Can't find the option of "From Folder" when using "Get Data" in Excel

Question

Can't find the option of "From Folder" when using "Get Data" in Excel

Frank Lin 0

Hi Sir/Madam,

When using "Get Data" in Excel, Version 16.99.1 (25072013) for Mac, I can't see the option of "From Folder", so I can't get data from multiple workbooks from same folder. That's inconvenient.

Could you please help check the reason and solution?

Thanks.

Best regards.

Austin-H 3,555 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2025-08-11T07:16:03.6366667+00:00

Hi @Frank Lin

It has been a while since your last approach.

May I know if you have checked on Michelle's suggestions? Were they useful to you?

I am looking forward to your reply.

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Austin-H 3,555 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2025-08-11T07:16:03.6366667+00:00

Hi @Frank Lin

It has been a while since your last approach.

May I know if you have checked on Michelle's suggestions? Were they useful to you?

I am looking forward to your reply.

Answer 1

Michelle-N 3,505 Microsoft External Staff Moderator

Dear @Frank Lin

Thank you for reaching out to the Microsoft Q&A Forum.

I understand that you are trying to get data from multiple workbooks within a folder on your Mac, but the "From Folder" connector is missing from the "Get Data" menu. This is a known limitation in Excel for Mac's Power Query feature compared to the Windows version.

However, I have tested a workaround that will allow you to achieve exactly what you need. It involves two main stages: first, granting Excel permission to access the folder using a simple command, and second, using a blank Power Query to pull in the data. Please follow below steps:

Step 1: Grant Excel Permission to Access the Folder

-Enable the Developer Tab > On the top menu bar, click Excel > Preferences > Select Ribbon & Toolbar > In the list on the right, check the box for Developer and click Save

-Use the Visual Basic Editor > Click on the new Developer tab, then click the Visual Basic button > In its menu bar, click View > Immediate Window > In this panel, type the following command, replacing "Your/Folder/Path/" with the actual path to your folder > Press Enter after typing the command > A macOS security prompt will pop up asking for permission to access files in that folder > Click OK or Grant Access > You can now close the Visual Basic Editor window.

User's image Step 2: Get Data Using a Blank Power Query

-In your Excel workbook, go to the Data tab > Click Get Data (Power Query) > Blank Query > The Power Query Editor window will open > Please follow the steps shown in the two screenshots below, which I have tested in my own environment User's image After Power Query processes all the files, you will see a preview of your combined data > On the Home tab, click Close & Load. The data from all workbooks in your folder will now be loaded into a new sheet in Excel. While this method is more manual than on Windows, it is a reliable way to get data from a folder on a Mac.

Appreciate your patience and understanding. We hope the details provided will assist you effectively.

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Michelle-N 3,505 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2025-08-01T06:36:34.8633333+00:00

Hi @Frank Lin

Have you checked the provided answer?

Please feel free to reach out if you have other questions.

If you think my reply is helpful to you, please remember to mark it as an answer. Warm thanks
Frank Lin 0 Reputation points

2025-08-03T08:25:33.81+00:00
Hi Michelle,

Thanks so much for your prompt reply.

I had a try according to your gudie, however it failed.

When I input the command: dir("/Users/franklin/Desktop/data") in the panel of the Immediate Window, there was no reaction.

If skip the step 1 and input command direcely in the Power Query Editor, it showed error.

I tried to find the root cause but haven't yet.

Thanks for your help.

Best regards,

Frank
Michelle-N 3,505 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2025-08-04T12:14:03.8533333+00:00

Hi @Frank Lin

Thank you for your updating.

Looking at your screenshot, it appears that the file path might be incorrect. The folder named 'data' in the example path was just a placeholder I used for my own testing. You will need to use the actual path to your own folder. Here is how you can easily get the correct path on your Mac:

Open Finder > Right-click on the folder you want to access > A new option will appear in the menu > Select "Copy [Folder Name] as Pathname" to copy the exact path to your clipboard. Your command should then be structured with the path you just copied, like this: dir("/Your/Actual/Folder/Path")

For example, if the folder is on your Desktop, the path you paste might look something like this: /Users/YourUsername/desktop/YourFolderName

Note: please make sure system folder names in your path are all lowercase. For example, use desktop and documents, not Desktop or Documents.

Thank you again.
Michelle-N 3,505 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2025-08-06T07:06:35.7533333+00:00

Hi @Frank Lin

It has been a while, and I am writing to see how things are going with this issue.

Have you had a chance to check the replies provided?

Any update would be appreciated
Michelle-N 3,505 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2025-08-07T06:47:22.0966667+00:00

Hi @Frank Lin

Just checking in, were you able to get step 1 working? Your updates wpuld be a great help to the community.
Frank Lin 0 Reputation points

2025-08-07T10:40:22.8933333+00:00

Hi Michelle,

Thanks so much for your reply, and yes Step 1 worked!

However, I encountered another issue in the Step 2.

After I input the command, I couldn't see any files. Actually there are two files with data in the folder "tester".

Appreciated.

Best regards,

Frank
Michelle-N 3,505 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2025-08-07T11:55:30.36+00:00

Hi @Frank Lin

Thank you for updating.

Can I ask if you have entered the correct path? Please try using a lowercase 'd' for the word 'desktop' instead of uppercase. Also, please make sure that the path you used when granting access is identical to the one you are running in the query at step 2. Alternatively, try adding a forward slash (/) after tester to see if that works

I tried to reproduce this again in my own environment, and it worked normally.
Frank Lin 0 Reputation points

2025-08-07T12:13:15.87+00:00

Hi @Michelle-N

Yes I entered the correct path, and tried it with all lowercaes before.

Tried again and the screenshots are as follows.

To double confirm that I entered the correct path before, I created another folder "tester2" on my desktop, and then repeated the Step 1. Step 1 still worked.

After that Step 2 still failed.

Thanks for your help.
Michelle-N 3,505 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2025-08-07T12:49:17.31+00:00

Hi @Frank Lin

I understand the issue now. When I tested with a path like yours, I got the exact same error shown in your screenshot. When you are getting the data in Power Query, you must enter it exactly as follows: Source = Folder.Files("/franklin/desktop/tester2") Based on the error image you sent, it seems that the quotation marks (") were likely misplaced.

Please try testing this again and let me know the results!
Frank Lin 0 Reputation points

2025-08-12T09:05:24.32+00:00

Hi @Michelle-N

It worked! Thanks so much for your continuous assistance and help!

I encountered some new issues after clicking "Close & Load", but I think it's relevant to other issues, not this one of Get Data from Folder.

Appreated!

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Can't find the option of "From Folder" when using "Get Data" in Excel

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