{"id":182580,"date":"2026-02-18T21:55:14","date_gmt":"2026-02-18T20:55:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/liora.io\/en\/?p=182580"},"modified":"2026-02-18T21:55:15","modified_gmt":"2026-02-18T20:55:15","slug":"how-do-i-merge-tables-in-power-query","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/liora.io\/en\/how-do-i-merge-tables-in-power-query","title":{"rendered":"How do I merge tables in Power Query?"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><strong>Confronted with numerous sources of data, data experts need to identify the relationships between different pieces of information. To do this, they can merge two tables with Power Query. This query editor simplifies the task of data modeling, for more efficient and reliable analysis.<\/strong><\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:post-content -->\n\n<!-- wp:heading -->\n<h2 id=\"h-what-is-the-merge-function-in-power-query\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">What is the merge function in Power Query?<\/h2>\n<!-- \/wp:heading -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>Merging tables in Power Query allows you to join two queries found in Excel, or an Excel query and a query from an external <a href=\"https:\/\/liora.io\/en\/data-sources-understanding-the-definition-and-inner-workings\">data source<\/a> (such as Power BI).<\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>You can choose between two types of merge:<\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:list {\"ordered\":true} -->\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\"><!-- wp:list-item -->\n<li><strong>Embedded merge:<\/strong> data is integrated into an existing query.<\/li>\n<!-- \/wp:list-item -->\n\n<!-- wp:list-item -->\n<li><strong>Intermediate merge:<\/strong> a new query is created for each merge operation.<\/li>\n<!-- \/wp:list-item --><\/ol>\n<!-- \/wp:list -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>For example, this type of grouping can be useful for companies with several subsidiaries. In this case, each subsidiary often has its own table representing sales. If you want a consolidated view of all group transactions, you can use <strong>Power Query<\/strong> to merge the subsidiary tables.<\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p><strong>Good to know:<\/strong> you can only merge two queries for which you have the necessary access rights. <a href=\"https:\/\/liora.io\/en\/power-query-what-is-it-whats-it-for\">Power Query<\/a>&#8216;s different levels of confidentiality (public, organizational and private) prevent you from accidentally merging tables containing<a href=\"https:\/\/liora.io\/en\/records-manager-a-key-data-governance-job\"> sensitive data.<\/a><\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:buttons {\"className\":\"is-layout-flex wp-block-buttons-is-layout-flex is-content-justification-center\",\"layout\":{\"type\":\"flex\",\"justifyContent\":\"center\"}} -->\n<div class=\"wp-block-buttons is-layout-flex wp-block-buttons-is-layout-flex is-content-justification-center\"><!-- wp:button -->\n<div class=\"wp-block-button\"><a class=\"wp-block-button__link wp-element-button\" href=\"https:\/\/liora.io\/en\/courses\/data-ai\/power-bi\">Learn to use Power Query<\/a><\/div>\n<!-- \/wp:button --><\/div>\n<!-- \/wp:buttons -->\n\n<!-- wp:heading -->\n<h2 id=\"h-how-do-i-merge-2-tables-with-power-query\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">How do I merge 2 tables with Power Query?<\/h2>\n<!-- \/wp:heading -->\n\n<!-- wp:heading {\"level\":3} -->\n<h3 id=\"h-merging-2-tables-with-the-power-query-editor\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">Merging 2 tables with the Power Query editor<\/h3>\n<!-- \/wp:heading -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>If you have 2 tables to group, with at least one or more columns to combine, you can use <strong>Power Query<\/strong> to merge the 2 tables. Here&#8217;s how to do it:<\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:list -->\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><!-- wp:list-item -->\n<li>Start by opening a query in the Power Query editor.<\/li>\n<!-- \/wp:list-item -->\n\n<!-- wp:list-item -->\n<li>Choose a cell and select &#8220;Query&#8221;, then &#8220;Modify&#8221;.<\/li>\n<!-- \/wp:list-item -->\n\n<!-- wp:list-item -->\n<li>In &#8220;Home&#8221;, click on &#8220;Merge queries&#8221;. By default, this is an embedded merge. If you require an intermediate merge, click on &#8220;Merge queries as New&#8221;.<\/li>\n<!-- \/wp:list-item -->\n\n<!-- wp:list-item -->\n<li>In the dialog box, select the main table first, then a join column (simply click on the column header).<\/li>\n<!-- \/wp:list-item -->\n\n<!-- wp:list-item -->\n<li>Next, select the associated secondary table, then the corresponding column. You will then see the number of matches.<\/li>\n<!-- \/wp:list-item -->\n\n<!-- wp:list-item -->\n<li>This will tell you whether or not there are any errors in the merge operation.<\/li>\n<!-- \/wp:list-item -->\n\n<!-- wp:list-item -->\n<li>Select the type of join.<\/li>\n<!-- \/wp:list-item -->\n\n<!-- wp:list-item -->\n<li>Click on &#8220;Use approximate match to perform the merge&#8221;, then choose from the various approximate match options. This step is optional.<\/li>\n<!-- \/wp:list-item -->\n\n<!-- wp:list-item -->\n<li>Click on &#8220;Include matching lines only&#8221;.<\/li>\n<!-- \/wp:list-item -->\n\n<!-- wp:list-item -->\n<li>Otherwise, you&#8217;ll get a left outer join.<\/li>\n<!-- \/wp:list-item -->\n\n<!-- wp:list-item -->\n<li>Click on OK.<\/li>\n<!-- \/wp:list-item --><\/ul>\n<!-- \/wp:list -->\n\n<!-- wp:image {\"align\":\"center\"} -->\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/liora.io\/app\/uploads\/2023\/10\/fusion-2-tables-power-query1.jpg\" alt=\"\" title=\"\"><\/figure>\n<!-- \/wp:image -->\n\n<!-- wp:buttons {\"className\":\"is-layout-flex wp-block-buttons-is-layout-flex is-content-justification-center\",\"layout\":{\"type\":\"flex\",\"justifyContent\":\"center\"}} -->\n<div class=\"wp-block-buttons is-layout-flex wp-block-buttons-is-layout-flex is-content-justification-center\"><!-- wp:button -->\n<div class=\"wp-block-button\"><a class=\"wp-block-button__link wp-element-button\" href=\"https:\/\/liora.io\/en\/courses\/data-ai\/power-bi\">Mastering Power Query<\/a><\/div>\n<!-- \/wp:button --><\/div>\n<!-- \/wp:buttons -->\n\n<!-- wp:heading {\"level\":3} -->\n<h3 id=\"h-the-different-types-of-join\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">The different types of join<\/h3>\n<!-- \/wp:heading -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>Power Query offers several types of joins in its table merge query. Here are your options:<\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:list -->\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><!-- wp:list-item -->\n<li>Internal join: this is the default option. In this case, only the rows corresponding to the primary and secondary tables will be integrated.<\/li>\n<!-- \/wp:list-item -->\n\n<!-- wp:list-item -->\n<li>Left outer join: all rows of the primary table are maintained, plus the corresponding rows of the secondary table.<\/li>\n<!-- \/wp:list-item -->\n\n<!-- wp:list-item -->\n<li>Right outer join: conversely, all rows from the secondary table are maintained, along with the corresponding rows from the primary table.<\/li>\n<!-- \/wp:list-item -->\n\n<!-- wp:list-item -->\n<li>Full outer: rows from two tables are inserted in their entirety.<\/li>\n<!-- \/wp:list-item -->\n\n<!-- wp:list-item -->\n<li>Left anti-join: only rows from the primary table that have no correspondence with the secondary table are joined.<\/li>\n<!-- \/wp:list-item -->\n\n<!-- wp:list-item -->\n<li>Right anti-join: only rows from the secondary table that do not match the primary table are combined.<\/li>\n<!-- \/wp:list-item -->\n\n<!-- wp:list-item -->\n<li>Cross-join: combines all rows in the primary table with those in the secondary table.<\/li>\n<!-- \/wp:list-item --><\/ul>\n<!-- \/wp:list -->\n\n<!-- wp:heading {\"level\":3} -->\n<h3 id=\"h-bonus-tips\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">Bonus tips<\/h3>\n<!-- \/wp:heading -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p><strong>Tip no. 1:<\/strong> To successfully merge 2 tables with Power Query, you must have the same number of columns to match, and above all, select them in the right order.<\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>For example, if, for the main table, you select a unit price column first, a product column second and a quantity column third, you must respect exactly the same order for the secondary table. It is this selection order that will enable the comparison of common columns.<\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>Similarly, linked columns must have the same format. For example, the 2 price columns must contain numbers, while the two product columns contain textual data.<\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p><strong>Tip 2:<\/strong> To better understand the relationships between the two merged tables, you can use the &#8220;Query dependencies&#8221; dialog box. To do this, follow the steps below:<\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:list -->\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><!-- wp:list-item -->\n<li>Click on &#8220;Show dependencies&#8221;.<\/li>\n<!-- \/wp:list-item -->\n\n<!-- wp:list-item -->\n<li>Click on &#8220;Query&#8221;.<\/li>\n<!-- \/wp:list-item -->\n\n<!-- wp:list-item -->\n<li>Select the &#8220;Layout&#8221; command (this will allow you to control the orientation of the visual representation).<\/li>\n<!-- \/wp:list-item --><\/ul>\n<!-- \/wp:list -->\n\n<!-- wp:heading -->\n<h2 id=\"h-join-liora-to-manage-your-databases\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">Join Liora to manage your databases<\/h2>\n<!-- \/wp:heading -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>Thanks to its wide range of queries, the Power Query editor is one of the preferred tools of data experts for managing and modeling their databases. But mastering all the available queries requires both theoretical and practical <strong>Power Query training.<\/strong><\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>This is exactly what we offer at Liora. Once you&#8217;ve familiarized yourself with the main concepts, you&#8217;ll be able to apply them to real-life situations. You&#8217;ll be up and running by the end of the course. Come and join us!<\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:image {\"align\":\"center\"} -->\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/liora.io\/app\/uploads\/2023\/10\/fusion-2-tables-power-query2.jpg\" alt=\"\" title=\"\"><\/figure>\n<!-- \/wp:image -->\n\n<!-- wp:buttons {\"className\":\"is-layout-flex wp-block-buttons-is-layout-flex is-content-justification-center\",\"layout\":{\"type\":\"flex\",\"justifyContent\":\"center\"}} -->\n<div class=\"wp-block-buttons is-layout-flex wp-block-buttons-is-layout-flex is-content-justification-center\"><!-- wp:button -->\n<div class=\"wp-block-button\"><a class=\"wp-block-button__link wp-element-button\" href=\"https:\/\/liora.io\/en\/courses\/data-ai\/power-bi\">Learn all about Power Query<\/a><\/div>\n<!-- \/wp:button --><\/div>\n<!-- \/wp:buttons -->\n\n<!-- wp:html -->\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\">\n{\n  \"@context\": \"https:\/\/schema.org\",\n  \"@type\": \"FAQPage\",\n  \"mainEntity\": [\n    {\n      \"@type\": \"Question\",\n      \"name\": \"What is the merge function in Power Query?\",\n      \"acceptedAnswer\": {\n        \"@type\": \"Answer\",\n        \"text\": \"Merging tables in Power Query allows you to join two queries\u2014such as two Excel tables or an Excel table and a data source\u2014so that related information from both can be combined into a single dataset.\u00a0([turn0search0])\"\n      }\n    },\n    {\n      \"@type\": \"Question\",\n      \"name\": \"How do I merge two tables with Power Query?\",\n      \"acceptedAnswer\": {\n        \"@type\": \"Answer\",\n        \"text\": \"To merge two tables in Power Query, open one table in the query editor, click \u201cMerge queries\u201d (or \u201cMerge queries as New\u201d), then select the primary table and join column, the secondary table and its matching column, choose a join type, and click OK.\u00a0([turn0search0])\"\n      }\n    },\n    {\n      \"@type\": \"Question\",\n      \"name\": \"What types of joins can I use when merging tables in Power Query?\",\n      \"acceptedAnswer\": {\n        \"@type\": \"Answer\",\n        \"text\": \"Power Query offers various join types such as internal (only matching rows), left outer (all from primary with matches), right outer (all from secondary with matches), full outer (all rows from both), left anti\u2011join, right anti\u2011join and cross\u2011join.\u00a0([turn0search0])\"\n      }\n    },\n    {\n      \"@type\": \"Question\",\n      \"name\": \"Can I use approximate matches when merging tables?\",\n      \"acceptedAnswer\": {\n        \"@type\": \"Answer\",\n        \"text\": \"Yes \u2014 when merging, you can choose to \u2018Use approximate match\u2019 and select from approximate match options to handle non\u2011exact key matches, though this step is optional.\u00a0([turn0search0])\"\n      }\n    },\n    {\n      \"@type\": \"Question\",\n      \"name\": \"What are tips for successfully merging tables in Power Query?\",\n      \"acceptedAnswer\": {\n        \"@type\": \"Answer\",\n        \"text\": \"To merge successfully, ensure the matching columns have the same data format and are selected in the same order across tables, and optionally use the Query Dependencies view to visualise relationships.\u00a0([turn0search1])\"\n      }\n    }\n  ]\n}\n<\/script>\n\n<!-- \/wp:html -->","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Confronted with numerous sources of data, data experts need to identify the relationships between different pieces of information. To do this, they can merge two tables with Power Query. This query editor simplifies the task of data modeling, for more efficient and reliable analysis. What is the merge function in Power Query? Merging tables in [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":55,"featured_media":207289,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"editor_notices":[],"footnotes":""},"categories":[2433],"class_list":["post-182580","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-data-ai"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/liora.io\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/182580","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/liora.io\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/liora.io\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/liora.io\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/55"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/liora.io\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=182580"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/liora.io\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/182580\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":207290,"href":"https:\/\/liora.io\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/182580\/revisions\/207290"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/liora.io\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/207289"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/liora.io\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=182580"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/liora.io\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=182580"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}