# Connecting Power BI to SQL Databases: A Complete Guide

Microsoft Power BI is one of the most widely used business intelligence tools available today. Organizations rely on it to analyze data, monitor performance, and build interactive dashboards that turn raw numbers into actionable insights. Rather than working with static spreadsheets, analysts can connect Power BI to live data sources — ensuring reports stay accurate and up to date in real time. SQL databases are a natural partner for Power BI. They store structured data in well-defined tables, s