Rows: region
• Columns: month
• Values: revenue_usd, summarized by Sum

The result should be:

region	2026-01	2026-02	Total
North	1000	1200	2200
South	600	700	1300
Total	1600	1900	3500

If Excel shows Count of revenue_usd, inspect the source values and types: Excel may be interpreting the amounts as text. After correcting the source and refreshing, use the value field’s menu → Value Field Settings → Summarize Values By → Sum. Microsoft explains PivotTable creation and value settings.

Select a cell in the PivotTable, then Insert → PivotChart and choose a column chart. Label it “Monthly revenue by region (USD).” Add the reporting period and source filenames beside the dashboard. The PivotChart instructions cover this chart-from-PivotTable route.

When source files change, save them, select Data → Refresh All, and wait for the combined table to finish updating. Then right-click the PivotTable and select Refresh. Recheck the totals before releasing a new version. Microsoft documents external data refresh and manual PivotTable refresh.

5. Publish the data, not the working workbook

For public sharing, copy the reviewed combined table into a new, blank workbook as values only—or prepare a clearly labeled summary if detailed rows are not suitable for release. Include only approved public fields and records, not internal notes or credentials. Do not upload sensitive information.

As of October 26, 2026, TablePage describes support for CSV, TSV, XLSX and XLS uploads that generate a public dataset page with a filterable table and charts. Upload the prepared dataset, rather than expecting the Excel dashboard layout or Power Query connections to become a web dashboard.

Use the CSV export checklist to check the release file. After publishing, compare its row count and totals with your approved Excel result, inspect the chart labels, and provide the source names, units, coverage period and update date alongside the shared link.