Course: Microsoft Power BI Training
Topic: Exploring and Managing Custom Visuals from Microsoft AppSource
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Microsoft Power BI is a business intelligence and data visualization platform that helps users transform raw data into interactive reports, dashboards, and analytical insights. It includes several built-in visuals, such as bar charts, column charts, line charts, pie charts, tables, matrices, cards, maps, and scatter charts.
Although built-in visuals cover many reporting requirements, some business scenarios require specialized visualizations. For example, a sales manager might need a detailed sales funnel, a project manager might want a Gantt chart, or a financial analyst might need a specialized variance chart. Custom visuals help meet these requirements.
Custom visuals extend Power BI's visualization capabilities. Users can discover and import many of them through Microsoft AppSource, use visuals distributed by their organization, or import trusted visual files.
Microsoft provides documentation explaining the different sources of Power BI visuals and how to import them: Microsoft Learn: Power BI Custom Visuals.
Custom visuals are visualization components that extend the standard chart types available in Power BI. They are created by Microsoft, independent developers, or software vendors using the Power BI visuals development framework.
Examples include:
Custom visuals help organizations communicate complex information more effectively when a standard chart does not adequately represent the data.
After completing this topic, learners should be able to:
Microsoft AppSource is an online marketplace for business applications, add-ins, extensions, and solutions that work with Microsoft products. It includes a collection of Power BI visuals developed by Microsoft and third-party publishers.
Report developers can browse available visuals, review their descriptions, inspect screenshots, check supported features, and determine whether a visual meets their reporting needs.
Visit Microsoft AppSource to explore the marketplace.
| Business Requirement | Possible Visual Type | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| Track project schedules | Gantt chart | Display tasks, durations, dependencies, and progress. |
| Analyze sales conversion | Advanced funnel chart | Compare values across conversion stages. |
| Explore geographical performance | Specialized map | Analyze results by location or region. |
| Compare financial performance | Variance or financial chart | Highlight differences between actual and target values. |
| Analyze word frequency | Word cloud | Highlight frequently occurring terms in text. |
| Track service-level indicators | Advanced KPI visual | Display current performance against targets. |
| Display relationships | Network diagram | Show connections between customers, products, or entities. |
These are examples of visual categories rather than recommendations for a specific vendor. Always check the current AppSource listing to confirm a visual's availability, functionality, licensing, and compatibility.
Built-in visuals are included with Power BI. They are generally available directly from the Visualizations pane and are suitable for many common analytical requirements.
Examples include:
Custom visuals add capabilities that are not available in the standard visual library or provide an alternative way to present data.
They may introduce additional formatting settings, specialized data roles, advanced interactions, or vendor-specific functionality. The available features depend on the visual and its version.
| Feature | Built-In Visuals | Custom Visuals |
|---|---|---|
| Availability | Included with Power BI | Imported from supported sources |
| Setup | Usually ready to use | May require importing and reviewing settings |
| Visualization choices | Standard chart types | Specialized or alternative visualization types |
| Licensing | Generally part of the Power BI product experience | May be free, paid, trial-based, or subject to other terms |
| Security review | Part of the standard product | Source, permissions, certification, and data handling should be evaluated |
| Compatibility | Broad support within Power BI's supported environments | Depends on the visual, licensing, environment, and organizational policies |
| Maintenance | Managed as part of Power BI | May depend on the publisher, updates, and administrator policies |
Power BI visuals can come from multiple sources. Understanding the source helps users determine how a visual is imported, maintained, and governed.
Core visuals are included in Power BI Desktop and Power BI Service. They are available through the standard Visualizations pane and are a good starting point for report development.
AppSource visuals are listed in Microsoft's marketplace. They may be developed by Microsoft or third-party publishers. Some visuals undergo additional certification checks, while others may be available without certification.
Organizational visuals are custom visuals approved and managed by an organization's Power BI administrators. They can be made available through an internal repository so users can discover and use approved visuals.
This approach helps organizations control which visuals are available to report authors and supports consistent governance.
Custom visuals may also be distributed as .pbiviz files. This package contains the files needed for Power BI to load the visual.
File-based visuals should only be imported when their origin and security implications have been reviewed. A file being importable does not automatically mean it is safe or approved for organizational use.
Search by the business problem you want to solve instead of selecting a visual only because it looks attractive.
Example search terms include:
Before importing a visual, review the following details:
Certified Power BI visuals are AppSource visuals that have passed Microsoft's additional certification requirements and testing. These requirements include checks designed to verify that a visual meets specified code and security-related standards, including restrictions on accessing external services or resources.
Certification is useful when an organization has stricter governance requirements, but it should not be interpreted as a guarantee that every third-party business practice, licensing term, or possible use of the visual is appropriate for every organization.
| Aspect | Certified Visual | Non-Certified Visual |
|---|---|---|
| Certification status | Passed the applicable certification process | Has not passed or does not hold the relevant certification |
| Security-related checks | Subject to additional Microsoft testing | Requires careful review based on source and organizational policy |
| Availability | Available through supported distribution methods, subject to policy | Availability depends on the listing, source, and tenant settings |
| Organizational approval | May still require internal approval | May require additional review or may be prohibited by policy |
| Licensing | Must still be checked separately | Must still be checked separately |
Certification does not replace a review of privacy, licensing, publisher trustworthiness, and compatibility. Learn more from Microsoft's documentation on Power BI visuals.
Power BI Desktop allows report authors to import supported visuals from AppSource directly into a report. The interface may vary slightly between Power BI versions.
Official instructions: Import Power BI visuals from AppSource or from a file.
After importing a visual, Power BI may allow you to pin it to the Visualizations pane for convenient reuse in other reports. The exact behavior depends on the interface and how the visual was added.
Pinning a visual makes it easier to find; it does not automatically add it to every existing report or override organizational policies.
Power BI Service provides a web-based environment for creating, viewing, and sharing reports. Supported custom visuals can be added through the report editing experience when tenant policies permit it.
A .pbiviz file is a package format used to distribute a Power BI custom visual. It contains the components Power BI needs to load the visual into a report.
.pbiviz file from a trusted publisher or an approved internal source..pbiviz file from the computer.Custom visual files may contain code that introduces security or privacy risks. Do not import files from unknown websites, unverified email attachments, or untrusted sources. In a business environment, follow the organization's approval process before using file-based visuals.
After importing a visual, the next step is to connect it to the report's data model. Each custom visual defines its own data roles and may require different fields.
Suppose a company maintains the following sales dataset:
| Order ID | Region | Category | Sales | Profit | Order Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1001 | West | Technology | 25000 | 5200 | 2026-01-10 |
| 1002 | East | Furniture | 18000 | 2100 | 2026-01-12 |
| 1003 | North | Office Supplies | 12000 | 1600 | 2026-02-05 |
| 1004 | South | Technology | 32000 | 7400 | 2026-02-15 |
| 1005 | West | Furniture | 15000 | 1800 | 2026-03-01 |
Measures can summarize the data and supply numerical values to visuals. For example:
Total Sales = SUM(Sales[Sales])
Total Profit = SUM(Sales[Profit])
Profit Margin =
DIVIDE([Total Profit], [Total Sales], 0)
Order Count =
DISTINCTCOUNT(Sales[Order ID])These examples assume the table is named Sales and contains the specified columns. Adjust the table and column names to match your model.
For example, a Gantt visual might require task names, start dates, end dates, and progress percentages. A specialized KPI visual might require an indicator, target, and trend field. Exact requirements depend on the selected visual.
Custom visuals often provide their own formatting options. These settings may differ from those found in standard Power BI charts.
Once a custom visual is available in the Visualizations pane, report authors can add it to a canvas and configure its data roles. The visual can be reused within the report and may be made available for other reports through supported pinning or organizational deployment mechanisms.
If a visual is no longer needed, a user may be able to unpin or remove it from the available visuals through its context menu. Removing a visual from the pane is not necessarily the same as deleting its instances from report pages or removing an organization-wide deployment.
This removes the selected instance from the report page. It does not necessarily remove the custom visual from the Visualizations pane or from other reports.
Power BI administrators can manage organizational visuals and related tenant settings. Depending on the organization's configuration, administrators can control which visuals users may add, publish approved visuals to an organizational repository, and enable or disable access.
Read more: Manage organizational visuals in Power BI.
AppSource visuals do not all use the same licensing model. A visual may be free, offer a limited free version, require a trial, or charge for advanced functionality.
| Model | Description | What to Check |
|---|---|---|
| Free | Available without an additional purchase under the publisher's terms. | Feature limits, terms of use, and support. |
| Freemium | Basic functionality is available for free, with advanced features requiring payment. | Which features are included in the free version. |
| Trial | Advanced functionality is available for a limited trial period. | Trial duration, renewal conditions, and what happens after expiry. |
| Paid license | Requires a purchase or assigned license for some or all functionality. | Pricing, user assignments, renewal, and licensing requirements. |
For more information, refer to Microsoft's Power BI custom visuals guidance.
Custom visuals can introduce additional security and privacy considerations because they are supplied by different publishers and may process data in ways that differ from built-in visuals.
Organizations may configure Power BI tenant settings to allow all custom visuals, restrict access to selected security groups, or permit only certified visuals in certain circumstances. Users should follow the settings enforced by their administrator instead of attempting to bypass restrictions.
Official guidance: Power BI organizational visual administration.
AppSource visuals may receive updates from their publishers. Depending on how a visual is distributed and managed, updates may occur automatically or require administrator or user action.
Many Power BI visuals participate in report interactions, including cross-filtering and cross-highlighting. Custom visuals may support some or all of these features depending on their implementation.
Cross-filtering occurs when a selection in one visual filters the data displayed by another visual.
Example: selecting the West region in a custom sales chart may filter a sales table to show only West region transactions, if the visual and report interaction support that behavior.
Cross-highlighting emphasizes the selected portion of data in another visual while retaining the broader context. Support depends on the visual and the interaction type.
Report-level, page-level, visual-level filters, and slicers can affect custom visuals when the relevant fields and interactions are supported.
Using a custom visual in a report does not guarantee that every Power BI export, subscription, mobile, embedding, or sharing feature will work identically. Support depends on the visual's certification, licensing, implementation, and target environment.
Use a documented deployment process for important reports. Keep track of the custom visuals used, their publishers, their licensing requirements, and any restrictions that affect report viewers.
| Problem | Possible Cause | Suggested Solution |
|---|---|---|
| Get more visuals is unavailable | Tenant policy, permissions, or interface differences | Check organizational settings and consult the Power BI administrator. |
| Visual cannot be imported | Unsupported file, corrupted package, or restricted import option | Verify the source and file format, and follow the supported import process. |
| Visual icon does not appear | Import did not complete or the visual is unavailable | Check the import confirmation and the current Visualizations pane. |
| Visual shows an error | Missing fields, unsupported data types, or visual defect | Review field assignments and consult the publisher's documentation. |
| Data appears incorrect | Incorrect aggregation, filters, relationships, or data roles | Validate the data model, measures, filters, and expected output. |
| Some features are locked | License requirement or trial expiration | Review the license and assign or purchase it if appropriate. |
| Visual is blocked | Organizational policy or certification restrictions | Contact the administrator and request an approved alternative if necessary. |
| Visual does not render in an export | Unsupported export feature or visual limitation | Check the visual's compatibility and consider a supported alternative. |
| Visual behaves differently online | Differences between Desktop, Service, and the visual's supported environments | Test in the target environment and review publisher documentation. |
| Visual is slow | Large data volume, complex rendering, or visual implementation | Reduce unnecessary data, simplify the report, and assess performance. |
Start by defining what the report must explain. Choose a custom visual only when it provides a meaningful improvement over a built-in alternative.
When multiple teams build reports, an approved list of custom visuals helps maintain consistency and reduce duplicated review work.
For business-critical reports, record the visual name, publisher, purpose, license requirements, certification status where relevant, owner, and supported environments.
Prefer visuals with clear documentation and an identifiable publisher. Review important visuals periodically to confirm that they remain compatible with business requirements and supported environments.
Create an interactive sales report that uses a custom visual from AppSource to present information that is difficult to communicate using a standard chart alone.
Use a sales dataset with fields such as:
Total Sales = SUM(Sales[Sales Amount])
Total Profit = SUM(Sales[Profit Amount])
Sales Target = SUM(Sales[Sales Target])
Target Variance =
[Total Sales] - [Sales Target]
Target Achievement % =
DIVIDE([Total Sales], [Sales Target], 0)Format the target achievement measure as a percentage. The measures assume the dataset contains the specified columns and that the table is named Sales.
Find three Power BI custom visuals that could be useful for business reporting. Record each visual's purpose, publisher, available documentation, and license information.
Choose two visuals that address the same reporting problem. Compare their usability, supported data roles, formatting options, licensing, and compatibility.
Import an approved custom visual into Power BI Desktop. Add the required data fields, format the visual, and confirm that the displayed values are correct.
Prepare a checklist covering source trust, certification, privacy, licensing, and target-environment support. Use the checklist to evaluate a candidate visual.
Use a practice report to investigate a visual that is missing data or displaying unexpected values. Check data roles, aggregations, filters, and documentation before proposing a solution.
A custom visual is a visualization component that extends Power BI's built-in chart options and provides specialized ways to display and analyze data.
Microsoft AppSource is an online marketplace where users can discover business applications, extensions, add-ins, and Power BI visuals.
A custom visual can support a specialized business requirement that is not adequately addressed by a built-in chart, or it may provide additional analytical features.
In Power BI, open the Visualizations pane, choose the option to get more visuals, find the required AppSource visual, and select Add when the option is available and permitted.
A .pbiviz file is a package used to distribute a Power BI custom visual for import into a report.
It is a visual that has passed Microsoft's additional certification requirements and testing. Certification provides an extra review signal but does not replace checking privacy, licensing, and suitability.
No. Some are free, while others offer paid features, trials, or licensing arrangements defined by the publisher.
Review its publisher, purpose, documentation, licensing, certification status where relevant, security implications, privacy practices, and compatibility with the target environment.
Many custom visuals support report filters and slicers, but behavior depends on the visual's implementation and the report's configuration.
Removing a visual from a report deletes a particular instance from the canvas. Removing or unpinning it from the Visualizations pane affects its availability for selection and does not necessarily remove instances from other reports.
Check the error message and organizational policies, then contact the Power BI administrator. Use an approved alternative if the visual is not permitted.
Yes. Depending on its implementation, a custom visual may process data or communicate with external services. Users should verify the source and follow organizational security policies.
No. Compatibility depends on the visual, its features, licensing, and the target environment. Reports should be tested where they will actually be used.
Possible causes include incorrect data roles, aggregation settings, filters, data relationships, measure definitions, or limitations in the visual itself.
Organizational visuals are custom visuals approved and managed by Power BI administrators for use within an organization.
Documentation helps report developers understand supported data roles, configuration, licensing, limitations, troubleshooting, and maintenance requirements.
Test data accuracy, formatting, interactions, performance, licensing, access permissions, and rendering in the target environment. Also test required export and sharing features.
It can establish an approval process, maintain an approved visual catalog, manage organizational visuals, and document licensing and ownership requirements.
Exploring and managing custom visuals from Microsoft AppSource is an important Power BI skill. Custom visuals can extend standard reporting capabilities and help users communicate specialized business insights through advanced charts and interactive visualizations.
Successful implementation involves more than importing a visual. Report developers should evaluate the business requirement, verify the publisher and documentation, understand licensing and certification, consider security and privacy, configure data fields correctly, and test the visual in the intended environment.
For organizational reporting, an approved catalog and consistent management process can help teams maintain secure, understandable, and reliable reports. By applying these practices, Power BI users can select custom visuals that add meaningful analytical value without introducing unnecessary complexity.
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