Power query auto refresh

I set up my file to auto-refresh, and I followed the instructions I found on the web. However, it does not refresh in the background, and I have now read another post that says the file must be open for it to auto-refresh. However, in https://www.ablebits.com/office-addins-blog/excel-power-query-tutorial/#:~:text=If%20you%20need%20Power%20Query,side%20of%20the%20Excel%20window. it says that you don't have to open the file, so what is correct?