How to Refresh External Data in Excel: Manual, Automatic, and On-Open Options

Manual Refresh

The simplest option: click to update.

Data tab → Refresh All (refreshes all connections) or right-click a data range → Refresh

Keyboard shortcut: Ctrl+Alt+F5 refreshes all, Alt+F5 refreshes selected connection.

Refresh on File Open

Automatically pull fresh data every time you open the workbook:

1. Data tab → Queries & Connections pane
2. Right-click the connection → Properties
3. Check “Refresh data when opening the file”

Caution: This slows down file opening if the query is slow or the database is remote.

Automatic Refresh on Timer

Refresh at regular intervals while the file is open:

Connection Properties → Check “Refresh every X minutes”

Use case: Dashboards that need to stay updated throughout the day without manual intervention.

Caution: Background refresh can interrupt your work. Consider enabling “Enable background refresh” so Excel doesn't freeze during updates.

Background Refresh

By default, refresh operations freeze Excel until complete. Enable background refresh to work while data loads:

Connection Properties → Check “Enable background refresh”

Trade-off: You might see partial data or loading indicators while refresh runs.

Refresh Order and Dependencies

If Query B depends on Query A's results, refresh order matters. Excel doesn't automatically sequence — “Refresh All” runs everything in parallel.

For dependent queries, either refresh manually in sequence or use VBA to control the order.

Official Resources

• Refresh external data — Microsoft data refresh guide
• Manage connections — connection management guide