How do I combine survey exports when the same question has different column names?

Start with a mapping step, not the append step. Decide on one agreed heading—such as contact_email—and map each original header to it. In Power Query, you can rename a column by editing its header, using the context menu, or choosing Rename on the Transform tab. Column names must be unique within a table, so check for conflicts after renaming. [S1]

Then append the normalized tables. Power Query matches columns by header name rather than position. If headers differ, they stay as separate columns, and missing values appear as null. [S2] That means Email and Contact email will not align until you give them the same agreed heading.

Treat the field map as a record of your decision, not just a temporary cleanup note. It should show both the original header and the final heading.

Use one row per source column. A practical design is:

source_file | source_column | agreed_column | decision | notes

For example, using hypothetical filenames and headers:

[export_A.csv] | Email          | contact_email | map    | Same intended question; confirm before merging
[export_B.csv] | Contact email  | contact_email | map    | Same intended question; confirm before merging
[export_B.csv] | Extra question |               | review | Meaning not confirmed; do not map yet

This example is a planning aid, not evidence that those fields mean the same thing. Confirm equivalence from the survey wording or other context you have. For an unfamiliar column, record its original name, file, and a brief note; leave the agreed heading blank until you can decide whether it belongs in the combined dataset. The append documentation explains header matching, but it does not prescribe a policy for unmatched fields. [S2]

If the columns only look similar but their wording, response options, or purpose may differ, mark them for review rather than combining them by guesswork.

Include a source-file field in the combined result, for example source_file, and retain the filename alongside each row. In Microsoft’s documented Power Query example for combining CSV files from a folder, the output includes a source filename column; the article also describes checking Source.Name to verify which files were included. [S3]

That example covers CSV files with a common structure and extension. It does not establish a complete traceability system for every survey-export format, nor does it guarantee that a filename alone is enough for your needs. If you need to retrace transformations, keep the field map and a record of which input files were included, too. Avoid overwriting your original exports; work from copies or keep the originals available under your own process.

Yes. First, check that each intended equivalent field has the same agreed heading in every relevant input. Next, inspect the combined headers for accidental duplicates or separate versions of the same question. Check a few rows from each source file against the originals, including rows where an answer is blank. Finally, review the unmatched-column list and confirm that each item has an explicit decision: map it, keep it separate, or leave it out with a documented reason.

These checks can help you spot mapping mistakes; they do not prove that two questions are semantically equivalent or that the exports are complete. The documentation explains Power Query renaming, append behavior, and a CSV filename example, but does not define survey-specific equivalence rules or a full provenance policy. [S1] [S2] [S3]