There are two main ways to connect to databases like SQL Server and Access with Power Query:

1. Direct Connection:

This method establishes a direct connection between Power Query and the database.

* Steps:
* In Power Query Editor (Excel) or Power BI Desktop, navigate to the "Home" tab.
* Click on "Get Data" and then select "SQL Server database" or "Access database" depending on your database type.
* Details:
* You'll be prompted to enter server details like server name, database name (optional), and authentication credentials.
* Power Query establishes a live connection, meaning any changes in the database might be reflected in your data refresh.
* This method is suitable for real-time data analysis or when you don't need to manipulate the data extensively before importing.

2. Import Data:

This method imports a copy of the data from the database into Power Query.

* Steps:
* Similar to the direct connection, navigate to "Home" > "Get Data" and choose your database type.
* In the connection dialog, you can optionally specify a custom SQL query to filter or retrieve specific data from the database.
* Click "Import" instead of "OK" after setting up the connection.
* Details:
* Power Query imports a snapshot of the data at that specific time.
* Any changes in the database won't be reflected until you refresh the data import.
* This method is preferred when you need to transform or clean the data before using it for analysis.

Additional Considerations:

* Gateways: For on-premises databases (not hosted online), you might need to set up an on-premises data gateway to facilitate communication between Power Query and the database.
* Authentication: Depending on your database security settings, you might need to provide a username and password or use other authentication methods to establish a connection.

For more detailed instructions and advanced options, you can refer to the official Microsoft documentation on Power Query connectors:

* SQL Server: [https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/power-query/connectors/sql-server](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/power-query/connectors/sql-server)
* Access: Specific documentation for Access databases seems to be integrated with the SQL Server connector information. You can still use the same steps for Access databases.