Power BI: Create and Display a Dynamic Last Refreshed Timestamp

In this guide, we’ll walk through creating and displaying a “Last Refreshed” timestamp in Power BI. This timestamp will automatically update each time the semantic model is refreshed, ensuring your audience can easily verify that they are reviewing the most recent data.

Instructions

Step 1: Create a Last Refreshed Timestamp

We’ll use Power Query to create a dynamic table containing the current local date and time. This value updates each time the semantic model (queries/data) is refreshed and remains static until the next refresh.

1. From the Home ribbon in Power BI, click Get data and select Blank query.
2. The Power Query window is displayed.
3. From the Home ribbon in Power Query, click Advanced Editor.
4. Replace any existing code with the following:

let
  Source = #table(type table [#"LAST REFRESHED" = datetime], {{DateTime.LocalNow()}})
in
  Source

NOTE: In this example, I’m using DateTime.LocalNow(), which returns the client machine’s local time when viewing the report in Power BI Desktop. Other options include DateTime.FixedLocalNow(), DateTimeZone.LocalNow(), and DateTimeZone.FixedLocalNow(). However, keep in mind that with any of these LocalNow functions, the timestamp will display in UTC when the report is viewed in the Power BI service, creating a mismatch between the local time in Power BI Desktop and UTC in the cloud. To ensure consistency, you can use DateTimeZone.UtcNow() or DateTimeZone.FixedUtcNow() to display the timestamp in UTC in both Power BI Desktop and the Power BI service.

5. Click the Done button to close the Advanced Editor window.
6. From the Query Settings pane under Properties, change the Name to a relevant name for Power BI (e.g., TBL_META_DATA).
7. From the Home ribbon in Power Query, click Close & Apply.

Step 2: Create and Format a Last Refreshed Measure

Now that the TBL_META_DATA table is available in the Data pane, let’s create a measure to use in a text box.

1. From the Data pane, highlight TBL_META_DATA.
2. From the Table tools ribbon, click New measure.
3. Enter the following expression formula (adjust the format as needed):

MEASURE_LAST_REFRESHED = FORMAT(MAX(TBL_META_DATA[LAST REFRESHED]),"dddd, mmmm d, yyyy")

Step 3: Insert Text Box to Display Last Refreshed Timestamp

Let’s add a text box to show the timestamp on the report.

1. From the Insert ribbon, click Text box.
2. The Create a dynamic value that updates with your data box is displayed.
3. In the How would you calculate this value field, enter MEASURE_LAST_REFRESHED.
4. The Result displays the formatted value of the field.
5. Click the Save button.
6. Customize the text box by adding static text if needed (e.g., Semantic Model Last Refreshed).

Result

Every time the report refreshes — whether manually or on an automatic schedule — the timestamp updates. Since the text box uses a dynamic value, the latest refresh date is always shown in the report.

Summary

With these steps, you’ve created a dynamic “Last Refreshed” timestamp that updates automatically with each data refresh. This ensures your report always shows the most recent refresh date, keeping your audience informed.