Quick Answer
The answer is SharePoint Online list, OData feed, and SQL Server database. These three are supported because Power BI Dataflows leverage the same Power Query engine used in Power BI Desktop, which natively connects to a wide range of on-premises and cloud-based sources. The OData feed, for example, allows Dataflows to pull data from RESTful APIs that expose OData services, making it a valid and common source for cloud-based data ingestion. On the Microsoft Power BI Data Analyst PL-300 exam, this question tests your understanding of which connectors are available specifically within the Dataflows authoring environment, not just in Power BI Desktop. A common trap is assuming that all Power BI Desktop sources are automatically available in Dataflows—they are not; for instance, web scraping and certain file-based connectors are excluded. To remember the supported categories, think of the three C’s: Cloud services (like SharePoint Online), Connectors via OData, and Corporate databases (like SQL Server).
This PL-300 practice question tests your understanding of prepare the data. Read the scenario carefully and evaluate each option against the stated constraints before committing to an answer. After answering, compare your reasoning against the explanation and wrong-answer breakdown below. Once you have made your selection, read the full explanation to reinforce the concept and understand why each distractor is designed to mislead on exam day.
Which THREE data sources can be used with Power BI Dataflows? (Choose three.)
Power BI dataset
Why wrong: Dataflows cannot use a Power BI dataset as a source directly.
Excel file stored on local drive
Why wrong: Dataflows only work with cloud-based sources; local Excel is not supported.
OData feed
Correct. OData feeds are supported.
Azure SQL Database
Correct. Azure SQL Database is a supported data source.
SharePoint Online list
Correct. SharePoint Online lists are supported.
Answer choices
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
OData feed
OData feeds are supported as a data source in Power BI Dataflows because Dataflows use the Power Query engine, which can connect to OData endpoints to import data. This allows you to pull data from RESTful APIs that expose OData services, making it a valid and common source for cloud-based data ingestion.
Key principle: Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Answer analysis
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
Power BI dataset
Why it's wrong here
Dataflows cannot use a Power BI dataset as a source directly.
Excel file stored on local drive
Why it's wrong here
Dataflows only work with cloud-based sources; local Excel is not supported.
OData feed
Why this is correct
Correct. OData feeds are supported.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Azure SQL Database
Why this is correct
Correct. Azure SQL Database is a supported data source.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
SharePoint Online list
Why this is correct
Correct. SharePoint Online lists are supported.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Common exam traps
The trap here is that candidates often confuse Power BI Dataflows with Power Query in Power BI Desktop, where local file sources like Excel are allowed, but Dataflows in the service strictly require cloud-accessible sources.
Detailed technical explanation
Power BI Dataflows are built on Azure Data Lake Storage Gen2 and use the Power Query Online engine, which supports only cloud-based or network-accessible sources. OData feeds use the OData protocol (e.g., v4) for CRUD operations, while Azure SQL Database uses TDS (Tabular Data Stream) for direct querying. SharePoint Online lists are accessed via the SharePoint REST API, which is also cloud-native. This restriction ensures Dataflows can refresh automatically in the Power BI service without local dependencies.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
A cloud solutions architect for a retail company is evaluating services for a new workload. The correct answer here reflects best practice for the specific scenario described — not a general cloud recommendation. Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option. Cloud exam questions reward reading the constraint carefully: the same technology can be right or wrong depending on the use case.
What to study next
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FAQ
Prepare the data — This question tests Prepare the data — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
The correct answer is: OData feed — OData feeds are supported as a data source in Power BI Dataflows because Dataflows use the Power Query engine, which can connect to OData endpoints to import data. This allows you to pull data from RESTful APIs that expose OData services, making it a valid and common source for cloud-based data ingestion.
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Same concept, more angles
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Variation 1. Which TWO data source types can be used with Power BI dataflows?
easyWhy D: SharePoint Online list (Option D) is a correct answer because Power BI dataflows can connect to SharePoint Online lists as a data source, allowing users to ingest list data directly into a dataflow for transformation and loading into the Power BI service. Azure SQL Database (Option E) is also correct because dataflows support Azure SQL Database as a data source, enabling direct extraction of relational data from Azure SQL databases into the dataflow engine for ETL processes.
Last reviewed: Jun 24, 2026
This PL-300 practice question is part of Courseiva's free Microsoft certification practice question bank. Courseiva provides original exam-style practice questions with explanations, topic-based practice, mock exams, readiness tracking, and study analytics to help learners prepare for the PL-300 exam.
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