Custom Visuals

What You'll Learn

• What are custom visuals
• Finding and installing visuals
• Popular custom visuals
• Building with custom visuals
• Security considerations

What are Custom Visuals?

Power BI has 30+ built-in visuals. Custom visuals add hundreds more!

Created by:

• Microsoft
• Third-party developers
• Community

Found in: AppSource marketplace

Accessing Custom Visuals

In Power BI Desktop:

1. Visualizations pane
2. Click ... (ellipsis)
3. Get more visuals
4. AppSource opens

Or:

1. Click ... (ellipsis)
2. Import from file
3. Load .pbiviz file

AppSource Marketplace

Browse visuals:

• Categories
• Search
• Ratings
• Downloads

Certified vs Non-certified:

Certified:

• Microsoft approved
• Security tested
• Can use in Power BI Service
• Green checkmark

Non-certified:

• Use in Desktop only
• Be cautious
• May have limitations

Popular Custom Visuals

Chiclet Slicer

Better slicer with:

• Images
• Formattin options
• Search
• Multi-select

Use for:

• Product selection with images
• Category filtering
• Better UX

Card with States

Enhanced card showing:

• Multiple states
• Icons
• Color changes
• Conditional rules

Use for:

• Status indicators
• KPI cards
• Alert systems

Text Filter

Search across visuals:

• Type to filter
• Wildcard search
• Better than dropdown

Use for:

• Customer search
• Product lookup
• Free-text filtering

Gantt Chart

Project timeline visual:

• Tasks over time
• Dependencies
• Resources
• Progress

Use for:

• Project management
• Scheduling
• Resource planning

Hierarchy Slicer

Nested selections:

• Category > Subcategory
• Country > State > City
• Drill-down filtering

Use for:

• Geographic filtering
• Org charts
• Product hierarchies

Word Cloud

Text size by frequency:

• Bigger = more common
• Visual text analysis
• Eye-catching

Use for:

• Customer feedback
• Tag analysis
• Keyword trends

Advanced Card

Rich card format:

• Multiple values
• Icons and images
• Reference lines
• Sparklines

Use for:

• Executive dashboards
• KPI displays
• Summary cards

Radar/Spider Chart

Multi-dimensional comparison:

• Multiple metrics
• Easy comparison
• Sports-style

Use for:

• Product comparisons
• Performance reviews
• Skill assessments

Installing Custom Visuals

Steps:

1. Find visual in AppSource
2. Click "Add"
3. Visual appears in Visualizations pane
4. Use like any other visual!

Removal: Right-click visual icon > Remove

Using Custom Visuals

Same as built-in:

1. Click visual icon
2. Drag fields to wells
3. Format as needed

Unique features: Each has own format options

Check documentation: Most have help link

Security Considerations

Certified Visuals

Safe to use:

• Code reviewed by Microsoft
• Security tested
• Privacy compliant
• Can use in Service

Look for green checkmark!

Non-Certified Visuals

Use with caution:

• Not reviewed
• Desktop only
• May access external data
• Could have bugs

When to use:

• Testing only
• Internal reports
• Trusted developers

Privacy Settings

Power BI Desktop:

File > Options > Security > Custom visuals

Options:

• Ask before loading (recommended)
• Always allow
• Block all

Performance Impact

Custom visuals:

• May be slower
• Use more memory
• Could affect refresh

Best practices:

• Limit custom visuals per page (2-3 max)
• Test performance
• Use built-in when possible

Limitations

AppSource visuals:

• Can't modify
• May have bugs
• Developer support varies

Service limitations:

• Only certified in Service
• Non-certified blocked

Export limitations:

• PDF/PPT may not render
• Screenshot instead

Finding the Right Visual

Search AppSource:

• By category
• By keyword
• By rating

Check:

• Downloads count
• Ratings
• Last updated
• Certification status
• Reviews

Creating Your Own

Advanced topic!

Tools needed:

• Node.js
• TypeScript
• Power BI Visuals Tools

Documentation: Microsoft has full SDK

Use case: Very specific business need

Popular Use Cases

Executive Dashboards

• Advanced cards
• Bullet charts
• Enhanced KPIs

Sales Reports

• Funnel pro
• Timeline slicer
• Card with states

Geographic Analysis

• Synoptic panel
• Flow map
• Enhanced map

Data Exploration

• Drill down column chart
• Advanced donut
• Histogram

Try This Exercise

Install and test custom visuals:

1. Install Chiclet Slicer:

   • Get from AppSource
   • Add to report
   • Configure with product images

2. Install Text Filter:

   • Add to report
   • Connect to product names
   • Test search functionality

3. Install Word Cloud:

   • Add customer feedback
   • Format nicely
   • Observe word sizes

4. Compare to built-in: Note which features you prefer

Troubleshooting

Visual won't load:

• Check internet connection
• Verify certification status
• Try restarting Power BI

Visual shows error:

• Check data format
• Verify field mappings
• Read documentation

Poor performance:

• Reduce data
• Limit custom visuals
• Use filters

Best Practices

Do:

• Use certified visuals in production
• Test thoroughly first
• Read documentation
• Check ratings/reviews
• Limit per page

Don't:

• Install every visual
• Use in critical reports (without testing)
• Ignore performance
• Skip certification check

Staying Updated

AppSource updates: Visuals get updated regularly

Check for updates: Visualizations pane > ... > Check for updates

Subscribe to updates: Follow visual developers

Next Module Preview

Module 4 covers Advanced DAX - time intelligence, CALCULATE patterns, and complex calculations!

Congratulations!

You now know all about visualizations - from basic charts to custom visuals!

Tip: Built-in visuals cover 90% of needs. Only use custom when you really need that extra feature!