Custom visuals from marketplace in Power BI - Deep Dive

Overview - Custom visuals from marketplace

What is it?

Custom visuals from the marketplace are special charts and graphics you can add to your Power BI reports. They are created by Microsoft or third-party developers to show data in unique ways beyond the built-in visuals. You can browse, download, and use these visuals directly inside Power BI to make your reports more engaging and informative. This helps you tell better stories with your data.

Why it matters

Without custom visuals, you are limited to the standard charts Power BI offers, which might not fit every story or data type. Custom visuals solve this by giving you more creative and specialized ways to display data, making reports clearer and more impactful. This means better decisions because people understand the data faster and more deeply.

Where it fits

Before using custom visuals, you should know how to create basic reports and use standard visuals in Power BI. After mastering custom visuals, you can explore creating your own visuals with developer tools or learn advanced report design techniques.

Mental Model

Core Idea

Custom visuals from the marketplace are like adding new tools to your Power BI toolbox that let you show data in fresh, tailored ways.

Think of it like...

Imagine you have a basic set of paintbrushes for art, but sometimes you need special brushes or stamps to create unique effects. The marketplace is like a store where you find these special brushes to make your paintings stand out.

Power BI Report
┌─────────────────────────────┐
│ Standard Visuals             │
│  - Bar Chart                │
│  - Pie Chart                │
│  - Line Chart               │
├─────────────────────────────┤
│ Marketplace Custom Visuals  │
│  - Heatmaps                 │
│  - Bullet Charts            │
│  - Infographics             │
└─────────────────────────────┘

User selects visuals → Adds to report → Data displayed in new ways

Build-Up - 7 Steps

1

Foundation

What Are Custom Visuals

Concept: Introduce the idea of visuals beyond the default set in Power BI.

Power BI comes with built-in charts like bar, line, and pie charts. Custom visuals are extra charts you can add from the marketplace to show data differently. They are ready-made and easy to add to your reports.

Result

You understand that visuals are not limited to what Power BI installs by default.

Knowing that visuals can be extended opens up endless possibilities for data storytelling.

2

Foundation

Accessing the Marketplace

Concept: How to find and add custom visuals from the marketplace inside Power BI.

Inside Power BI Desktop or Service, click on the '...' icon in the Visualizations pane. Choose 'Get more visuals' to open the marketplace. You can search, preview, and add visuals with one click. Once added, they appear in your Visualizations pane.

Result

You can browse and add new visuals to your report easily.

Knowing where and how to get visuals empowers you to customize reports quickly.

3

Intermediate

Choosing the Right Custom Visual

🤔Before reading on: do you think all custom visuals are suitable for every report? Commit to your answer.

Concept: Not all custom visuals fit every data story; choosing the right one matters.

Each custom visual serves a purpose, like showing trends, comparisons, or geographic data. Read descriptions and try samples to see if it fits your data and audience. Some visuals are better for detailed analysis, others for high-level summaries.

Result

You can pick visuals that enhance understanding rather than confuse viewers.

Understanding the purpose of each visual prevents clutter and improves report clarity.

4

Intermediate

Configuring Custom Visuals

🤔Before reading on: do you think custom visuals configure the same way as built-in visuals? Commit to your answer.

Concept: Custom visuals have their own settings and options to tailor their look and behavior.

After adding a custom visual, select it and use the Format pane to change colors, labels, and other options. Some visuals have unique settings like animation or interactivity. Experiment to see how changes affect the display.

Result

You can customize visuals to match your report style and data needs.

Knowing how to configure visuals helps you make reports both beautiful and functional.

5

Intermediate

Managing Custom Visuals Updates

Concept: Custom visuals can receive updates from their developers that improve features or fix bugs.

Power BI notifies you when a custom visual you use has an update in the marketplace. You can update it to get new features or better performance. Sometimes updates change how visuals behave, so test after updating.

Result

Your reports stay current and benefit from improvements.

Keeping visuals updated ensures reliability and access to the latest capabilities.

6

Advanced

Security and Performance Considerations

🤔Before reading on: do you think all marketplace visuals are safe and fast by default? Commit to your answer.

Concept: Custom visuals come from various sources, so security and performance vary.

Microsoft reviews marketplace visuals, but some come from third parties. Always check reviews and ratings. Some visuals may slow down reports if they process large data inefficiently. Test performance and avoid visuals that cause delays.

Result

You can choose visuals that are both safe and performant for your reports.

Being cautious about security and speed protects your data and user experience.

7

Expert

Extending Power BI with Custom Visual Development

🤔Before reading on: do you think you can create your own custom visuals if marketplace options don’t fit? Commit to your answer.

Concept: Power BI allows developers to build and publish their own custom visuals using developer tools.

Using tools like Power BI Visuals SDK and TypeScript, developers create visuals tailored to unique needs. These can be private or published to the marketplace. This requires coding skills but offers ultimate flexibility.

Result

You understand the path to create visuals beyond marketplace offerings.

Knowing custom visual development exists helps you plan for unique business needs that off-the-shelf visuals can’t solve.

Under the Hood

Custom visuals are packaged as files containing code, styles, and metadata. When added to Power BI, the platform loads this package and runs the code inside a secure sandbox. The visual receives data from the report and renders graphics using web technologies like SVG or Canvas. This separation ensures visuals don’t interfere with Power BI’s core functions.

Why designed this way?

This design allows anyone to create visuals without changing Power BI’s core software. It balances flexibility with security by isolating custom code. Microsoft reviews marketplace visuals to maintain quality and safety, but the sandbox protects users from harmful code.

Power BI Report
┌─────────────────────────────┐
│ Data Model                  │
│  └─> Data sent to Visual    │
├─────────────────────────────┤
│ Custom Visual Package       │
│  ├─ Code (JavaScript/TypeScript)    │
│  ├─ Styles (CSS)            │
│  └─ Metadata                │
├─────────────────────────────┤
│ Sandbox Environment        │
│  └─ Runs visual code safely │
└─────────────────────────────┘

Visual renders output → Displayed in report

Myth Busters - 4 Common Misconceptions

Quick: do you think all custom visuals from the marketplace are officially supported by Microsoft? Commit to yes or no before reading on.

Common Belief: All marketplace visuals are official Microsoft products and fully supported.

Reality: Many visuals come from third-party developers and may not have official Microsoft support.

Why it matters: Relying on unsupported visuals can cause issues if bugs appear or updates break compatibility.

Quick: do you think adding many custom visuals always improves report quality? Commit to yes or no before reading on.

Common Belief: More custom visuals always make reports better and more insightful.

Reality: Too many visuals can clutter reports, confuse users, and slow performance.

Why it matters: Overusing visuals reduces report clarity and frustrates viewers.

Quick: do you think custom visuals automatically update themselves without user action? Commit to yes or no before reading on.

Common Belief: Custom visuals update automatically whenever a new version is released.

Reality: Users must manually update visuals from the marketplace to get new versions.

Why it matters: Not updating visuals can leave reports with outdated features or bugs.

Quick: do you think custom visuals can access your data outside Power BI? Commit to yes or no before reading on.

Common Belief: Custom visuals can send your data anywhere since they run code inside Power BI.

Reality: Custom visuals run in a sandbox and cannot send data outside Power BI without explicit user permission.

Why it matters: This protects your data privacy and security when using custom visuals.

Expert Zone

1

Some custom visuals use advanced rendering techniques like WebGL for 3D graphics, which can impact performance differently across devices.

2

Marketplace visuals have versioning, so reports using older versions may behave differently after updates, requiring careful testing.

3

Developers can create custom visuals that respond to report filters and slicers in complex ways, enabling dynamic interactivity beyond standard visuals.

When NOT to use

Avoid custom visuals when report performance is critical and data volume is very large; instead, use optimized built-in visuals. Also, if data security policies restrict third-party code, rely on native visuals only.

Production Patterns

Professionals often use a small set of trusted custom visuals repeatedly across reports for consistency. They test visuals in development environments before deploying to users. Some teams build private custom visuals tailored to company branding and specific analytics needs.

Connections

Open Source Software

Custom visuals often come from open source projects or community developers, similar to open source software contributions.

Understanding open source helps appreciate how community-driven visuals evolve and improve over time.

Plugin Architecture

Custom visuals are a form of plugin that extends Power BI’s core functionality without changing its base code.

Knowing plugin systems clarifies how software can be flexible and customizable safely.

Graphic Design Principles

Effective use of custom visuals relies on graphic design ideas like color theory and layout to communicate data clearly.

Learning design principles helps create visuals that are not just pretty but also easy to understand.

Common Pitfalls

#1 Adding too many custom visuals in one report causing clutter and confusion.

Wrong approach:

Add 10 different custom visuals on a single page without considering their purpose or audience.

Correct approach:

Select 2-3 custom visuals that best fit the data story and audience needs, keeping the report clean.

Root cause:

Misunderstanding that more visuals equal better insight, ignoring user experience.

#2 Using outdated custom visuals without updating them.

Wrong approach:

Keep using an old version of a custom visual despite marketplace updates being available.

Correct approach:

Regularly check for and apply updates to custom visuals from the marketplace.

Root cause:

Not knowing that updates require manual action and improve features and security.

#3 Assuming all custom visuals are safe and secure without checking their source.

Wrong approach:

Download and use any custom visual without reviewing ratings or publisher information.

Correct approach:

Review visual ratings, publisher details, and test visuals before using in sensitive reports.

Root cause:

Lack of awareness about third-party risks and marketplace vetting process.

Key Takeaways

Custom visuals from the marketplace expand Power BI’s ability to show data in unique and engaging ways.

Choosing and configuring the right custom visual is key to making reports clear and impactful.

Always consider security, performance, and update management when using custom visuals.

Advanced users can develop their own custom visuals for tailored business needs.

Understanding the ecosystem and limitations of custom visuals helps create professional, reliable reports.