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Data & Analytics · Intermediate

DirectQuery

A Power BI storage mode that sends queries to the source at report time instead of importing data, keeping results current.

Definition

DirectQuery suits very large or near-real-time sources but performance depends on the source. Power Query transformations must fold, some DAX functions are limited, and each visual generates source queries.

Exam tip

Data too large to import or must be near real time = DirectQuery; expect slower visuals.

Related terms