Custom visuals from marketplace in Power BI - Dashboard Guide

Dashboard Mode - Custom visuals from marketplace

Business Question

How can we use custom visuals from the Power BI marketplace to better understand sales trends and customer satisfaction?

Sample Data

Month	Region	Sales	Customer Satisfaction
Jan	North	120	85
Jan	South	150	80
Feb	North	130	88
Feb	South	170	82
Mar	North	140	90
Mar	South	160	85

Dashboard Components

• KPI Card - Total Sales: Shows total sales across all months and regions.
  Formula: Total Sales = SUM(SalesData[Sales])
  Result: 870
• Custom Visual - Radial Gauge (from Marketplace): Displays average customer satisfaction.
  Formula: Avg Satisfaction = AVERAGE(SalesData[Customer Satisfaction])
  Result: 85
• Custom Visual - Heatmap (from Marketplace): Shows sales by Month and Region with color intensity.
  Data: Sales values mapped by Month (rows) and Region (columns)
• Table: Detailed data table showing Month, Region, Sales, and Customer Satisfaction.

Dashboard Layout

+----------------------+-----------------------+
|      KPI Card        |   Radial Gauge Visual  |
|   (Total Sales)      | (Avg Customer Sat.)   |
+----------------------+-----------------------+
|                      Heatmap Visual               |
|                (Sales by Month & Region)          |
+---------------------------------------------------+
|                      Data Table                    |
|          (Month, Region, Sales, Satisfaction)     |
+---------------------------------------------------+
    

Interactivity

The dashboard includes a slicer for Region. When a region is selected:

• The Total Sales KPI updates to show sales only for that region.
• The Radial Gauge updates to show average customer satisfaction for the selected region.
• The Heatmap filters to show sales only for the selected region across months.
• The Data Table shows only rows for the selected region.

Self Check

Add a filter for Region = North. Which components update and what are their new values?

• Total Sales KPI: Updates to 390 (120 + 130 + 140)
• Radial Gauge: Updates to average satisfaction 87.7 ((85 + 88 + 90) / 3)
• Heatmap: Shows sales for North region only by month.
• Data Table: Shows only rows where Region is North.

Key Result

Dashboard showing total sales, average customer satisfaction, and sales heatmap using custom visuals from the Power BI marketplace.

Practice

1. What is the main purpose of using custom visuals from the Power BI marketplace?

easy

A. To create data tables without any visuals

B. To replace all default visuals permanently

C. To export data to Excel automatically

D. To add new and unique ways to display data beyond default charts

Solution

1. Step 1: Understand default visuals in Power BI

   Power BI offers standard charts like bar, line, and pie charts by default.

2. Step 2: Role of custom visuals

   Custom visuals from the marketplace provide additional, unique ways to show data that default visuals don't offer.

3. Final Answer:

   To add new and unique ways to display data beyond default charts -> Option D

4. Quick Check:

   Custom visuals = new display options [OK]

Hint: Custom visuals extend default charts with new display types [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Thinking custom visuals replace default visuals permanently
• Confusing custom visuals with data export features
• Assuming custom visuals create data tables only

2. Which of the following is the correct way to add a custom visual from the Power BI marketplace?

easy

A. Right-click on a chart and choose 'Convert to custom visual'

B. Download visuals from an external website and import manually without Power BI

C. Click on the 'Get more visuals' icon in the Visualizations pane and select a visual

D. Use the 'Export' option in the File menu

Solution

1. Step 1: Locate the Visualizations pane in Power BI

   The Visualizations pane has an icon to get more visuals from the marketplace.

2. Step 2: Use 'Get more visuals' to browse and add

   Clicking this icon opens the marketplace where you can select and add custom visuals directly.

3. Final Answer:

   Click on the 'Get more visuals' icon in the Visualizations pane and select a visual -> Option C

4. Quick Check:

   Marketplace visuals added via 'Get more visuals' [OK]

Hint: Use 'Get more visuals' icon inside Power BI to add custom visuals [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Trying to convert default charts to custom visuals directly
• Downloading visuals outside Power BI without import
• Looking for export options to add visuals

3. You added a custom visual from the marketplace to your report. What will happen if you share this report with someone who does not have that custom visual installed?

medium

A. The visual will show as a blank or error icon

B. The visual will display correctly without any issue

C. The report will not open at all

D. The visual will convert automatically to a default chart

Solution

1. Step 1: Understand custom visual dependencies

   Custom visuals require the receiving user to have the visual installed or supported in their Power BI environment.

2. Step 2: Behavior when visual is missing

   If the visual is missing, Power BI cannot render it, so it shows a blank or error icon instead.

3. Final Answer:

   The visual will show as a blank or error icon -> Option A

4. Quick Check:

   Missing custom visual = blank/error icon [OK]

Hint: Missing custom visual shows blank or error icon [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Assuming visuals convert automatically to default charts
• Thinking report won't open at all
• Believing visuals always display correctly without installation

4. You tried to add a custom visual from the marketplace but received an error saying the visual is not certified. What should you do to fix this?

medium

A. Delete all visuals and start a new report

B. Check if the visual is certified and consider using a certified alternative

C. Restart Power BI to clear the error

D. Ignore the error and continue using the visual anyway

Solution

1. Step 1: Understand certification in Power BI visuals

   Certified visuals have passed Microsoft checks for security and quality; uncertified ones may cause issues.

2. Step 2: Respond to certification error

   It's best to check certification status and choose a certified visual to avoid risks and errors.

3. Final Answer:

   Check if the visual is certified and consider using a certified alternative -> Option B

4. Quick Check:

   Certification error = use certified visual [OK]

Hint: Use certified visuals to avoid errors and security risks [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Ignoring certification warnings
• Restarting Power BI without fixing the issue
• Deleting visuals unnecessarily

5. You want to create a sales report that uses a custom visual to show product sales by region with interactive filters. Which steps should you follow to achieve this?

hard

A. Add the custom visual from the marketplace, connect it to sales and region data, then add slicers for filtering

B. Create a table visual, export data to Excel, and use Excel filters

C. Use only default visuals and avoid custom visuals for interactivity

D. Import data into PowerPoint and add charts manually

Solution

1. Step 1: Add custom visual from marketplace

   Use the 'Get more visuals' option to add the desired custom visual to your report.

2. Step 2: Connect visual to sales and region data

   Bind the custom visual fields to your sales and region columns to display relevant data.

3. Step 3: Add slicers for interactive filtering

   Add slicer visuals to let users filter the report by region or other criteria interactively.

4. Final Answer:

   Add the custom visual from the marketplace, connect it to sales and region data, then add slicers for filtering -> Option A

5. Quick Check:

   Custom visual + data + slicers = interactive report [OK]

Hint: Add visual, connect data fields, then add slicers for interactivity [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Exporting data instead of using visuals
• Avoiding custom visuals for interactivity
• Using unrelated tools like PowerPoint