# Data sources: options, intervals, and states

This page lists the kinds of sources, their intervals, and the states of sources and connections. Look here when a window asks for a choice or a badge needs explaining.

> **Type:** reference
> **For:** anyone who sets up or looks after data sources
> **Prerequisite:** none
> **Where in the portal:** **Data sources** › **Create source** · **Settings › Organization › Connections**

## The kinds of sources

| Kind | What it delivers | Connection | What you choose | Shown by |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| **News feed** | A section from our catalog or your own feed | none | **From the catalog** with **Section**, or **Own feed** with **Feed address** | [Posts](/apps/posts) |
| **SharePoint news** | The news of a site in Microsoft 365 | Microsoft 365 with **SharePoint news** | **Site** | [Posts](/apps/posts) |
| **Posts on X** | The latest posts of an account on X | none, but the booked app [Posts from X](/apps/x-posts) | **Account on X**, **Include replies** | [Posts](/apps/posts) |
| **Excel table** | A sheet or range from OneDrive or SharePoint | Microsoft 365 with **Files and Excel** | **File**, **Sheet**, **Range**, **First row is the header** | [Table](/apps/table) |
| **Google sheet** | A sheet or range from Google Sheets | Google with **Google Sheets** | **Spreadsheet** (through **Choose in Google Drive** or **Link to the spreadsheet**), **Sheet**, **Range**, **First row is the header** | [Table](/apps/table) |
| **Google reviews** | The reviews of a location in your business profile | Google with **Google reviews** | **Account**, **Location** | [Reviews](/apps/reviews) |
| **Grafana dashboard** | A dashboard or panel as an image | Grafana with service account key | **Dashboard**, **Panel**, **Time range**, **Appearance**, **Format** | [Dashboard](/apps/dashboard) |
| **Power BI report** | One page of a report as an image | Microsoft 365 through **As the organization service account** | **Workspace**, **Report**, **Page** | [Dashboard](/apps/dashboard) |
| **Looker Studio report** | A shared report as an image, such as your Google Ads figures | none | **Report address**, **Format** | [Dashboard](/apps/dashboard) |
| **Official warnings** | NINA, MoWaS, DWD and flood warnings for your locations | none | **Services**, **From which severity** | [Warning](/apps/warning) |
| **Own warnings** | Warnings from your system in CAP format via an inbound address | none | **Sender**, **From which severity** | [Warning](/apps/warning) |
| **Outlook calendar** | A calendar from Microsoft 365 | Microsoft 365 with **Calendars** | **Calendar** | [Calendar](/apps/calendar) |
| **Google Calendar** | A calendar your Google account can see | Google with **Calendars** | **Calendar** | [Calendar](/apps/calendar) |

For individual kinds:

- **News feed:** With **Own feed**, you confirm with the check mark “We may show summaries and pictures of this feed.” that you hold the rights to them.
- **Excel table** and **Google sheet:** The **Range** uses the notation A1:D9. “Empty means everything on the sheet.” **First row is the header** is on by default.
- **Grafana dashboard:** The **Time range** runs from **15 minutes** to **30 days** and is preset to **6 hours**. The **Appearance** is **Dark** or **Light**, preset **Dark**. The **Format** is **Landscape**, **Square**, or **Portrait**, preset **Landscape**.
- **Posts on X:** You search for the **Account on X** by its name, with or without @. Reposts never appear, and **Include replies** is off by default. You can create the kind only while the app is booked and installed.
- **Power BI report:** You choose the **Workspace**, then the **Report**, then the **Page**. The image exists only for workspaces with capacity, and the others are marked as having none. What Power BI needs is under [Release Power BI](/content/data-source-connections#release-power-bi).
- **Looker Studio report:** The **Format** is **Landscape**, **Square**, or **Portrait**, preset **Landscape**. The report must be shared with “Anyone with the link”.
- **Outlook calendar** and **Google Calendar:** The source delivers the events from yesterday to eight days ahead, without description and attendees. Canceled events are left out. Events marked private or confidential arrive without title and location, and the Calendar app shows them as **Busy**.
- **Official warnings:** The **Services** are **Civil protection (MoWaS)**, **Weather (DWD)**, **KATWARN**, **BIWAPP**, **Flood**, and **Police**, all on by default. **From which severity** is preset to **Moderate**. Warnings cover the locations of your displays.

## Intervals

You choose the interval from fixed steps: **every minute**, **every 5 min**, **every 15 min**, **hourly**, and **daily**. Free numbers do not exist. Every provider limits fetches, and an interval of seconds would use up this limit for all organizations.

| Kind | Available | Preset |
|---|---|---|
| **News feed** | **every 5 min**, **every 15 min**, **hourly** | **every 5 min** |
| **SharePoint news** | **every 5 min**, **every 15 min**, **hourly**, **daily** | **every 15 min** |
| **Posts on X** | **hourly**, **daily** | **hourly** |
| **Excel table**, **Google sheet** | **every 5 min**, **every 15 min**, **hourly**, **daily** | **every 5 min** |
| **Google reviews** | **hourly**, **daily** | **hourly** |
| **Grafana dashboard** | **every 5 min**, **every 15 min**, **hourly** | **every 15 min** |
| **Power BI report**, **Looker Studio report** | **every 15 min**, **hourly**, **daily** | **hourly** |
| **Official warnings** | **every minute**, **every 5 min** | **every minute** |
| **Own warnings** | no interval, messages arrive when your system sends them | none |
| **Outlook calendar**, **Google Calendar** | **every 5 min**, **every 15 min**, **hourly** | **every 15 min** |

You set the interval when you create the source, in its view, and in the **Source** field of the widget. It applies to the source, so to every content that shows it. For Google reviews, the figure **Fetches at Google** counts the fetches. For posts on X, the figure **Fetches at the provider** counts the fetches of your whole organization against a limit of 1,000 per month. Every fetch counts, including **Fetch now** and the sample. When the limit is reached, the history says “provider's fetch limit reached” until fetches are free again.

## States of a source

| State | Meaning | What you do |
|---|---|---|
| **Current** | The last fetch succeeded. The list shows the time since the fetch, and for warning sources **no warning** as long as there is nothing. | Nothing. |
| **Fetching** | The source was just created and has not been fetched yet. | Wait a moment or click **Fetch now**. |
| **Failing** | The last fetch failed. The displays keep showing the last data. The reason is under **Last error**. | Read the reason and click **Fetch now** later. If it persists, check the service at the provider. |
| **Sign-in needed** | The provider rejected the sign-in of the connection. | Click **Extend sign-in** or **Reconnect** in the view. For Grafana, click **New key**. |
| **Paused** | You paused the source. There are no fetches. | Click **Resume**. |

The key figure **Needs attention** names what to do: “Renew sign-in at Microsoft”, “Extend or renew the sign-in”, or “A source cannot be fetched”.

## States of a connection

| State | Meaning | What you do |
|---|---|---|
| **Connected** | The connection works. | Nothing. |
| **Interrupted** | The authorization no longer works, for example because the provider withdrew it. The row names the reason. | Click **Reconnect** and sign in with the same account. For Grafana, click **New key**. |
| **Disconnected** | You ended the connection with **Disconnect**. The entry stays as the origin of imported files. | Set it up again if you need it. |

## Related

- [Create a data source and show it in a widget](/content/create-data-source)
- [Connect Microsoft 365, Google, or Grafana](/content/data-source-connections)
- [Own warnings and the emergency override](/content/warning-sources)