Connect ODK Central to Power BI and Excel
To connect ODK Central to Power BI or Excel, copy the form's OData feed URL from the Submissions tab and add it as an OData source — your dashboard then refreshes live as new submissions arrive, with no CSV exports. OData is a standard live-data link that both Power BI and Excel read natively.
This is the upgrade from one-off CSV exports: build the dashboard once, and it stays current.
Use the ODK Central API and automation guide when the workflow needs credentials, resource operations, attachments, or controlled writes rather than only a reporting feed.
Before connecting a dashboard, follow the ODK submission review checklist to confirm the source records, review states, repeats, and media you want to analyze.
Step 1: Get the OData URL from ODK Central
- Open your project and form in ODK Central.
- Go to the Submissions tab.
- Click Analyze via OData.
- Copy the OData service URL shown.
Keep this URL handy — it is the live endpoint Power BI and Excel will read.
Step 2: Connect Power BI
- In Power BI Desktop, click Get Data → OData feed.
- Paste the OData URL and click OK.
- When asked to authenticate, choose Basic and enter the email and password of an ODK Central web user with access to the project.
- Select the Submissions table (and any repeat tables) and click Load.
Now build your visuals. To pull new submissions, click Refresh — or set up scheduled refresh in the Power BI service.
Authenticate with a web user account, not an app user. App users are for ODK Collect devices in the field; web users are the accounts that sign in to ODK Central and can read the OData feed.
Step 3: Connect Excel (alternative)
Excel reads OData too:
- Data → Get Data → From Other Sources → From OData Feed.
- Paste the OData URL and enter your ODK web user credentials.
- Load the table, then use Data → Refresh All to update.
OData vs CSV: which should you use?
- CSV download — fine for a final, one-time export to share or archive.
- OData feed — right for any dashboard you will look at more than once, because it refreshes instead of going stale.
OData puts the data pipeline in your hands, but you still build every chart, refresh, and quality check yourself. If your goal is survey monitoring — GPS maps, enumerator metrics, and fraud signals — DataSnap delivers those out of the box from the same ODK server, no Power BI modeling required.
Next: Exporting ODK data to CSV and Excel →
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I connect ODK Central to Power BI?
In ODK Central, open the form's Submissions tab, click Analyze via OData, and copy the OData service URL. In Power BI Desktop, choose Get Data, then OData feed, paste the URL, authenticate with a web user's credentials using Basic auth, and load the Submissions table.
What is the OData feed in ODK Central?
OData is a standard live-data link that ODK Central publishes for every form. Instead of downloading a static CSV, tools like Power BI and Excel read the OData URL and refresh to pull the latest submissions automatically, keeping dashboards current.
Can I connect Excel to ODK Central?
Yes. In Excel, go to Data, Get Data, From Other Sources, From OData Feed, then paste the ODK Central OData URL and enter your web user credentials. Use Refresh All to update the workbook as new submissions come in.
Which credentials do I use for the ODK OData feed?
Use an ODK Central web user account — the email and password used to sign in to Central — with access to the project. App users, which connect ODK Collect devices, cannot authenticate to the OData feed. Choose Basic authentication when prompted.
Does the ODK OData feed update automatically?
The feed always serves current data, but your dashboard updates when you refresh it. In Power BI you can click Refresh or schedule automatic refreshes; in Excel use Refresh All. This avoids re-downloading and re-importing a CSV each time.
How are repeat groups handled over OData?
Each repeat group appears as its own table in the OData feed, alongside the main Submissions table. In Power BI or Excel you load the tables you need and relate them by the submission ID, just as you would with the separate CSV exports.
No Credit Card Required
Build the form first. Add hosting when you need it.
Start free with LooprAI, then deploy a managed ODK Central server or run DataSnap checks when your project is ready.
Hundreds of users trust SurveyLoopr