How to “auto” generate calendar tables with Power Query – The best method

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automatic calendar table with power query

Calendar (or date) table is crucial for performing date intelligence calculations in Power BI. 

Normally, you would find a reasonable calendar table in most data models. But occasionally I come across models where there is no calendar table. 

So I present to you, the ultimate & best way to generate calendar table using Power Query.

How to create the perfect calendar table with Power Query?

Start by creating a new “blank query” connection in Power BI.

blank query option in Power BI (PQ)

Then use the =List.Dates() function to generate the dates you want.

For example, to get the calendar dates for year 2025 use below code:

				
					= List.Dates(#date(2025,1,1),365, #duration(1,0,0,0))
				
			

This will generate a list of all the dates in 2025. 

Now, convert the list to a table using the List Tools > Transform ribbon. 

convert list of dates to a table

Once you have the dates in a table format, you can use the “add column” ribbon and “Date” options to introduce many date related columns.

For example you can add:

  • Year (4 digit year value)
  • Month number
  • Month name
  • Weekday name
  • Weekday number
  • Start of month
  • End of month
  • Start of week
  • Quarter of the year
  • Days in a month
Adding date calculations with Power Query

Additional "smart" date columns

Apart from all the columns above, I normally add these two columns to my calendar tables.

  • Year month (a 6 digit representation like 202308 for ex.)
  • Type of month (current month, previous month, next month)

Let’s look at the Power Query (M) code for these columns.

Year Month (yyyymm):

 

				
					= Table.AddColumn(#"Inserted Start of Month", "Year Month", each [Year] * 100 + [Month])
				
			

Type of Month:

For this we need to do use conditional logic and isinmonth functions of M. Here is the M code for tagging dates as “previous month”, “this month” and “next month”
				
					= Table.AddColumn(#"Added Custom", "Month Type", each if Date.IsInCurrentMonth([Date]) then "This Month"
else if Date.IsInPreviousMonth([Date]) then "Previous Month" 
else if Date.IsInNextMonth([Date]) then "Next Month" 
else "Other Month")
				
			

Full M Script for generating the 2025 calendar table

Use this M script to generate the calendar table for year 2025. 

To apply this, create a blank query in PQ and then go to View > Advanced Editor and paste the code there. Adjust the year in source step (step 1) to get the calendar for any year.

				
					let
    Source = List.Dates(#date(2025,1,1),365, #duration(1,0,0,0)),
    #"Converted to Table" = Table.FromList(Source, Splitter.SplitByNothing(), null, null, ExtraValues.Error),
    #"Renamed Columns" = Table.RenameColumns(#"Converted to Table",{{"Column1", "Date"}}),
    #"Changed Type" = Table.TransformColumnTypes(#"Renamed Columns",{{"Date", type date}}),
    #"Inserted Year" = Table.AddColumn(#"Changed Type", "Year", each Date.Year([Date]), Int64.Type),
    #"Inserted Month" = Table.AddColumn(#"Inserted Year", "Month", each Date.Month([Date]), Int64.Type),
    #"Inserted Month Name" = Table.AddColumn(#"Inserted Month", "Month Name", each Date.MonthName([Date]), type text),
    #"Inserted Day of Week" = Table.AddColumn(#"Inserted Month Name", "Day of Week", each Date.DayOfWeek([Date]), Int64.Type),
    #"Inserted Day Name" = Table.AddColumn(#"Inserted Day of Week", "Day Name", each Date.DayOfWeekName([Date]), type text),
    #"Added Conditional Column" = Table.AddColumn(#"Inserted Day Name", "Is Weekend?", each if [Day of Week] = 6 then "Yes" else if [Day of Week] = 0 then "Yes" else "No"),
    #"Inserted Start of Month" = Table.AddColumn(#"Added Conditional Column", "Start of Month", each Date.StartOfMonth([Date]), type date),
    #"Added Custom" = Table.AddColumn(#"Inserted Start of Month", "Year Month", each [Year] * 100 + [Month]),
    #"Added Custom1" = Table.AddColumn(#"Added Custom", "Month Type", each if Date.IsInCurrentMonth([Date]) then "This Month"
else if Date.IsInPreviousMonth([Date]) then "Previous Month" 
else if Date.IsInNextMonth([Date]) then "Next Month" 
else "Other Month")
in
    #"Added Custom1"
				
			

Perfect Calendar with Power Query - Video

Check out this video to understand the process better.

How to customize the Calendar Query for other years?

You can change the “Source” step and replace the year number or number of days to generate the calendar for whatever year you need. For example, to make the 2 years calendar for years 2026 and 2027, use this code:

				
					= List.Dates(#date(2026,1,1),730, #duration(1,0,0,0))
				
			

To make the calendar for next “n” years:

We can use additional date functions in Power Query M language to generate the calendar for next “n” years from a start date. For example, if you change the source step to below code, you will get next 5 years calendar from 1-Jan-2025.

				
					= let start_date = #date(2025,1,1), number_of_years = 5, end_date = Date.AddYears(start_date,number_of_years), total_days = Duration.Days(end_date - start_date)
in List.Dates(start_date,total_days, #duration(1,0,0,0))
				
			

More ways to make the calendar table

Check out below tutorials from other Power BI / Excel folks to see different Power Query scripts.

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24 Responses to “Free Excel Risk Map Template”

  1. Ron says:

    Why didn't you include the mitigation or risk IDs in the chart?

    • Chandoo says:

      You can easily add such detail by modifying the TEXTJOIN function. Another way to use them is to add a slicer to highlight all risks that have a specific mitigation strategy or team member assigned to them. I left out those bits fto keep the article short.

      • Rajesh says:

        I tried adding a slicer filter for the mitigation step but the TEXTJOIN is not affected by it. I added a helper column called "Visible" using the AGGREGATE function but I am unable to think of a method to pass that on to the map.
        Could you please help, Chandoo?

        Thanks

      • MyvJ says:

        Hello everyone,

        Another amazing tutorial, great content and tips! My question is about slicers. How do you add slicers to this matrix? I've added 2 columns in my workbook table (Work Stream and Project Name) and I want to be able to filter (slice) the matrix on Project Name, but having some trouble with this. The slicer works fine in the data table, but how do I connect it to the risk matrix, so that only risk titles show up for the selected project?

        Many thanks in advance for your guidance,
        MyvJ

  2. shashi kumar says:

    Can you create a sheet in live stock market data price change with profit and loss graph with time. which could indicate live profit and loss in each time frame 5minute, 10 minute, 15 minute, 30minute, hourly with some modifications

  3. Henrik B. Wieder says:

    Hi

    I've tried to get your formula to work, but likelihood / impact 1/1 does not seem to work.

  4. Sally says:

    Hi Chandoo

    Awesome instructions! Thank you so much, this really helped me.

    I was wondering if it would be possible to list the Risk ID number along with the Risk Title with a dash in between, rather than a bullet point? I have had a try at this but I keep getting a #VALUE error. I can see it's wrong but can't figure out what it should be instead. If you have time do you mind letting me know what I'm doing wrong?

    {=" - " & TEXTJOIN(CHAR(10)&" - ",TRUE,
    IF(RiskRegister[Likelihood]=$A17,IF(RiskRegister[Consequence]=F$3,CONCAT(RiskRegister[ID],RiskRegister[Risk Title]),""),""))}

    Thank you!

    Sally

    • Chandoo says:

      Hey Sally, You are welcome.

      I think the CONCAT inside TEXTJOIN is the culprit. Try this and hopefully you should see the ID too.

      {=" - " & TEXTJOIN(CHAR(10)&" - ",TRUE,
      IF(RiskRegister[Likelihood]=$A17,IF(RiskRegister[Consequence]=F$3,RiskRegister[ID]&RiskRegister[Risk Title],""),""))}

      • Sally says:

        Hi Chandoo
        You're a legend! Thank you so much! I had to make a minor tweak but otherwise it worked perfectly. Here is the tweaked version in case it helps anyone else:

        =TEXTJOIN(CHAR(10),TRUE,
        IF(RiskRegister[Likelihood]=$A8,IF(RiskRegister[Consequence]=C$3,RiskRegister[ID]&" - "&RiskRegister[Risk Title],""),""))

        Thank you again!

        • Ruben says:

          Hi, Im not able to change the formula when trying to add risk Id instead of bullet point.

          trying this: ="• "&TEXTJOIN(CHAR(10)&"• ";TRUE;IF(risks[Probability of Occurance *]=$C5;IF(risks[Severity of potential Impact *]=H$8;risks[Risk ID]&". "[Title *];"");""))

          Cant see any solution on this.

          thankful for help

  5. kris says:

    Hi Chandoo,

    This is perfect - One quick question, How can I add a hyperlink to the risks - So that I can click on the particular risk and it takes me to the actual row of that item.

    Many thanks in advance.

  6. SY says:

    HI Chandoo,

    Is there a way to only display filtered item. Once the list gets big, it's hard to see all risk.

    Kind regards,
    SinYen

  7. Jim says:

    Hi Chandoo,

    Quick question

    1) Is there a way to remove duplicates within each risk block?
    2) Is there a way to have the results in the chart update based on a filter or slicer?

    Thanks a lot

  8. Lebo says:

    Hi Chandoo,

    The risk map is a brilliant tool, and I wanted to the risk map to only show Open risks. How can I do that?

  9. Eric M says:

    Just found this today as I am making a risk matrix as well. I got the formula to work with this, where a risk score is above 30. Risk score = probability*impact*modifier.

    So this works flawlessly, ="- "&TEXTJOIN(CHAR(10)&"- ",TRUE,IF('Risk tracker'!G4:G27>=30,IF(Table1[Urgency]="Now",'Risk tracker'!A4:A27,""),""))

    I am trying to find a range now. Risk score in between 21-29. I tried using the AND function, but I couldnt get it to work. Is there anyway to get this formula to work with a range as mentioned above?

    • Chandoo says:

      Thanks Eric.

      You can't use AND() as it is not able to return arrays. You can try below formula.
      ="- "&TEXTJOIN(CHAR(10)&"- ",TRUE,IF(('Risk tracker'!G4:G27>=21)*('Risk tracker'!G4:G27<=29),IF(Table1[Urgency]="Now",'Risk tracker'!A4:A27,""),""))

  10. Michal says:

    Hello, this template is nice, thank you but im facing a problem when I need to find a range of impact. I cant figure out how..

    My actual form is "="• "&TEXTJOIN(CHAR(10)&"• ";TRUE;IF(Table1[Impact]=A8;Table1[Title];"");"")"

    Where A8 is number "1" so this formula finds everything with impact 1 and shows the titles.
    What I need to get is a range so,
    A8 is "1" and A9 is "2" and I need the formula to find all titles which impact is between 1 and 2.
    I tried the AND function and so on, nothing worked..

    Can you help me please?

  11. masoud says:

    i tried everything in your video in the end i only get the bullet... please guide me through

    • masoud says:

      Sorted it... i was flash filling the other cells and it took other columns...

      i do have another question though... how can i use slicers to filter the content of the matrix, so that it'll show only the departments i select?

      slicer is working fine with the table, but the matrix still shows all the results

  12. JP says:

    Just want to thank you for this.

    It is awesome.

  13. MyvJ says:

    Hello everyone,
    I think I accidentally nested my question in another thread. Apologies!
    This is another amazing Excel tutorial, with great content and tips! My question is about slicers. How do you add slicers to this matrix? I've added 2 columns in my workbook table (Work Stream and Project Name) and I want to be able to filter (slice) the matrix on Project Name, but having some trouble with this. The slicer works fine for the data table, but how do I connect it to the risk matrix, so that only risk titles show up for the selected project?

    Many thanks in advance for your guidance,
    MyvJ

  14. Josy says:

    This is another amazing Excel tutorial! My question is about slicers. How do you add slicers to this matrix? Please advise

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