Connecting KoboToolbox to Power BI

Last updated: 22 Aug 2022

The KoboToolbox API allows you to connect your project with other data analysis tools such as Power BI, Excel and Google Sheets. Data you collect is shared with the external application which can then be used for analysis and visualizations and dashboards.

One of the most popular data analysis and visualization programs you can connect to is Microsoft Power BI.

This article walks you through the steps of connecting your project with Power BI. If you would like to connect to Excel, refer to the article here.

Step 1: Get the synchronous exports URL

The first step in bringing data into Power BI is to get the synchronous exports URL through the KoboToolbox API. A detailed process for doing this is outlined in the article here.

Step 2: Add the data source

Once you have your URL, you can proceed with the steps below in Power BI:

  • Click the drop-down arrow on the “Get Data” button

  • Choose “Web”

  • Paste the synchronous export URL you copied and click OK

  • Click Basic for adding your authentication details

  • Type your KoboToolbox username and password and click CONNECT

If you made your project's data public, you can connect without the need for authentication by choosing "Anonymous" in the "Access Web content" dialogue box. Learn more about project permissions here.

A list of the data contained in your project will be displayed in the Navigator.

  • Choose the data you would like to import.

  • Click Load to bring the data in or click Transform Data to open the Power Query Editor, which you can use to clean up and transform the data before loading it.

Get data and Authentication

The tables will be shown in the Fields panel where you can develop your dashboards and reports.

In Power BI you can connect multiple projects. Repeat the process above for each project, using their synchronous export URL. In the case where you have multiple tables (for example if you had repeat groups), you might also need to set up table relationships. This is done in the Model View. Learn more about how to create table relationships here.

Updating the data in your reports

When your project’s data is updated on the KoboToolbox server, such as when you have new submissions, changed validation statuses, edits, or deletions, you will need to synchronize it with your reports.

To do this, click Refresh in the “Home” tab.

Troubleshooting

Failing to connect to KoboToolbox

Sometimes, even after entering the correct credentials to connect to your project, you might see an error. This may happen if Power BI was configured to connect to one account before, and you are now trying to connect using a different account from the same KoboToolbox server.

To reset authentication settings:

  • Go to File -> Options and Settings -> Data Source Settings. Select the existing permissions in the dialogue box and click Clear Permissions. Close and try adding the new connection again.

Clear Permissions

Failing to refresh data

If you are getting an error when your refreshing data, there could be a number of reasons:

  • Your authentication details might have changed. You will need to follow the instructions above to change your Data Source Settings.

  • One or more fields in your form might have been deleted or renamed. You will need to edit the query.

  • There might be a data-type mismatch, especially if you changed the data-type of one or more fields in Power BI. You can attempt to reset the data-type before refreshing the connection.