---
title: Use Power BI to visualize data
description: Use Microsoft Power BI Desktop with the InfluxDB 3 custom connector to query and visualize data from InfluxDB 3 Core.
url: https://docs.influxdata.com/influxdb3/core/visualize-data/powerbi/
estimated_tokens: 2390
product: InfluxDB 3 Core
version: core
publisher: InfluxData
canonical: https://docs.influxdata.com/influxdb3/core/visualize-data/powerbi/
date: '2026-01-15T11:24:09-08:00'
lastmod: '2026-01-15T11:24:09-08:00'
---

* SQL

Use [Microsoft Power BI Desktop](https://powerbi.microsoft.com/) with the
This guide includes Windows (64‑bit) installation steps for the Arrow Flight SQL ODBC driver and the InfluxDB 3 Power BI connector.

>
>
> Microsoft Power BI is a collection of software services, apps, and connectors
> that work together to turn your unrelated sources of data into coherent,
> visually immersive, and interactive insights.
>
>
>
> – [Microsoft Power BI documentation](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/power-bi/fundamentals/power-bi-overview)
>
>

> [!Important]
> These instructions are for Power BI Desktop only; it uses a custom connector.

1. [Prerequisites](#prerequisites)
2. [Install the Arrow Flight SQL ODBC driver](#install-the-arrow-flight-sql-odbc-driver)
3. [Install the Power BI connector](#install-the-power-bi-connector)
4. [Enable the connector in Power BI](#enable-the-connector-in-power-bi)
5. [Connect Power BI to InfluxDB](#connect-power-bi-to-influxdb)
6. [Query and visualize data](#query-and-visualize-data)

## Prerequisites

* **Windows operating system**: The custom connector requires Windows
  (macOS users can use virtualization software like [Parallels](https://www.parallels.com/))
* **Power BI Desktop**: [Download and install Power BI Desktop](https://powerbi.microsoft.com/desktop/)(A free trial is available)
* **InfluxDB 3 Core**: A running instance with data to query
* **Database token**: Your

[admin token](/influxdb3/core/admin/tokens/database)

## Install the Arrow Flight SQL ODBC driver

The InfluxDB 3 custom connector for Power BI requires the Arrow Flight SQL ODBC driver.
Install the driver before installing the Power BI connector.

[Download the Arrow Flight SQL ODBC driver](https://docs.influxdata.com/downloads/apache-arrow-flight-sql-odbc-1.0.0-win64.msi)

1. Run the downloaded `.msi` installer.
2. Follow the installation wizard using default settings.
3. Complete the installation.

#### Verify driver installation

1. Open the Windows application [ODBC Data Source Administrator (64-bit)](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/sql/database-engine/configure-windows/open-the-odbc-data-source-administrator).
2. Open the [ODBC Data Source Administrator (64-bit) Windows component](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/sql/database-engine/configure-windows/open-the-odbc-data-source-administrator)
3. Navigate to the **Drivers** tab
4. Verify **Arrow Flight SQL ODBC Driver** appears in the list.

## Install the Power BI connector

After installing the ODBC driver, download and install the InfluxDB 3 custom connector for Power BI Desktop.

[Download the InfluxDB 3 Power BI connector](https://docs.influxdata.com/downloads/InfluxDB.pqx)

### Move the connector to the custom connectors directory

1. Create the custom connectors folder if it doesn’t exist:

   ```
   mkdir "$env:USERPROFILE\Documents\Power BI Desktop\Custom Connectors"
   ```

2. Move the connector file to the custom connectors folder:

   ```
   Move-Item "C:\Users\YOUR_USER\Downloads\InfluxDB.pqx" `
     "$env:USERPROFILE\Documents\Power BI Desktop\Custom Connectors\"
   ```

   Replace the following:

   * `YOUR_USER`: Your Windows username

## Enable the connector in Power BI

To use custom connectors, you must adjust Power BI Desktop’s security settings:

1. Open Power BI Desktop
2. Select **File** \> **Options and settings** \> **Options**
3. Navigate to **Security** under **GLOBAL**
4. Under **Data Extensions**, select **(Not Recommended) Allow any extension to
   load without validation or warning**
5. Click **OK**
6. **Restart Power BI Desktop** for the changes to take effect

#### Security considerations

Enabling uncertified extensions allows any custom connector to load.
Only enable this setting if you trust the connectors you’re installing.

## Connect Power BI to InfluxDB

After installing the connector and restarting Power BI Desktop:

1. Open **Power BI Desktop**

2. Click **Get Data** \> **More**

3. Search for **InfluxDB 3** and select it

4. Click **Connect**

5. In the **InfluxDB 3** connection dialog, configure the following:

   * **Server**: Your InfluxDB 3 Core URL without the port, (for example,

`http://localhost`)

* **Database**: Your database name
* **Port**: Your server port (for example,`8181` (default)
  )
* **Native Query** (optional): Enter a SQL query to limit the data loaded

1. Select **DirectQuery** as the **Data Connectivity mode**

2. Click **OK**

3. When prompted for credentials:

   * Select **Basic** authentication
   * **Username**: Leave blank or enter any value
   * **Password**: Enter your

[admin token](/influxdb3/core/admin/tokens/database)

1. Click **Connect**

2. Preview your data and click **Load**

#### Limit query size for optimal performance

InfluxDB 3 Core can handle high throughput and dimensional data.
To ensure Power BI can successfully process data, limit query size by:

* Using a `LIMIT` clause
* Specifying time ranges with `WHERE time >= ...`
* Filtering by specific columns or tags

## Query and visualize data

### Use Native Queries

When connecting to InfluxDB 3, you can use the **Native Query** option to
execute custom SQL queries:

1. In the connection dialog, enable **Native Query**

2. Enter your query in the provided field:

   ```
   SELECT
     time,
     temp,
     room
   FROM
     home
   WHERE
     time >= now() - INTERVAL '7 days'
   ORDER BY
     time DESC
   LIMIT 1000
   ```

3. Select **DirectQuery** as the connectivity mode

4. Click **OK** to load the data

### Create visualizations

After loading data, Power BI displays your dataset in the **Fields** pane.

#### View data in a table

1. In the **Visualizations** pane, select the **Table** visualization
2. In the **Fields** pane, select the columns to display:
   * **time**: Timestamp column
   * **room**: Tag column
   * **temp**: Field column

3. By default, Power BI summarizes numeric fields.
   To display raw values:
   * Select the field in the **Fields** or **Visualizations** pane
   * Go to the **Modeling** tab
   * Change **Default Summarization** to **Don’t Summarize**

#### Create time series visualizations

1. In the **Visualizations** pane, select a visualization type
   (for example, **Line chart**)
2. Drag fields to the appropriate areas:
   * **X-axis**: `time` field
   * **Y-axis**: Measurement fields (for example, `temp`)
   * **Legend**: Tag fields (for example, `room`)

3. Use the **Filters** pane to apply additional filters
4. Configure visualization properties in the **Format** pane
5. Save your report

### Time series best practices

* Always include time range filters in your queries to limit data volume
* Use the `time` column for time-based visualizations
* Apply Power BI’s date hierarchy features with the `time` column
* Select only the columns you need to improve query performance
* Use the `LIMIT` clause to restrict the number of rows returned

## Troubleshooting

### Driver not found

If Power BI or other applications can’t find the Arrow Flight SQL ODBC driver:

1. Open the [ODBC Data Source Administrator (64-bit) Windows component](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/sql/database-engine/configure-windows/open-the-odbc-data-source-administrator)
2. Navigate to the **Drivers** tab
3. Verify **Arrow Flight SQL ODBC Driver** appears in the list
4. If not listed, reinstall the driver

### Connector not found

If Power BI Desktop doesn’t show the InfluxDB 3 connector:

* Verify the `.pqx` file is in the correct location:`Documents\Power BI Desktop\Custom Connectors\`
* Ensure you enabled custom connectors in Power BI security settings
* Restart Power BI Desktop after copying the connector file

### Connection errors

If you encounter connection errors:

* Verify your InfluxDB 3 Core instance is running and accessible

* Check that the host URL and port are correct:

  * Local instances typically use `http://localhost:8181`
  *

* Ensure `UseEncryption` is configured correctly for your connection type

* Verify network connectivity and firewall rules allow connections on the specified port

* Ensure your token has query permissions for the specified database

### Authentication errors

If authentication fails:

* Verify your database token is valid and not expired

* Ensure the token is specified correctly (in the **Password** field for Power BI)

*
* Check that the token was copied correctly without extra spaces or characters

* Leave the **Username** field blank or enter any value

### Query errors

If queries fail or return errors:

* Verify SQL syntax is correct for InfluxDB SQL
* Check that referenced tables (measurements) exist in the database
* Ensure column names match your schema
* Review the [SQL reference](/influxdb3/core/reference/sql/) for supported features
* For large result sets, consider adding `LIMIT` clauses

### Query performance

For better query performance:

* Always use `WHERE` clauses to filter data before loading
* Include time range filters (for example, `WHERE time >= now() - INTERVAL '7 days'`) to limit the data scanned
* Select only the columns you need
* Use the `LIMIT` clause to restrict result size
* Consider using **DirectQuery** mode instead of **Import** for large datasets
* Monitor query execution for optimization opportunities

#### Related

* [Power BI documentation](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/power-bi/desktop/)
* [Query data with SQL](/influxdb3/core/query-data/sql/)

[visualization](/influxdb3/core/tags/visualization/)[powerbi](/influxdb3/core/tags/powerbi/)[sql](/influxdb3/core/tags/sql/)