Data · All levels
Automate repetitive data preparation in Excel with Power Query
Ten practical lessons that take you from point-and-click transformations to writing your own M code, so reports update with one click.
- 10 practical lessons
- Interface and M language
- Self-check tasks
- 14-day money-back guarantee
Why data preparation eats your week
If you work with reports, you probably know the routine. A fresh export arrives, and you spend the next hour deleting columns, fixing dates, splitting text, copying ranges between files and rebuilding the same lookups. The next month, you do it all again.
The work is not difficult, but it is slow and easy to get wrong. One missed filter or a pasted range that is one row short can quietly change a number that someone later uses to make a decision.
Power Query is the tool built into Excel to end this routine. You describe the cleaning steps once, and Excel repeats them every time the source data changes. Many people open the Power Query window, click a few buttons and then get stuck when the data does not behave as expected.
This course is designed to move you past that point. You will learn the tools in the interface, understand what they do behind the scenes, and then learn the M language so that you can handle the tasks that buttons alone cannot solve.
What you will be able to do
- Navigate the Power Query interface with confidence
Know where each tool lives and what it does to your data.
- Solve data preparation tasks using only the interface
Clean, reshape and combine data without writing any code.
- Automate repeated Excel processing
Build queries that refresh when the source files change.
- Read the M code that Power Query generates
Understand every step in the formula bar and the advanced editor.
- Write and edit M language code
Adjust generated steps and write your own for non-standard tasks.
- Apply M syntax to practical problems
Use functions, lists, records and tables to solve real tasks.
- Test your understanding with self-check tasks
Practise each topic and compare your result with the expected one.
- Replace manual copy-and-paste routines
Turn a recurring hour of cleaning into a single refresh.
- 10
- practical lessons
- 4
- modules
- 2
- approaches: interface and M code
- 1
- set of self-check tasks per topic
Two ways to solve the same problem
The course is built around a simple idea: every task can be approached in two ways. First, you solve it with the tools in the Power Query interface, with no programming at all. This is the fastest route for most everyday jobs and the best way to understand what is possible.
Then you look at the same task through the M language. You see the code that the interface produced, learn how it is structured, and learn how to edit it or write it from scratch. This second view is what lets you go beyond the standard buttons.
Working this way, you do not have to choose between a no-code tool and a programming language. You learn to use the interface where it is quicker and switch to code where it gives you more control.
How the course works
The course is a set of ten practical lessons that you can follow at your own pace. Each lesson focuses on a specific group of tasks and is meant to be done with Excel open next to you, not just watched. Pause, repeat the steps, and try them on your own data.
Every topic comes with tasks for self-checking. You attempt the task first, then compare your approach with the solution shown. This is the most effective way to find the gaps in your understanding before they cause trouble in a real report.
The lessons build on each other, so it is best to go in order the first time through. Later, you can return to any lesson as a reference when a similar problem appears at work.
There is no fixed schedule. Some learners complete a lesson in an evening, others take a week. What matters is that you try each technique on real or sample data until it feels natural.
The programme
Four modules with ten lessons, moving from the interface to the M language.
1Module 1 — First steps in Power QueryGet to know the editor and load your first data.2 lessons
- What Power Query does and where to find it in Excel
- Loading data from files and tables into the editor
- Applied steps: how every action is recorded and repeated
2Module 2 — Transforming data with the interfaceSolve typical cleaning and reshaping tasks without code.3 lessons
- Cleaning columns: types, text, dates and errors
- Splitting, merging, filtering and grouping data
- Pivoting, unpivoting and reshaping tables
- Appending and merging queries from several sources
3Module 3 — The M language basicsRead, understand and edit the code behind your queries.3 lessons
- Reading generated code in the formula bar and advanced editor
- M syntax: values, expressions and the let…in structure
- Working with text, numbers, dates and conditions in code
- Lists, records and tables as building blocks
4Module 4 — Solving tasks with M codeCombine interface and code for practical, repeatable automation.2 lessons
- Writing custom columns and functions
- Processing many files with one query
- Fixing non-standard tasks by editing the code
- Final practical tasks for self-checking
What you get
- Ten practical video lessons
Step-by-step demonstrations you can follow in Excel.
- Interface-based solutions
Methods that need no programming at all.
- An introduction to the M language
Syntax and code editing explained through real tasks.
- Self-check tasks
Exercises for each topic so you can test your progress.
- Self-paced access
Study when it suits you and revisit any lesson.
- 14-day money-back guarantee
Try the course and request a refund if it is not right for you.
Is this course for you?
This course is for you if…
- Analysts and accountants who prepare the same reports every week or month
- Excel users who want to stop copying, pasting and cleaning data by hand
- People who have opened Power Query but are unsure how to go further
- Those who want to learn the M language to solve non-standard tasks
- Anyone preparing data for Power BI who wants a strong foundation first
Probably not a fit if…
- Those looking for a course about building dashboards and visual reports
- Learners who expect to become programmers without practising
- Anyone who wants personal consulting on their own project
- Those without access to a version of Excel that includes Power Query
After the course
Once you finish, a recurring task like merging monthly files and tidying the result becomes a query you refresh. The steps are saved, visible and easy to check, which makes your work faster and also easier to trust.
When data arrives in an unexpected shape, you will know whether to adjust the steps in the interface or open the code and change them there. That flexibility is what separates occasional users from people who can automate nearly any preparation task.
You will also be ready for the next stage. Power Query is a core part of Power BI, so the skills you build here carry straight over if you decide to move into dashboards and reporting.
Questions before you buy
How much time do I need per week?
There is no fixed schedule. Many learners find that a few hours a week is enough to complete a lesson and its tasks comfortably, but you can go faster or slower.
Do I need any prior knowledge?
You should be comfortable with basic Excel: working with tables, formulas and several files. No programming experience is required, as the M language is explained from the beginning.
Which version of Excel do I need?
You need a version of Excel that includes Power Query, either built in or available as an add-in. Check that the Data tab offers the option to get data from files before you start.
How does access work after payment?
After you pay, the course is added to your account and you can start straight away. You then study in your own time with no deadlines.
What format are the lessons in?
The course consists of self-paced video lessons with practical tasks. You watch the demonstrations and repeat them in Excel yourself.
Will the material stay available?
Yes. Once purchased, the lessons stay in your account so you can return to them whenever you need a refresher.
What if the course is not what I expected?
You can request a refund within 14 days of purchase. We want you to be satisfied with what you bought.
Will I have to write code?
Not at first. The early lessons solve tasks with the interface only. Later, you learn the M language step by step and use it where it makes your queries more flexible.
Make your next report build itself
Start the first lesson today and replace a repetitive routine with a query that does the work for you.