**Our Take: Automate Your Power Query Updates as New Sheets Arrive**
This user did nearly everything right, and that's exactly why the frustration is so familiar. They formatted their data as tables, named them consistently, built a Power Query that filters and unpivots correctly, and even loaded to the Data Model. Yet when a new sheet arrived, following the same naming pattern, the query ignored it. The problem isn't their effort. It's a subtle but critical gap in how Power Query handles dynamic sources.
The query is currently looking at a static snapshot of the workbook's tables. When the user loaded the workbook in the "Get Data" step, Power Query captured the list of tables that existed at that moment. Adding a new table later doesn't automatically refresh that list because the query's source step is fixed. The fix is straightforward but easy to miss: instead of filtering by table name within the combine step, they need to use a parameter or a dynamic reference that re-evaluates the workbook's table list on each refresh. The "From Workbook" connector can be pointed to the file path itself, and then the filtering logic should be applied to the *Name* column *after* the combine step, not before. That way, every refresh re-reads the workbook and picks up any new tables that match the `XXX_*` pattern.
What this means in practice is that the user is one small adjustment away from a fully self-updating system. The steps they already completed, consistent table naming, identical headers, unpivoting for future-proofing, are the hard part. That discipline is what makes automation possible. The missing piece is simply a matter of query design: move the filter from the initial navigation step to the transformation step. Once that's done, adding a sheet named `XXX_Apr` or `XXX_Dec` will be invisible to the user. Refresh, and the data appears.
This is a lesson in how Power Query rewards structure but punishes assumptions. The user assumed that because they filtered by a pattern, the query would automatically scan for new matches. It doesn't, not by default. But with one change to where the filter lives, they can build exactly the workflow they envisioned. No VBA, no manual maintenance. That's the power of getting the foundation right and then tuning the mechanics. The solution is already within reach.