Power BI Weekly

Issue 376

25th September 2026

Welcome to the 376th edition of Power BI Weekly! From the team, Kay Unkroth has announced that the semantic model settings pane is becoming the default in the Power BI service, so opening a model's settings now brings up a side pane alongside your workspace rather than the full settings page. Don't know about you, but I've found it a little jarring (and found a bug or two here and there). The classic page is still a click away at the bottom of the pane, but this is the future, so best to get the hang of it now.

Over in the community, Chris Webb has highlighted a relatively new capability around how Semantic Link Labs can find the unused tables, columns and measures in a semantic model, so your clean-up operations can be automated from a notebook. Ned Charles has given an architectural overview of building custom analytical apps with Power BI Embedded, demonstrating an alternative to Power BI Apps. And finally, Dane Belarmino has shared a neat trick for stopping slicer selections from appearing to vanish when a combination of selections returns no data.

Data Prep

Data Modeling

  • Where we stand on AI and DAX in 2026 by Marco Russo · 1 min read SQLBI now endorses AI for DAX development after recent model improvements, launching three new courses to teach agent-based workflows and complex model generation.
  • The hidden complexity of a daily average in DAX by Alberto Ferrari · 1 min read DAX measures for daily averages often fail because AI-generated code ignores how filter context and blank values affect the denominator, requiring manual refinement to include calendar days.
  • Tabular Editor 3: September 2026 Release by Ruben Van de Voorde · 1 min read Tabular Editor 3's September release makes the AI Assistant generally available (it can now apply model changes directly from chat), adds an MCP server so agents can work on the same open model, separates permission to edit the model from access to its data, adds change indicators with selective revert, and ships admin controls for the AI features - plus a breaking change for scripts calling query/command methods on Model.Database.
  • How to Use Verified Answers in Power BI Visuals by Gökberk Uzuntaş · 2 min read A short walkthrough of Verified Answers, part of Prep data for AI on the semantic model: linking approved visuals to example questions so Copilot returns exactly those visuals, set up in Desktop or the service and tested in both English and Turkish.
  • Model Your Data in Power BI: Star Schemas, Filter Flow & Field Lists by Reid Havens A modeling-fundamentals walkthrough: why a dimensional model beats one flat table, how facts and dimensions split and how slicer filters flow through relationships, star vs snowflake compared on query performance, DirectQuery latency, DAX length and usability (star wins all four), how every visual's query breaks down into filter/group/summarize, and making the fields list usable with friendly names, display folders, hidden keys and descriptions.
  • Most Power BI Users Ignore ALLNOBLANKROW()... Here's Why You Shouldn't! | Power BI DAX for Beginners by Rehan Siddiqui Explains why Power BI adds a blank row to tables, how ALLNOBLANKROW() differs from ALL() in handling it, and when using it gives more accurate results, with a worked example and tips for cleaner measures.
  • Find Unused Objects In Power BI Semantic Models With Semantic Link Labs by Chris Webb · 1 min read Semantic Link Labs introduces a feature that automatically identifies unused tables, columns, and measures in Power BI semantic models by analyzing downstream reports and Workspace Monitoring DAX queries, streamlining model optimization.
  • ChatGPT + Power BI via MCP Server 🔥 | GPT 6.0 Astra for Reports, Dashboards & Models by Pankaj Namekar Shows how to connect ChatGPT to Power BI through an MCP server and use prompts to generate reports, dashboards and data model changes, covering setup, what works in practice, and the limitations to watch for before using it in production.
  • Power BI Live Model Creation with Claude AI 🤯 | Build & Optimize Models Instantly | Claude Cowork 🔥 by Pankaj Namekar A live demo using Claude (via Claude Cowork) to build and optimise a Power BI semantic model: fixing relationships, restructuring into a clean star schema and generating DAX measures from prompts.

Report Authoring and Interactivity

  • Power BI: Pseudo-Clear Slicers When Selections Return No Data by Dane Belarmino When a combination of slicer selections returns no rows, Power BI can make a slicer's selection appear to vanish; this video shows how to keep the Category slicer displaying the relevant category even when its selected subcategory has been filtered out by another slicer (PBIX included).
  • Agentic Dev of PBI Reports - Ep.566 - Power BI tips by Power BI Tips Power BI report generation remains difficult because of strict governance requirements that distinguish data dashboards from standard web applications.
  • Dynamic Gradient - Shapes & Layouts in Power BI by Gustaw Dudek Uses an SVG measure shown in an Image visual to build colour-dynamic gradient shapes (vertical, horizontal, radial) inside the PBIX, so layout accents can follow brand colours without PowerPoint or Figma exports - though the author is candid that it's an edge-case technique, and plain shapes or external layouts are usually the better choice.
  • Alt Text for Grouped Visuals in Power BI: What I Learnt from a Pull Request by Juliana Smith · 8 min read A pull request to the PBIR A11y CLI exposed how grouped visuals should be handled for screen readers: since Power BI focuses the group before its contents, the author recommends giving the group its own alt text describing what it is and contains, keeping dynamic figures in each element's own (measure-driven) alt text because group alt text is static, and hiding decorative elements from the tab order - with the PBIX A11y checker updated to match.
  • PBIX A11y update: alt text for groups, a rebuilt tab order check, and a clutter fix by Juliana Smith · 5 min read Following the grouped-visuals investigation, PBIX A11y now recognises and checks group alt text (including nested groups and PBIR projects), rebuilds its tab order check to follow group nesting with a new unscored note when tab order doesn't match layout, and fixes clutter and target-size checks that measured grouped visuals from the wrong position.
  • Power BI Input Slicer Explained by Pankaj Namekar Part 4 of a slicer series covers the Input Slicer: adding and formatting it, letting users type values to filter the report, wiring it to DAX measures for text-driven calculations, controlling its cross-filter interactions, common setup mistakes, and when to choose it over the other slicer types.
  • Qué es un KPI y cómo usarlo en el visual KPI de Power BI [Spanish] by Guillermo Perdomo Sosa Learn how to create and customize Power BI’s KPI visual using its three fields-value, trend axis, and target-while exploring SMART objectives and comparing it to traditional card visuals.
  • Six New Features for Power BI Table and Matrix Visuals by Chandeep Chhabra Walks through six Table and Matrix improvements: the Inferred behaviour in visual calculations, an easier route to custom totals, new column-width options (fit to content, grow to fit, fixed, measure-driven), Matrix Auto Expand and frozen row headers, and sentence-based tooltips - including where that last feature doesn't yet behave as you'd expect. Practice file on the Goodly blog.
  • Power BI Date Picker: Everything You Need to Know (New GA Feature) by Fernan Espejo The new General Availability Date Picker in Power BI offers both manual and relative date selection, with tips to optimize its use for better data analysis.
  • Stop Hosting Report Images Publicly Just to Show Them in Power BI by Pankaj Namekar · 3 min read Since the August 2026 update, Power BI can use image files stored in OneLake anywhere it accepts an image URL (Image visual, table and matrix cells, Card, button and list slicers), so internal photos and logos no longer need public hosting or bloated base64 embedding - at the cost of first organising the images in a Lakehouse.
  • Power BI Dashboard Review What I Changed After Getting Feedback | B2B Sales by Okeh Efasa The creator updates the Power BI B2B Sales Dashboard with layout, KPI, regional analysis, and data storytelling enhancements for better decision-making.
  • Custom Fonts in Power BI (and what to watch out for) by Bas Dohmen · 1 min read Power BI allows users to import custom fonts into theme files for branding consistency, but they must consider performance impacts and publishing behavior when doing so.
  • Microsoft Fabric Apps explained for beginners (Rayfin, write back, semantic models) by Valerie Junk This video explains how Fabric Apps and Rayfin integrate with your workspace using reports and semantic models, showcasing use cases such as write-back to SQL and report updates.

Deployment, Security and Operations

General

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