Use the CData ODBC Driver for Facebook Ads in Microsoft Power Query

The CData ODBC Driver for Facebook Ads enables you to link to Facebook Ads data in Microsoft Power Query, ensuring that you see any updates. This article details how to use the ODBC driver to import Facebook Ads data into Microsoft Power Query.

Connect to Facebook Ads as an ODBC Data Source

If you have not already, first specify connection properties in an ODBC DSN (data source name). This is the last step of the driver installation. You can use the Microsoft ODBC Data Source Administrator to create and configure ODBC DSNs.

Most tables require user authentication as well as application authentication. Facebook uses the OAuth authentication standard. To authenticate to Facebook, you can use the embedded OAuthClientId, OAuthClientSecret, and CallbackURL or you can obtain your own by registering an app with Facebook.

See the Getting Started chapter of the help documentation for a guide to using OAuth.

Import Facebook Ads Data

Follow the steps below to import Facebook Ads data using standard SQL:

1. From the ribbon in Excel, click Power Query -> From Other Data Sources -> From ODBC.

2. Enter the ODBC connection string. Below is a connection string using the default DSN created when you install the driver:

   Provider=MSDASQL.1;Persist Security Info=False;DSN=CData FacebookAds Source

3. Enter the SELECT statement to import data with. For example:

    SELECT AccountId, Name FROM AdAccounts WHERE Name = 'Acct Name'
    

   👁 The ODBC connection string and SELECT query. (Salesforce is shown.)
   

4. Enter credentials, if required, and click Connect. The results of the query are displayed in the Query Editor Preview. You can combine queries from other data sources or refine the data with Power Query formulas. To load the query to the worksheet, click the Close and Load button.

   👁 Tables loaded in Power Query. (Salesforce is shown.)