Powerbi Report Authoring

> Update Check — ONCE PER SESSION (mandatory)

> The first time this skill is used in a session, run the check-updates skill before proceeding.

> - GitHub Copilot CLI / VS Code: invoke the check-updates skill.

> - Claude Code / Cowork / Cursor / Windsurf / Codex: compare local vs remote package.json version.

> - Skip if the check was already performed earlier in this session.

> CRITICAL NOTES

> 1. To find the workspace details (including its ID) from workspace name: list all workspaces and, then, use JMESPath filtering

> 2. To find the item details (including its ID) from workspace ID, item type, and item name: list all items of that type in that workspace and, then, use JMESPath filtering

Power BI Report Authoring Skill (PBIR/PBIP Format)

This skill enables reading, editing, and creation of Power BI report

definition files in the PBIR (Power BI Report) format used by **PBIP

(Power BI Project)** files.

Must/Prefer/Avoid

MUST

• Use this skill only for concrete PBIR/PBIP report-file mechanics such as pages, visuals, filters, slicers, navigation, bookmarks, themes, formatting, validation, Desktop reloads, and screenshots.
• Validate PBIR with powerbi-report-author validate after each logical batch.
• Use powerbi-desktop reload/screenshot workflows for rendered-output changes.
• Use CLI capability lookup before writing visual roles, formatting objects, enum values, selectors, or expression encodings.

PREFER

• Start from an approved Design Brief: or _brief/report-spec.md for greenfield report builds.
• Route visual-design uncertainty to powerbi-report-design before writing files.
• For semantic model metadata or model-side changes, use a semantic-model authoring skill, Power BI Modeling MCP, or local TMDL files when available.

AVOID

• Do not guess PBIR JSON from memory when CLI metadata or reference files are available.
• Do not use only this skill for open-ended design, report planning, or Fabric report item CRUD; pair it with powerbi-report-design, powerbi-report-planning, or powerbi-report-management.

Quick Start Workflow

• Plan/design routing → for greenfield builds, read powerbi-report-planning

first; for theming, visual style, layout, redesigns, or critiques, read

powerbi-report-design. Return here for PBIR mechanics. Before authoring,

use the Design Brief: yaml block from _brief/report-spec.md (or an

approved inline Design Brief: block in the conversation) as implementation

context.

• Set up/update CLIs → before first use, confirm powerbi-report-author

and the global powerbi-desktop command are available; see

CLI Setup.

• Understand the model → use the Semantic Model MCP Server/skill if available,

or read TMDL files directly for table/column/measure names

• Desktop context → for live Desktop status, opening PBIP/PBIX files,

reloads, screenshots, or visual verification, use the

powerbi-desktop CLI from @microsoft/powerbi-desktop-bridge-cli; see

Edit → Validate → Reload → Screenshot Loop.

• Route by intent → use Topic Files and Examples to pick the relevant

guide.

• Use CLI metadata → use Authoring Metadata & Validation CLI

for exact visual roles, formatting objects, property names, enum values, and

selector requirements; do not infer these from memory.

• Check common pitfalls → read Anti-Patterns and Pitfalls

before editing or validating when the change touches visuals, bindings,

filters, formatting, layout, or Desktop rendering.

• Validate → run powerbi-report-author validate <path-to-.Report-dir>

after every logical batch of PBIR changes; see Validation.

• Verify rendering → for any rendered-output change, use powerbi-desktop

reload + screenshots; see Edit → Validate → Reload → Screenshot Loop

and Screenshot Review. Do not proceed until both

validation and visual review pass. For dashboard/report builds, page

scaffolding is not completion — each requested page needs data-bound visuals.

• Report back → give the user a concise summary of what was done and any

issues encountered (major and minor).

Topic Files and Examples

Use the user's intent to choose the relevant topic file(s) before editing:

| File | When to read |

|------|-------------|

| authoring.md | Adding/modifying pages, visuals, drillthrough, interactions — includes complete JSON examples |

| powerbi-desktop.md | Live Desktop verification — powerbi-desktop commands, PID selection, reload, screenshots, errors, troubleshooting |

| screenshot-review.md | Screenshot review checklist and rendered-output troubleshooting after Desktop screenshot capture |

| formatting-overview.md | Read first for appearance changes — cascade model, encoding rules, selectors, routing to other formatting files |

| formatting.md | Editing visual.json appearance — selectors, VCOs, encoding mechanics, background-image routing, cascade |

| color-strategy.md | Chart data point colors — theme dataColors vs dataPoint.defaultColor vs dataPoint.fill with selectors, cross-visual measure-color consistency |

| conditional-formatting.md | Data-driven formatting — color gradients (FillRule), rules-based, icon sets, data bars, web URL, field value |

| page-formatting.md | Editing page.json appearance — canvas background, wallpaper, page background images |

| filter-pane.md | Filter pane (outspacePane) and filter card (filterCard) chrome — Applied/Available state styling, pane width, search/checkbox colors |

| theming.md | Creating or editing theme.json — dataColors, textClasses, visualStyles, style presets, ThemeDataColor reference |

| re-theming.md | Switching themes on a report with existing visuals — re-theming workflow (color mapping + bulk sweep), dark mode checklist, dark↔light polarity changes. Pair with theming.md when changing colors on a report with per-visual overrides. |

| expressions.md | Building field references (Column, Measure, Aggregation, Hierarchy) and sort definitions |

| filters.md | Adding/modifying filters — includes complete JSON examples |

| slicers.md | Read first when adding/modifying slicers or slicer selections — agent workflow, JSON templates, selection config |

| cartesian.md | Adding bar, column, line charts — families, roles, query patterns (multi-measure, drill hierarchy, date hierarchy), formatting |

| map.md | Adding map visuals — template, roles, geocoding workflow, handling render failures |

| card.md | Adding or formatting KPI/card visuals — cardVisual, id selectors, callout/value sizing, accent bars |

| table.md | Adding or formatting tables/matrices — tableEx, pivotTable, grow-to-fit columns, row banding |

| image.md | Adding image visuals — local resources, URLs, data-bound images, ImageUrl validation/refusal workflow; also plot area background images for chart visuals |

| shape.md | Adding shape visuals — containers, dividers, backgrounds, reference-image matching |

| textbox.md | Adding static or dynamic textbox visuals — paragraphs, text runs, and bound value expressions |

| version-control.md | Git branching, committing, reverting — read when the task involves version control or safe rollback planning |

Greenfield / Design Handoff

> This skill owns PBIR file mechanics once the work is concrete: page/visual

> JSON, bindings, filters, slicers, themes, formatting, navigation, bookmarks,

> validation, Desktop reloads, and screenshots.

>

> Use powerbi-report-planning before authoring for new report/dashboard

> requests, requirements gathering, dependency checks, approval, or end-to-end

> build sequencing. Use powerbi-report-design for open-ended visual design,

> redesign/restyle, brand/theme direction, chart selection, or layout critique.

> Return here once there is an approved spec/design brief or a concrete PBIR

> edit to implement — see Quick Start step 0 for how to consume the brief.

Large Build Execution

For full report/PBIP builds, do not delegate complete PBIP generation to a

subagent — the owning agent must keep the design brief, model inventory,

cross-page consistency, validation loop, and Desktop verification coordinated.

When context or repetition is the constraint, prefer a deterministic Node.js

generator that reads the approved design brief and writes PBIR JSON. If

delegation is still useful, split it by page or visual family and give each

subagent the relevant brief excerpt, exact fields/measures, and layout/visual

contract; have it return scoped PBIR JSON or a patch for the owning agent to

integrate and validate.

CLI Setup

Prerequisite: Node.js 20 or later. Check with node --version. If missing

or older, install from nodejs.org or via your package

manager — Windows: winget install OpenJS.NodeJS.LTS; macOS: brew install node;

Linux: distro package or nodesource.

Before using the CLIs in a session, ensure the latest global versions are

installed:

npm install -g @microsoft/powerbi-report-authoring-cli@latest @microsoft/powerbi-desktop-bridge-cli@latest

Confirm both are on PATH:

powerbi-report-author --version
powerbi-desktop --version

PBIR File Layout

A PBIP project on disk looks like this:

<Report>.pbip                              # Project manifest
├── <Report>.Report/
│   ├── .platform                          # Fabric metadata (type, logicalId)
│   ├── definition.pbir                    # Report → SemanticModel binding
│   ├── definition/
│   │   ├── version.json                   # Format version (e.g. "2.0.0")
│   │   ├── report.json                    # Report-level: themes, settings, resources
│   │   └── pages/
│   │       ├── pages.json                 # Page order + active page name
│   │       └── <pageId>/
│   │           ├── page.json              # Page: displayName, size, type, filters
│   │           └── visuals/
│   │               └── <visualId>/
│   │                   └── visual.json    # Visual: type, position, query, formatting
│   ├── CustomVisuals/                     # Third-party .pbiviz packages
│   └── StaticResources/
│       ├── SharedResources/BaseThemes/    # Built-in base themes
│       └── RegisteredResources/           # User images, custom theme JSON
└── <Report>.SemanticModel/                # OUT OF SCOPE

Key Files

| File | Purpose | Agent rule |

|------|---------|------------|

| .platform | Fabric/PBIP report item metadata | Keep it with the .Report folder |

| definition.pbir | Report → semantic model binding via byPath or byConnection | Preserve schema/version unless intentionally migrating |

| version.json | PBIR format metadata | Preserve the full scaffolded file, including $schema |

| report.json | Report-level settings, themes, resources | Edit through references and validate after changes |

| pages.json | Page order and active page | Add every new page to pageOrder; preserve activePageName |

| page.json | Page metadata, size, filters | Preserve dimensions unless resizing is approved |

| visual.json | Visual type, position, query, formatting | Validate roles and formatting with CLI metadata |

| localSettings.json | User-local settings | Do not commit or rely on it |

Schema URLs use the prefix developer.microsoft.com/json-schemas/fabric/item/report/definition/.

The suffixes are versioned PBIR contracts that Power BI Desktop bumps with most

releases (e.g. visualContainer/2.9.0, page/2.1.0, report/3.3.0 at the

time of writing — newer values may appear in any user's PBIP). When editing,

always preserve the existing $schema value; when adding a new file, copy

the $schema URL from an existing file of the same type in the same report.

Do not invent or bump versions on your own. Validate with powerbi-report-author validate.

Authoring Metadata & Validation CLI

Use powerbi-report-author whenever you need PBIR facts that should not be

guessed: visual types, data roles, formatting objects, property names, enum

values, selectors, expression/value encodings, and report validation. The CLI is

the source of truth for PBIR authoring details; examples and memory are not.

| Command | Purpose | When to use |

|---------|---------|-------------|

| catalog list | List all built-in visual types (and any deprecated entries) | Choosing a visual type |

| catalog describe <type> | Roles, formatting keys, cardinality | Before creating/editing a visual |

| formatting list-objects <type> | Valid objects.* keys + VCO keys; flags objects needing id selectors | Before applying formatting |

| formatting describe-object <type> <object> | Property names, types, enum values, descriptions; _selectorHint when id selector required | Finding exact property names and allowed values |

| formatting describe-property <type> <object> <prop> | Focused single-property lookup | When you already know the object and want just one property |

| formatting search <type> <regex> | Regex search across all formatting objects + VCOs | When you don't know which object a property belongs to |

| formatting list-vcos | Enumerate shared visualContainerObjects | Auditing chrome/container formatting surface |

| validate <path> | Full validation of a .pbip or .Report directory: JSON Schema, structure, IDs, formatting properties, enum values, nesting, layout bounds, theme | After every batch of changes |

| preview-* <path> [--with-derived] | Report inventory: preview-visuals, preview-pages, preview-filters, preview-themes | Auditing existing report content |

| --help / <command> --help | Command syntax and available options | Before using an unfamiliar command or flag |

More commands: powerbi-report-author-cli.md.

Validation result handling

Run powerbi-report-author validate <path-to-.Report-dir> after every logical

batch of PBIR edits.

• failed / non-zero exit: fix every error before Desktop reload. Desktop may

reject or misrender invalid PBIR.

• succeededWithWarnings: review warnings before proceeding. Unknown visual

types or theme visual keys usually mean a typo unless the report intentionally

uses a custom .pbiviz.

• Diagnostics include file paths and JSON paths. Use them to jump directly to

the broken node.

• For large diagnostics, use --pretty for readable output or --out <file> to

write the full result to a file.

Visual Capability Guardrails

Use these as pre-edit safety rails. Always confirm exact roles, formatting

objects, properties, enum values, and selectors with powerbi-report-author

before editing.

Prefer modern visual types

Never create legacy visual types. If repairing an existing legacy visual,

migrate to the modern type and rebuild roles/formatting from CLI metadata.

| Do not create | Use instead |

|---|---|

| card | cardVisual |

| multiRowCard | cardVisual — use multi-value cardVisual (multiple projections in Data) for multiple KPIs |

| table | tableEx |

| matrix | pivotTable |

| map, filledMap | azureMap |

Instance Selectors

Some formatting objects need { id: ... } selectors. Run `formatting

list-objects and formatting describe-object; follow _selectorHint` and the

dual-entry pattern in references/formatting.md.

Edit → Validate → Reload → Screenshot Loop

For rendered-output changes, follow this loop. Do not report completion until

validation, reload, and screenshot review are clean.

┌──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│  1. Edit PBIR files                                      │
│  2. Validate           → errors? fix and go to 1         │
│  3. Desktop status     → choose the correct bridge PID   │
│  4. Desktop reload     → error? fix PBIR and go to 1     │
│  5. Screenshot/review  → issues? fix and go to 1         │
│  6. Clean              → report completion               │
└──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘

Rules:

• Step 2 — powerbi-report-author validate <path-to-.Report-dir>. Pass the

report definition directory (e.g., Sales.Report), not the .pbip file or

project root. Fix all errors before reload — invalid PBIR errors will surface

in Desktop.

• Steps 3–5 — use powerbi-desktop CLI: status to choose the PID, then

reload --pid <pid> for PBIP/PBIR current files and screenshots from the

same PID. Then perform the screenshot review below.

After status, if the selected instance has hasUnsavedChanges: true, do

not reload yet; ask the user to save or discard their Desktop UI changes,

rerun status, and continue only once it is false.

reload covers report/PBIR changes only. For semantic-model/TMDL changes,

use a semantic-model skill or Modeling MCP and reopen the PBIP if changes are

not reflected.

Exception: Theme JSON files are cache-keyed by name — Desktop may not

pick up edits on reload. Either rename the theme file with a random suffix

(and update report.json), or close and reopen Desktop.

Desktop CLI commands:

| Command | Purpose | When to use |

|---|---|---|

| open "<path.pbip>" | Launch Power BI Desktop for a PBIP/PBIX | Starting Desktop or opening the target report |

| status | List Desktop Bridge instances, current files, report dirs, and bridge state | Before reload/screenshot; choose the correct PID |

| reload --pid <pid> | Reload the selected Desktop instance's current PBIP report files | After validated PBIR edits in an open PBIP |

| screenshot <page-id> --pid <pid> --output <file> | Capture one page by PBIR page ID | Isolated page changes |

| screenshot-all --pid <pid> --output-dir <dir> | Capture every report page | Theme, navigation, page-order, or report-wide changes |

Use powerbi-desktop screenshot <page-id> --pid <pid> when only one PBIR

page needs review. reload is supported only for PBIP-backed reports. No powerbi-desktop command accepts --report; use status

to select the Desktop instance by PID because the same PBIP can be open in more

than one process. Screenshots default to scale 2. Run reload and screenshot

operations serially per PID — never in parallel against the same PID, even as a

workaround for a slow or retryable error. Read references/powerbi-desktop.md for the

complete command reference and troubleshooting workflow.

Common Desktop CLI outcomes:

| Output/error | Meaning | Action |

|--------------|---------|--------|

| "status": "not_connected" | No Desktop Bridge discoverable | Run powerbi-desktop open "<path.pbip>" or ask the user to start Desktop. If still unreachable, ask them to enable the Desktop preview feature — see docs |

| AMBIGUOUS_DESKTOP_INSTANCE | More than one Desktop Bridge instance is available | Run powerbi-desktop status, choose the intended PID, retry with --pid |

| METHOD_NOT_AVAILABLE | Desktop build lacks a required production bridge method | Tell the user Desktop is stale/unsupported — see docs |

| HostNotReady / retryable bridge error | Desktop is up but the report host isn't ready (often briefly after a reload) | CLI auto-retries; rerun once if it surfaces. Do not add custom sleeps — rely on the CLI's retry path. |

| Timeout (bridge error) | A reload or screenshot exceeded the CLI's retry budget | Confirm status shows bridgeStatus: "connected", then rerun once. If Timeout persists, raise the budget (e.g., reload --pid <pid> --wait-seconds 120). If bridgeStatus: "error" or status hangs, ask the user whether a Desktop modal dialog is blocking input. |

| Cancelled during screenshot/reload | A reload/screenshot was cancelled — usually a concurrent reload/screenshot on the same PID. Distinct from Timeout (operation ran too long). | Run reload and screenshot serially per PID. Wait for connected via status, retry one at a time. |

| ReportDefinitionValidationFailed | Desktop rejected the PBIR definition | Fix PBIR, run powerbi-report-author validate <path>, then reload again |

| REPORT_DIR_REQUIRED | Selected PID has no PBIP/PBIR current file; reload/screenshot-all need PBIP/PBIR state | Select the correct PID from status or open the target PBIP |

Screenshot Review

After taking screenshots, perform an independent rendered-output review before reporting completion. Read screenshot-review.md, check layout, data rendering, formatting/theme, slicers, and common screenshot failure modes, then fix PBIR and repeat the loop until clean.

Validation

Run powerbi-report-author validate <path> after every logical batch of PBIR

changes. Prefer the .Report directory; the CLI also accepts a .pbip file or

a project root containing a single .Report directory. Errors block Desktop

reload — fix them first. Review warnings and fix unless there's a clear reason

not to.

The validator is an offline preflight covering PBIR structure, JSON/schema

validity, cross-file references, IDs/names, visual types, role bindings,

filters, formatting objects/properties/enums/selectors, visualContainerObjects,

theme registration, layout bounds, and selected Desktop/rendering failure

patterns. It does not replace Desktop reload and screenshot review.

Anti-Patterns and Pitfalls

| Pitfall | Consequence | Fix |

|---------|-------------|-----|

| Using "Entity" inside filter Where conditions | Filter silently fails | Use "Source" with the alias from From |

| Omitting nativeQueryRef | Visual calculations may break | Always include nativeQueryRef |

| Reusing visual/filter names | Unpredictable behavior | Generate unique IDs |

| Setting visualType to invalid string | Visual renders as error box | Run powerbi-report-author catalog describe <type> or powerbi-report-author catalog list |

| Wrong role name for visual type | Field is ignored; visual blank | Match role names from powerbi-report-author catalog describe <type> |

| Mixing Column and Measure types | Query fails; visual error | Columns use Column, measures use Measure |

| Forgetting to add page to pages.json | Page invisible | Add to pageOrder array |

| Booleans without correct format | Wrong type | "true" / "false" (no suffix, unquoted in Value) |

| Numbers without type suffix | Type mismatch | D for decimals, L for integers |

| Editing $schema version | PBI Desktop may reject | Preserve existing version |

| Stringified JSON in paragraphs | Textbox shows nothing | paragraphs is a native JSON array |

| Using textbox as a thin line/divider | Renders ~24px tall regardless of height | Use a shape visual (rectangle) instead — shapes respect small dimensions |

| visualContainerObjects as sibling of visual | Schema validation error in PBI Desktop | Must be inside visual object, as sibling of objects |

| Using tableEx with dimension columns and measures all in Values | Headers render but no data rows even when DAX confirms data exists | Use pivotTable; put dimensions in Rows and measures in Values |

| Using PowerShell ConvertTo-Json to edit visual JSON | Property reordering, nesting depth truncation (-Depth default is 2) | Use Node.js for JSON manipulation, or always pass -Depth 20 and verify structure |

| Using regex or string replacement to modify JSON files | Corrupts nesting structure — properties end up inside sibling values, braces misalign | Read file → JSON.parse → modify object → JSON.stringify → write back. Or use the edit tool with exact old/new string matching |

| dataPoint.fill without a selector on single-series charts | Bars/columns invisible despite data in tooltips | Use dataPoint.defaultColor for a base color without a selector; fill requires a metadata selector |

| Using dataPoint.defaultColor on multi-series charts | All series/categories get the same color — no visual differentiation | Use theme dataColors for consistent palette across visuals, or dataPoint.fill with metadata selectors for per-series overrides — see color-strategy.md § Color Strategy Quick Reference |

| Clustered bar/column chart colors collapse into one legend color | The visual has a Series role but all bars and legend markers share the same hue | Use per-series dataPoint.fill selectors or a theme dataColors palette; do not use defaultColor on clustered charts |

| Relying on theme dataColors alone for cross-visual measure consistency | Same measure gets different colors on different visuals (index-based assignment varies with projection order) | Maintain a measure→color mapping and apply explicit dataPoint.fill/defaultColor per visual — see color-strategy.md § Cross-Visual Measure-Color Consistency |

| Using ThemeDataColor for explicit per-measure dataPoint.fill with metadata selectors | Colors silently resolve to white or black instead of expected palette color | Use Literal hex values for explicit color assignments with metadata selectors — ThemeDataColor is unreliable in this context |

| Choosing bar/series colors without checking background contrast | Bars or lines invisible against page/card background (e.g., white bars on white canvas) | Always pick saturated, mid-to-dark hues that contrast with the page and VCO background colors |

| show property on page-level background | Schema error — page background only supports color, image, transparency | Only VCO background (on visuals) has show; page background is always visible |

| Copying property names from doc examples without verifying | Warnings or silent failures — property names vary by visual type | Always run powerbi-report-author formatting describe-object <type> <object> for exact property names |

| Guessing which object a property belongs to | Wasted calls checking wrong objects one by one | Run powerbi-report-author formatting search <type> <regex> to grep across all objects at once |

| Formatting property has no effect (no error) | Setting show: false on cardVisual outline without an id selector — validates but renders unchanged | Check powerbi-report-author formatting describe-object <type> <object> for _selectorHint; use the dual-entry pattern (static + id selector entries) |

| Using cardCalloutArea on a single-value card | Properties validate but have no visible effect — cardCalloutArea only renders on multi-value cards (2+ measures in Data) | Use outline/accentBar/fillCustom with { id: "default" } selector for single-value cards. For multi-value cards, cardCalloutArea controls per-callout tile styling — see card.md § Multi-Value Formatting |

| Using "Fields" as the queryState role for cardVisual | Cards render empty — PBI Desktop cannot resolve the binding. Validator reports Unknown role "Fields" and Required role "Data" missing | cardVisual's only data role is "Data". "Fields" is the legacy card visual's role name — never carry it over. Always verify role names with powerbi-report-author catalog describe cardVisual — see card.md § Single-Value Template |

| Creating separate single-value cardVisual instances for multiple related KPIs | Wastes canvas space and misuses the visual type — cardVisual natively supports multiple projections in one tile | Default to one multi-value cardVisual with all measures as Data projections when ≥2 related KPIs are requested. Only use separate cards when per-card styling differences are required — see card.md § When to Consolidate vs. Keep Separate |

| Adding multiple fields to button slicer Values or Label roles | Slicer breaks or shows unexpected results — each role accepts only 1 field | Put one field in Values, one in Label; additional fields go to Tooltips |

| Looking at filterConfig on other visuals to understand slicer selections | Slicer selections live only inside the slicer's own visual.json via expansionStates + objects.general.filter. Always read references/slicers.md first when modifying slicers |

| Creating an image visual without prompting for the source type | Wrong visual structure — URL vs local file vs data field each have different schemas and expression types | Always ask the user for the image source (local file / URL / data field) before creating the visual — see image.md § Source Types Overview |

| Creating a data-bound image visual with a field that lacks dataCategory: ImageUrl | Visual renders blank or error | Warn the user first — the visual will render blank without dataCategory: ImageUrl. Present alternatives (other ImageUrl fields, local file, URL) and confirm before creating — see image.md § Select from data |

| Placing background image on page canvas instead of visual plot area | User asks for "background image" alongside a visual (e.g., "column chart with background image") but image is placed on page.json → objects.background instead of visual.objects.plotArea | When a background image is requested in the context of a specific visual, default to plotArea.image. Only use page-level background.image when the user explicitly says "page background" / "canvas background" or no visual context exists — see image.md § Plot Area Background Image |

| Creating a multiRowCard visual | Legacy multi-row card — deprecated; powerbi-report-author validate warns with PBIR_VISUAL_TYPE_DEPRECATED. Often triggered by user phrases like "multi-card", "cards for each metric", or "card per measure" | Always use cardVisual. For multiple KPIs, use a single multi-value cardVisual with all measures as projections in the Data role — see card.md |

| Using map or filledMap instead of azureMap for map visuals | Legacy Bing Maps visuals — deprecated and must not be created; powerbi-report-author validate warns with PBIR_VISUAL_TYPE_DEPRECATED | Always use azureMap — see map.md. If the map fails to render or geocode, debug the fields, try alternative geographic columns/coordinates, or ask the user — do not silently substitute a non-map visual without consulting the user first |

| Creating tableEx/pivotTable without columnAdjustment: growToFit | Columns shrink-wrap to content, leaving unused whitespace | Always set columnHeaders.columnAdjustment to growToFit and autoSizeColumnWidth to true — see table.md |

| Custom table/matrix row colors with no effect (white background) | Default style preset overrides objects-level backColorPrimary/backColorSecondary | Set stylePreset VCO to 'None' on every tableEx/pivotTable with custom colors — see table.md § Style Presets |

| Table cells white despite dark VCO background | visualContainerObjects.background only controls outer container — table cells paint on top | Set dark colors in objects.values.backColorPrimary/Secondary and objects.columnHeaders.backColor, not in VCO — see re-theming.md § Dark Mode Checklist |

| Dark theme applied but cards/tables/slicers still white | Dark mode triggers every formatting trap simultaneously | Follow the full re-theming.md § Dark Mode Authoring Checklist — covers stylePreset, fillCustom+id selector, objects vs VCO, and contrast audit |

| Theme JSON changes do not appear after Desktop reload | Desktop caches theme files by file name | Rename the theme JSON with a small random suffix, update the theme registration in report.json, then reload; otherwise close and reopen Desktop |

| Placing sortDefinition inside visual or at root of visual.json | Schema validation error; sort silently ignored — chart falls back to alphabetical | sortDefinition is a property of query — use visual.query.sortDefinition. Supported since visualConfiguration/2.2.0 |

| Container shape fill doesn't match reference | Text invisible or wrong background color | Match the fill color and transparency to the reference image. If the page background already provides the color, skip the shape entirely. If the shape must be invisible, verify text color still contrasts with the page canvas — see shape.md § Container Shapes |

| Shape text invisible after re-theme | Shape text object has no explicit fontColor — text inherits theme foreground, but when fill is a light color (e.g., white pill/button) on a light page canvas, inherited dark foreground may not render or the fill blends with canvas making text vanish | Always set explicit fontColor on shape text objects (in the { selector: { id: "default" } } entry). During re-theming, audit all shapes with text.show: true — bulk hex-replacement misses shapes that need a *new* fontColor property added |

| Enabling logAxisScale on data with zero or negative values | PBI Desktop silently falls back to linear scale with a warning — log of zero/negative is undefined | Warn the user before applying. Use ask_user to present alternatives (filter negatives, switch measure, use labelDisplayUnits). Apply logAxisScale: true only after the user resolves negative values or confirms all bound values are positive — see cartesian.md § Log Scale |

| Changing theme without sweeping inline overrides | Old colors remain on shapes, page backgrounds, nav buttons, textboxes — theme-only change has no effect on hardcoded Literal hex values at Priority 2 in the cascade | When the report has per-visual color overrides, follow re-theming.md § Re-theming Workflow Steps 0–3: build a color mapping, update theme JSON, then bulk-sweep definition/ files for old hex values before reload |

| Changing only dataColors in theme without sweeping | Shapes, accent bars, nav button borders retain old accent colors — they use hardcoded Literal hex from the old dataColors array, not ThemeDataColor references | Sweep ALL old dataColors[N] hex values across definition/ files. Even same-polarity "just change the accent/data colors" requests need the full sweep — shapes and nav elements commonly hardcode dataColors[0] as accent fills/outlines. |

Official Documentation

For Microsoft Learn setup guidance, support constraints, and feature

availability, use Power BI report authoring docs.