Power BI Desktop with MotherDuck

Power BI is an interactive data visualization product developed by Microsoft. You can connect Power BI to MotherDuck through the built-in PostgreSQL database connector using MotherDuck's Postgres endpoint.

Preview

The Postgres endpoint is in preview. Features and behavior may change.

Looking for the custom connector?

The DuckDB custom connector is a legacy approach. If you still need it, see the legacy custom connector guide.

Before you start

You'll need:

• Power BI Desktop installed on Windows
• A MotherDuck access token
• Your Postgres host, which you can find at MotherDuck Postgres settings (for example, pg.us-east-1-aws.motherduck.com)

Connect to MotherDuck

1. In Power BI Desktop, click Get data.

   

2. Search for PostgreSQL database in the connector list and select it.

3. Fill in the connection details:

   • Server: Your Postgres host (for example, pg.us-east-1-aws.motherduck.com). You can find this at MotherDuck Postgres settings.
   • Database: Your database or share name in MotherDuck (for example, sample_data).

4. Select a data connectivity mode:

   • DirectQuery: Queries run against MotherDuck in real time. Best for dashboards that need up-to-date data.
   • Import: Loads a snapshot of the data into Power BI's in-memory model. Best when you want fast local interactions and can refresh on a schedule.
   

5. Click OK.

6. When prompted for credentials, select Database on the left and enter:

   • User name: postgres
   • Password: Your MotherDuck access token
   

7. Click Connect. In the Navigator, select the tables you want to use and click Load.

   

8. You can build visualizations with your MotherDuck data.

   

Connection parameters

Parameter	Value
Server	pg.<region>-aws.motherduck.com (find yours at Postgres settings)
Database	Your database name or share name
User name	postgres
Password	Your MotherDuck access token

Additional information

• Postgres endpoint reference for connection parameters, SSL options, and limitations
• Connect through the Postgres endpoint for a general how-to guide
• Power BI documentation