How do I prepare a CSV for Power BI?+
Review the delimiter and encoding, preserve identifier columns as text, choose a deliberate culture, validate every value against explicit Power Query types, check any business key, then import a representative normalized CSV before relying on refresh.
Why does the tool include a UTF-8 BOM by default?+
Microsoft documents that the Text/CSV connector automatically infers UTF-8 only when a UTF-8 BOM is present. The generated M query also declares encoding 65001, so both manual and scripted handoffs are explicit.
Why are leading-zero IDs kept as text?+
Values such as 00101 are identifiers, not quantities. Assigning a number type can remove meaningful leading zeros and change joins, labels, and exports, so identifier-shaped columns default to text.
Does the tool infer dates such as 08/02/2026?+
No. Slash dates are culture-dependent, so they stay text until you choose a culture and deliberately select Date or Date/time. ISO dates can be suggested without making that hidden locale choice.
What does the generated Power Query M do?+
It reads an explicit local path with File.Contents, parses comma-delimited UTF-8 with CSV quote handling, promotes headers, and applies every reviewed column type using the selected culture.
Does this create or publish a PBIX file?+
No. It creates a normalized CSV, a Power Query M starter, and an aggregate readiness report. You still test and model the data in Power BI Desktop or the Power BI service.
Can I check a primary key?+
You can select one business-key column to find blanks and repeated normalized values across the complete file. The tool does not infer database constraints, relationships, measures, or dimensions.
Is my CSV uploaded to Power BI or csvtodashboard?+
No. Parsing, type review, validation, preview, query generation, and downloads happen in the browser tab. A data handoff occurs only when you later import or connect from Power BI.