When we navigate a website sometimes we come across web pages that contain a set of KPI and very interesting numerical indicators that we would like to exploit.

For example if we connect the of the 2014 World Cup statistics page we find a number of very interesting information that maybe we’d like to use . This type of information , however, can not be used directly as a table as well as on PowerPivot because its format is not a table:

 

Often this type of sites uses to feed its pages a container composed of a series of files in JSON format , format that can easily read PowerQuery (for info read this link ) . To retrieve this type of information and the link we can use the internet browser Chrome .

First of all we open the associated page containing chrome and then we click the right button at any point , from the drop down menu should be present voice Inspect element which opens the following menu:

Of all the items on the menu there is the Network item , we have to select the above-mentioned item, then after selecting it we click on the XHR selection tab to pre – filter the data and then give F5 or refresh the page .

At this point chrome will start to analyze all the objects that are required to compose the page , so you’ll see a series of in json format.

Then just click the right mouse button and select copy link , or double- click. that’s it , you have the link called json that fills the table .

If you want to analyze them before importing the data I recommend you get active the widget : JSONView