Step-by-Step Guide to Creating Power BI Dashboards with Fabric
You can make Power BI Dashboards with Fabric by following easy steps. The way Microsoft Fabric works with Power BI gives you many benefits:
1. You can connect to many data sources fast and use simple workflows. 2. Data moves quickly, so you see results right away. 3. You can work with others in real time, and automation helps you do more.
You do not have to know Fabric before you begin. If you use Power BI Dashboards now, the interface will look the same, but Fabric has more tools for better analytics.
Key Takeaways
Microsoft Fabric makes Power BI better by letting you connect data fast, work with others at the same time, and use strong analytics. You do not need to know Fabric before you start.
Set up your workspace by picking the right licenses, giving people the right roles, and sorting your data. This helps your team work well and keeps dashboards safe.
Use Fabric’s OneLake and Lakehouse to link and handle data from many places. This lets you ask questions in real time and keeps your data safer.
Clean and shape your data before making dashboards. This helps your dashboards work better and be more correct. Use relationships and semantic models to make data easy to read.
Make dashboards that are clear and simple. Use the best visuals, real-time updates, and easy features. Share and take care of them to keep data new and safe.
Setup
Accounts and Permissions
Before you begin, check if you have the right accounts. You need a Microsoft account that works with both Microsoft Fabric and Power BI. If your company uses Microsoft 365, your admin can give you these licenses. You might need a Power BI Pro or Fabric license. This depends on how you want to share and how big your team is.
Tip: Look at your license type in the Power BI Service under your profile. If you want to use more features or share with many people, ask your admin about getting Fabric capacity.
There are different user roles in a workspace. Each role lets you do certain things:
Admins and dataset owners can set up Row-Level Security. This helps control who sees certain data. Managers often use access tables to handle permissions without IT help.
Workspace Selection
A workspace is where you keep your data, reports, and dashboards. Make a workspace before you start building. Workspaces help you work with your team and keep things neat.
Here are the main steps to set up a workspace:
Make a new workspace. Give it a name and a short description.
Pick the right license mode. Most teams use shared or premium capacity.
Add team members and give them roles. Use the table above to choose roles.
Change workspace settings. You can link to SharePoint, manage storage, and connect to Azure if needed.
Add a contact list. This helps your team get important messages.
Note: You can use Microsoft 365 Groups to link your workspace to SharePoint for easy file storage.
The workspace has a header, toolbar, and view area. You can add or upload items, search, and switch between list or lineage views. Only admins can remove a workspace, so be careful.
Licensing and cost are important. Small teams may only need Premium Per User licenses. Big teams often save money with Fabric capacity. Always check your usage and change your plan if needed to avoid extra costs.
Connect to Fabric Data
OneLake and Lakehouse
First, connect your workspace to OneLake. OneLake is a main place for your company’s data. It helps you find and use data safely. Lakehouse lets you bring in data from many places. You can use Excel, CSV, SQL Server, Oracle, or cloud services like Azure Data Lake and Salesforce.
Use Fabric’s tools like Apache Spark or Data Flows to move and shape your data.
After you import, link your Power BI reports to Lakehouse.
Data Warehouse Tables
Fabric Data Warehouse gives you more than normal Power BI connections. You can use SQL, work with big data, and use open formats like Delta and Parquet. This lets you handle bigger datasets and use smart analytics tools.
You can:
Run hard SQL queries.
Use AI to make things faster.
Control who can see what with security settings.
Track changes with source control tools.
Fabric Data Warehouse mixes the best parts of datamarts and warehouses. You can grow, keep data safe, and connect to Power BI for quick reports.
Direct Lake Mode
Direct Lake Mode lets you ask for data in real time. You do not have to import or copy it. Power BI uses the VertiPaq engine to answer questions fast, like Import mode, but you do not need to refresh your data. Only the data you need loads into memory, so you can use very big datasets.
You get almost real-time data.
No need to refresh all your data.
Data loads only when you need it, so it saves memory.
Direct Lake stops delays and copying problems seen in DirectQuery.
If your data gets too big, Direct Lake switches to DirectQuery. You will not lose access. This setup gives you fast, interactive analytics and helps you learn from your data right away.
Prepare and Model Data
Clean and Transform
You must get your data ready before making reports. Start by cleaning and changing your data in Power BI. Many people have trouble with messy columns, like names with extra words (for example, "Office : New York"). If you try to fix this by making new columns, you might get repeats and confusion. Instead, use Power Query’s built-in tools. The "Extract Text After Delimiter" tool helps you clean columns fast and keeps your data model neat. This way is easier to keep up and works better.
When you bring data from Microsoft Fabric, you may see tables with too many columns. Big tables can slow down your reports and use more memory. To fix this, take out columns you do not need. Use reference queries to make smaller tables that focus on what you need. You can also use unpivot to change how your data looks. These steps help your reports run faster and make your data easier to use.
Tip: Clean and change your data in Power BI before you make visuals. This saves time and keeps your data model simple.
Relationships
After cleaning your data, you need to link tables together. Relationships connect tables and help you look at data the right way. If you set up relationships well, your reports will show the right results.
Relationships make sure your data model fits your business.
Calculated columns add new data to each row, but too many can slow things down.
Measures use DAX to find totals or averages. They work better for big data.
Make your data model better by checking data types and removing extra columns.
Microsoft Fabric keeps your data up to date and supports real-time updates.
Good notes and careful planning help keep your dashboards correct and fast.
Mapping relationships the right way helps you avoid mistakes. Always match your data model to your business needs.
Semantic Model
A semantic model makes your data simple to use and understand. In Power BI, the semantic layer adds things like descriptions, synonyms, KPIs, and folders. These features make a data dictionary that helps everyone find and use the right data.
You can use Tabular Editor for advanced modeling and automation.
OneLake in Fabric lets you model data right on special tables with Direct Lake mode. This keeps your data quick and current.
Semantic models can change and grow with your needs. You can use them in Power BI, Excel, APIs, and other tools.
Microsoft Purview helps you keep data safe, track where it comes from, and set who can see it.
The Metrics Layer in Fabric lets you set KPIs once and use them everywhere, so everyone uses the same numbers.
Working together with IT, data teams, and business users makes sure your data model fits real business questions.
A strong semantic model helps you build dashboards that are correct, trusted, and easy to use.
Build Power BI Dashboards
Visualizations
You can turn your data into clear stories by choosing the right visualizations. Power BI Dashboards give you many ways to show your data. You can use graphs, charts, and scatter plots to highlight trends and patterns. The tool also lets you add custom visuals with Python, so you can create unique and complex graphics if you want.
Bar and column charts help you compare numbers across categories.
Line charts show changes over time.
Pie charts display parts of a whole.
Scatter plots reveal relationships between two numbers.
Maps let you see data by location.
Power BI Dashboards work well with large datasets. The system compresses data, so your visuals load quickly. You can also combine data from different reports into one dashboard. This helps you see the big picture and make better decisions.
Tip: Keep your visuals simple. Too many charts or too much data can confuse users. Focus on the most important numbers and use clear labels.
A good dashboard uses a clean layout and a consistent color palette. Always use colors that make sense, like green for growth or red for decline. Add filters so users can explore the data on their own. Make sure every chart has a title and a legend if needed.
Real-Time Analytics
You can see live data in Power BI Dashboards by using Microsoft Fabric’s real-time features. Fabric lets you bring in event data from many sources using Eventstream. You do not need to write code. The event processor editor helps you set up how data flows. The data goes into a special database called Eventhouse. This database is built for streaming data and keeps everything organized.
Power BI connects to Eventhouse with DirectQuery. This means your dashboard updates as soon as new data arrives. You can turn on automatic page refresh to see changes right away. If you use Azure Stream Analytics, you can send its output to Fabric Eventstream. This setup gives you a smooth path for real-time reporting.
To move to real-time analytics, follow these steps:
Look at your current streaming datasets. Decide which ones you want to move to Fabric.
Set up new streaming solutions in Fabric. Keep your old dashboards running until you finish the switch.
Finish the move before October 2027. This makes sure your dashboards stay fast and up to date.
Real-time dashboards help you spot problems and act quickly. You can track sales, monitor machines, or watch website visits as they happen.
Customization
You can make Power BI Dashboards fit your needs by customizing them. Start by picking a layout that matches your goals. Place the most important visuals at the top or center. Use clear titles and group similar charts together.
You can change colors, fonts, and backgrounds to match your company’s style. Stick to a few colors to keep things easy to read. Add slicers and filters so users can focus on what matters to them.
When you build dashboards, avoid these common mistakes:
Do not add too much data. Too many numbers can hide what is important.
Use the same color scheme for all visuals. This helps users understand the story.
Highlight key metrics. Make them stand out so users see them first.
Only use visuals that add value. Extra charts make dashboards messy.
Add filters for user interaction. This gives users control over what they see.
Use clear and simple labels. Avoid confusing names or missing titles.
Keep charts simple. Do not use complex visuals unless needed.
Make sure everything lines up. A neat layout helps users find information.
Test your dashboard with large datasets. Make sure it loads quickly.
Give context. Add explanations so users know what they are looking at.
Remember: A good dashboard is easy to use, clear, and focused on the user’s needs. Always test your dashboard with real users before sharing it widely.
You can also use bookmarks and drill-through features. Bookmarks let you save different views. Drill-through lets users click on a chart to see more details. These tools help users explore data without getting lost.
Share and Maintain
Publish and Share
You can put your Power BI Dashboards online by following some steps. First, go to your Fabric workspace and find the main Power BI semantic model. Click the menu and pick "Create report" to start editing. Build your report using the semantic model. Save your report in the workspace if you can. If you cannot, it saves to "My workspace". You can also make a new report from the Fabric Data Warehouse by clicking "New report". Pick which tables you want if none are in the semantic model. Save your new report and choose the workspace if you have access.
After saving, you can share your dashboards in different ways. You can share with people at your company or with certain users. Set what others can do, like resharing or building. Send links by email, Outlook, PowerPoint, or Teams. You can publish as an app for a read-only view. You can invite people outside your company, but they need a Power BI account.
Sharing with people outside your company can be risky. Only do this if you must, and always check who can see your dashboards.
Data Refresh
You can keep your dashboards current by setting up data refresh. Power BI lets you schedule updates for online data. You can pick how often your data updates, like every day or every hour. For more control, use Power Automate to refresh when something happens, like a file change or a button click.
To set up refresh, go to the Power BI Service and open your dataset settings. Make a refresh schedule that works for you. Use Power Automate for refreshes when files update in SharePoint. Make sure your data source credentials are correct so refresh works.
Scheduled and event-driven refreshes help your dashboards always show the newest data without you doing it by hand.
Monitor and Update
You should watch your dashboards to make sure they work well and stay helpful. Power BI saves dashboard tiles, except for live and streaming ones. When you use row-level security, each user gets their own cache, which can slow things down.
Some good tips for watching and updating are: Set how often cache refreshes for DirectQuery and live connections. Use filters to cut down on data and make things load faster. Only put needed visuals on each page. Check how your dashboards work in Power BI Desktop and when live. Change capacity settings and data gateways to fit your needs.
You can track usage with built-in reports. See how many people use your dashboards and which pages are most liked. The Admin monitoring workspace and usage reports help you find trends and know what to fix.
Get feedback from users with built-in feedback visuals or by sharing dashboards in Teams. This helps you keep your dashboards useful and easy to use.
You get lots of benefits when you use Microsoft Fabric with Power BI Dashboards. Companies can understand their data better and get answers faster. This helps everyone work together and care more about data. You can keep all your data in one spot. You can see live updates and use smart tools like AI and event streaming. These steps help you make dashboards that fit your needs and make your job simpler.
Start making your own Power BI Dashboards now. Try out cool features like paginated reports, data pipelines, and notebooks to learn even more.
FAQ
How do you connect Power BI to Fabric data sources?
You open Power BI, select "Get Data," and choose Fabric as your source. Pick your workspace and select the Lakehouse or Data Warehouse. Power BI will show your tables. You can now build reports using this data.
Can you use real-time data in your dashboards?
Yes, you can. Use Direct Lake mode or connect to Eventstream in Fabric. Power BI will update your visuals as new data arrives. This helps you see changes right away.
What should you do if your dashboard loads slowly?
Check your data model. Remove extra columns and visuals. Use filters to limit data. Test your dashboard with large datasets. Fast dashboards help users get answers quickly.
How do you share dashboards with people outside your company?
You can invite external users by email. They need a Power BI account. Always check your sharing settings. Only share with trusted users to keep your data safe.
Do you need a special license to use Fabric with Power BI?
You need a Power BI Pro or Fabric license. Your admin can help you check your license. Some features, like sharing and real-time analytics, need extra permissions or capacity.