How to Get Live MYOB & Xero Data into Power BI — No More Manual Exports

Introduction

If your finance team is still exporting CSV files from Xero or MYOB every time they need to update a report, you're losing valuable time. Download the data, clean it up in Excel, paste it into Power BI, refresh, repeat. It works, but it's slow, error-prone, and increasingly out of step with what modern business intelligence tools can offer.

By connecting your accounting software directly to Power BI through a live data feed, you can eliminate the export-import cycle entirely. Your dashboards stay current, your numbers stay consistent, and your team can focus on analysis rather than data wrangling.

In this guide, we'll walk you through how to achieve this using OData feeds, specifically through OdataLink, which acts as a bridge between Xero/MYOB and Power BI.

Why Live Accounting Data Matters

Manual data handling introduces opportunities for mistakes at every step. A misplaced decimal, a forgotten filter, a copy-paste error in the wrong column. Research consistently shows that a significant percentage of spreadsheets contain errors, and when those spreadsheets inform business decisions, the consequences can be costly. We've written before about the hidden risks of spreadsheet errors.... and the same principles apply here.

Beyond error risk, there's the problem of stale data. A customer payment comes in, an invoice gets disputed, a large expense hits the account—none of it shows up in your dashboard until someone runs another export.

When data flows automatically from source to dashboard, you create a single source of truth. No more competing spreadsheets with slightly different numbers. For businesses running multiple Xero or MYOB files, an automated connection can pull from multiple sources into a single unified view, eliminating the administrative burden of manual consolidation.

Quick Technical Primer: What Is OData

OData (Open Data Protocol) is a standardised way for applications to share data over the web. What makes it particularly useful is that it's queryable—rather than downloading an entire database and filtering it locally, you can ask for exactly what you need.

Power BI has a built-in OData Feed connector, meaning it's ready to work with any data source that speaks this language. You point it at an OData endpoint, authenticate, and Power BI handles the rest. Microsoft's documentation covers the connector in detail. The same applies to Excel, OData feeds can populate workbooks with live data using similar connection methods.

The catch is that Xero and MYOB don't natively expose their data as OData feeds. That's where a middle layer comes in.

Meet the Middle Layer: OdataLink

OdataLink connects to your Xero or MYOB account, extracts the data you need, and exposes it as standardised OData feeds that Power BI or Excel can consume directly. Think of it as "ODBC for cloud accounting."

Key features:

• Prebuilt endpoints for invoices, contacts, accounts, bank transactions, payroll, and more—no queries to write from scratch
• Multi-file consolidation across multiple Xero organisations or MYOB company files into unified endpoints
• Security through TLS encryption and OAuth authentication
• Role-based access controls to restrict which data models different users can see

OdataLink offers both free and paid tiers, so you can start with a pilot project before scaling up. The MYOB integration page and Xero integration page on their site provide more detail on what's included at each level.

Alternatives and Complementary Connectors

OdataLink isn't the only option. Here's how the main approaches compare:

Xero offers its own Power BI integrations through the Xero App Marketplace. MYOB lists OdataLink as a verified integration partner in its app marketplace.

Often the best solution involves a combination: OdataLink for live accounting feeds, SQL for historical archiving, and Power BI for the presentation layer.

Security and Governance Checklist

When connecting live accounting data to external tools, security is essential. Here's some of the things to look for...

• OAuth authentication — No raw passwords stored; limited, revocable access
• TLS encryption — All data encrypted in transit
• Role-based access control — Restrict which users see which endpoints (e.g., sales team sees invoices but not payroll)
• IP allowlisting — Restrict access to approved locations
• Audit logging — Track who accessed what data and when
• Data residency — Confirm where data is processed, especially for compliance requirements

If a vendor can't clearly explain how they address each of these points, that's a red flag.

Common Pitfalls and Troubleshooting

Authentication and token refresh

OAuth tokens expire, and Power BI doesn't always handle renewal gracefully. Use a service account with stable credentials and monitor scheduled refreshes for failures. Microsoft's OData Feed connector documentation covers authentication options and known limitations.

URL and query length limits

Power BI's OData connector restricts URL length. Keep queries simple at the connection stage and do complex filtering within Power Query after the data loads.

Rate limits

Accounting platforms impose rate limits to prevent overloading. Pull only the tables and fields you need, and schedule refreshes during off-peak hours.

Performance with large datasets

Live connections aren't always ideal for historical analysis involving years of transactions. Consider a hybrid approach: live feeds for current data (last 90 days) and archived older data in SQL that Power BI queries separately.

Schema changes

Occasionally, accounting platforms update field names. Monitor release notes and build resilience into your data model—handle missing columns gracefully rather than failing outright.

Cost and Licensing Considerations

OdataLink

Free tier connects limited data models from a single file, useful for testing. Paid plans unlock additional endpoints, multiple files, and consolidation features.

Xero/MYOB apps

Some third-party connectors carry their own subscription fees, separate from your accounting software subscription.

Power BI

Desktop is free; sharing via Power BI Service requires Pro licences (per user/month) or Premium capacity. Microsoft's Power BI pricing page outlines current options.

Additional infrastructure

If archiving to Azure SQL or using Azure Data Factory, expect usage-based cloud costs that scale with volume.

Conclusion

Moving from manual CSV exports to live accounting data in Power BI is no longer just for large enterprises. Tools like OdataLink have made it accessible to small and mid-sized Australian businesses. A few hours of setup can save dozens of hours each month and eliminate version-control headaches.

Getting it right does require care, authentication configuration, thoughtful data model selection, and proper security controls. For businesses with complex requirements, architecture decisions matter.

At Power Platform Experts, we've helped clients across Australia implement automated, real-time financial dashboards. Whether you need a simple connection for a single Xero file or consolidated reporting across multiple MYOB entities, get in touch with our team to start the conversation.

About the Author

Scott has been programming and developing across the entire Microsoft suite for over 25 years. Now managing a team of developers and designers at Office Experts Group, he specialises in helping organisations leverage the Power Platform to transform their operations.