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Power BI Deep-Dives
Technical content for Power BI analysts and custom-visual developers — tutorials, error fixes, honest tool comparisons. No marketing fluff, working code, straightforward answers.
Each post is structured to answer one specific question completely: read the TL;DR at the top, skim the section headings, drop into code examples. Every post is written by people who actually build Power BI custom visuals for a living.
Troubleshooting · July 8, 2026
Power BI Custom Visual Not Showing? Every Cause and Fix (2026)
Power BI custom visual blank or not rendering? Every 2026 cause and fix: empty field wells, filters, tenant blocks, web access, API mismatch, and more.
Troubleshooting · July 8, 2026
Can't Import a .pbiviz? Fix 'Get More Visuals' Greyed Out (2026)
Power BI blocking .pbiviz imports or greying out 'Get more visuals'? Fix the tenant SDK-visuals setting, developer mode, and more. Updated 2026.
Deep Dive · July 8, 2026
Are Power BI Custom Visuals Safe? What the Data Says (2026)
Are Power BI custom visuals safe? Certified ones are Microsoft-reviewed and make no external calls; uncertified ones can. How to check, govern, and audit them.
Troubleshooting · July 8, 2026
Power BI Report Server & Custom Visuals: Compatibility Guide (2026)
Custom visuals work in Power BI Report Server if you use the matching Desktop build and mind the visuals API version. On-prem limits, imports, and fixes.
Deep Dive · July 8, 2026
Renting AppSource Visuals vs Owning Your .pbiviz (2026)
AppSource paid visuals are per-user subscriptions that stop working if the license lapses; an owned .pbiviz has no runtime fee. A fair 2026 TCO comparison.
Troubleshooting · July 7, 2026
Your OKVIZ Synoptic Panel Broke? Diagnose, Recover, and Replace It (2026)
OKVIZ Synoptic Panel v1 retired on April 10, 2026 and reports now show 'visual not available'. How to confirm the cause, recover your SVG map, and choose between Synoptic Panel v2 and rebuilding a .pbiviz you own.
Comparison · July 4, 2026
The 12 Best Power BI Custom Visuals in 2026 (Free & Paid)
The 12 best Power BI custom visuals in 2026, tested: Deneb, Zebra BI, Inforiver, Icon Map, Sankey, Gantt and more — plus licensing traps to avoid and when to generate your own.
Deep Dive · July 4, 2026
Free Power BI Custom Visuals in 2026: Every Real Option
Every real way to get free Power BI custom visuals in 2026: the best genuinely-free AppSource visuals, open-source options like Deneb, freemium traps to avoid, and free AI generation.
Deep Dive · July 4, 2026
Synoptic Panel in Power BI (2026): v1 Retired — Here's the Modern Way
OKVIZ retired Synoptic Panel v1 in March 2026. What that means for your reports, the v2 landscape honestly explained, and the AI route: upload a floor plan, auto-segment it, own the .pbiviz.
Tutorial · April 23, 2026
How to Build a Sankey Diagram in Power BI (2026)
Three ways to add a Sankey diagram to Power BI: AppSource marketplace, Deneb + Vega-Lite, or AI-generated custom visual. Working code and data shapes for each.
Troubleshooting · April 23, 2026
pbiviz Build Errors: 12 Common Fixes That Actually Work
The pbiviz CLI errors most Power BI custom visual developers hit, with the specific fixes for each. UUID collisions, apiVersion mismatches, D3 version gotchas, more.
Comparison · April 23, 2026
Power BI Custom Visuals Without Per-User Subscriptions (2026)
Four ways to get advanced Power BI custom visuals without paying per seat: AppSource free tier, Deneb, Charticulator, and VizForge credits. Honest comparison.