# Pbir CLI > This skill should be used whenever the user mentions "pbir", "pbir-cli", "Power BI reports", or "PBI reports", works with .pbir, .pbip, or .pbix files, or wants to refresh, screenshot, or visually verify a report that is open in Power BI Desktop. Covers creating, exploring, formatting, validating, and publishing Power BI reports through the pbir CLI and object model, plus driving Power BI Desktop (canvas reload, page screenshots) and querying connected or local semantic models. - Skill: `insightfulanalytics/pbir-cli` (Agent Skill, multi-file: 121 files) - Install (CLI): `npx skillmds@latest add insightfulanalytics/pbir-cli` - Raw SKILL.md: https://api.skillmd.com/api/skills/insightfulanalytics/pbir-cli/raw - Safety review: pending - Works with: Claude Code, Claude.ai, OpenAI Codex - Category: AI & ML - Author: InsightfulAnalytics (https://skillmd.com/u/insightfulanalytics) - Updated: 2026-09-22 - Page: https://skillmd.com/skills/insightfulanalytics/pbir-cli --- # Working with Power BI reports using `pbir` CLI for exploring, building, managing, formatting Power BI reports. All commands use `pbir`. **IMPORTANT:** ALWAYS use `pbir` CLI commands to inspect and modify reports. NEVER write, replace, copy, or patch report JSON files directly on Windows or macOS. If the CLI does not expose a required mutation, stop and report the missing capability; do not fall back to file editing. Reading JSON through `pbir cat`, `pbir get`, or read-only examples is allowed. The sole exception is Linux, where `pbir` cannot be installed at all and hand-authoring is the only route; see "When `pbir` is missing". **IMPORTANT:** FIRST Read and adhere to the mental model in [MENTAL-MODEL.md](important/MENTAL-MODEL.md). ## When `pbir` is missing Install it with `uv tool install pbir-cli` (or `pip install pbir-cli`). That is the route to use in every ordinary case, including when the command is missing entirely. Not on Linux. Every `pbir-cli` release publishes exactly two wheels, `macosx_11_0_arm64` and `win_amd64`, and no sdist, so both commands fail there with "No matching distribution found for pbir-cli". There is no Linux build to fall back to, so do not retry the install. Work without the CLI instead: hand-author PBIR JSON from the `pbip:pbir-format` skill's `examples/visuals/` templates, check every file's JSON syntax with `jq empty` and its structure against that skill's `references/validation.md`, then with the user's permission publish the report to a sandbox workspace with `fab import` (byConnection reports only; always pass `-f`, see the `fabric-cli` skill's `references/import-download-deploy.md`), and inspect the rendering by exporting it server-side through the Power BI ExportTo API (the submit, poll and download sequence in that skill's `references/paginated-reports.md` applies to Power BI reports too). `bin/fetch.sh` downloads a self-contained portable build as an alternative to installing (macOS and Windows only). Reach for it **only** when `pbir` is not installed *and* installing it is not possible: no network access to PyPI, no Python, or a locked-down machine that forbids installs. A portable build does not update with `uv tool upgrade`, so preferring it when a normal install would have worked leaves the user on a stale CLI. If an install failed, fix the install rather than routing around it. ## Keeping `pbir` current Resolve the binary before choosing an upgrade command, because `pbir` is not always a `uv` tool: ```bash pbir --version which pbir # PowerShell: (Get-Command pbir).Source ``` If the resolved path sits under a `uv` tools directory, upgrade with `uv tool upgrade pbir-cli`; if it sits under a Python scripts directory, upgrade with `pip install --upgrade pbir-cli`. The wrong command reports success and changes nothing, which leaves the agent believing it is on a newer CLI than it is: that is the failure mode behind every "this documented flag does not exist" dead end. Honor any user-pinned version, and upgrade only when required or requested. A portable build from `bin/fetch.sh` is updated by re-fetching it, not by either package manager. ## Keeping the Fabric CLI current When publishing to Fabric (`pbir publish`) alongside the `fabric-cli` plugin, check the installed Fabric CLI (`fab`) if publishing reports a compatibility problem. Upgrade with `uv tool upgrade ms-fabric-cli` only when required or requested, and honor any user-pinned version. ## Learning from Mistakes Durable learnings go in this skill folder, where they ship with the plugin and reach every machine that installs it. A per-agent memory file does not travel, so it is the last resort. - **True on any machine** (a PBIR shape, a CLI contract, a service behaviour): the matching `references/*.md` file. The `## Reference Files` list at the end is the index. - **True only on some platform or at some version** (a Windows console codepage, a Desktop-only command, a flag that needs a minimum `pbir` version): same destination, with the scope in the sentence and a substitute named for any scoped route, per the boundary rule below. - **True only on this machine** (where `pbir` is installed here, a local path, a preview toggle): the agent's own memory file. Claude Code `~/.claude/rules/pbir-cli.md`, Cursor `.cursor/rules/pbir-cli.mdc`, Copilot `.github/instructions/pbir-cli.instructions.md`. Generalise first: most machine-local facts have a portable procedure hiding inside them. Keep entries concise and generalisable. This is not a change log. Prune redundancy, and link out to references and examples rather than restating them. ## Where a new learning goes Three questions, in order. Stop at the first yes. **1. Is it true only because of how THIS machine is set up right now?** An installed path, which identity you are logged in as, a preview toggle, a console codepage, which build happens to be installed. Then it is machine-local. Before accepting that answer, try to generalise it. Most machine-local facts are the residue of a search that succeeded once, and the search is the portable part: | Instead of recording | Record | | --- | --- | | the path where you found a DLL | the probe that finds it, and how to tell which host can load it | | that a preview toggle is off here | the verbatim symptom string, and the route that works regardless | | which account has rights here | the check that reveals the mismatch | | that a script cannot find a binary | a fix to the script | If the generalised form survives, it is not machine-local: take it to question 2 or 3. If nothing survives, because the fact is about one machine, one tenant or one person, write it to the agent's own memory file and nowhere else. It would mislead an agent anywhere else, and this repository is public. **A Codespace has no legitimate machine-local layer.** A fact about a Codespace is true of every Codespace built from the same devcontainer, which makes it a fact about that image. Commit it. Never start a memory file inside a container. **2. Is it true only where Power BI Desktop runs, only in a Windows shell, or only at some tool version?** Then it is portable knowledge with a boundary. It goes in this skill's `references/`, with the boundary in the sentence: - Platform: open or close with the scope. "On a cp1252 Windows console ... Linux and macOS never hit this." "Power BI Desktop only." - Version: write the symptom and the check as the instruction, never the version. "If `fab find` errors, run `fab --version` before assuming a syntax problem." Put the version and date you observed in brackets at the end, never in the imperative. A version in the imperative rots into a lie; a version in brackets rots into a footnote. - A dated or version-pinned claim also carries a `Retest:` line naming the one command that settles it, plus a `Verified ` stamp. `scripts/check-skill-hygiene.py` reports the stale ones and fails on a version claim with no `Retest:`. **A scoped statement that is a ROUTE is not finished until it names the substitute in the same sentence.** "`pbir desktop screenshot` is Windows and Desktop only" leaves a Linux agent stuck. "`pbir desktop screenshot` is Windows and Desktop only; where Desktop is unavailable, render server-side with the `ExportTo` API (fabric-cli `references/reports.md`)" does not. **3. Otherwise it is a fact about the file format, the product, or the service API.** True everywhere, including a Codespace with no Desktop and no Windows. It goes in this skill's `references/` with no qualifier, or in `SKILL.md` when the agent must know it before opening any reference. This is the default and where most learnings land. ### Two tests that settle almost every case - *Would this sentence still be true in a Linux Codespace with no Power BI Desktop?* Yes means question 3. No, but only because Desktop is missing, means question 2. No, because the sentence names a path, a version or a toggle, means question 1, so run the generalisation table first. - *Could anyone else running this plugin act on it?* If not, question 1. ### When torn, file it in the more public place An over-cautious scope clause on a portable fact costs a reader one clause. A machine-local fact shipped as product knowledge misleads everyone who installs the plugin. ### Where to write it If `PBI_MARKETPLACE_ROOT` is set, a writable clone of this marketplace is on the machine: `bash "$PBI_MARKETPLACE_ROOT/scripts/record-learning.sh"` writes the note, runs the hygiene scan, commits to a branch and opens a pull request. If it is unset, the skills are loading from a read-only plugin cache and an edit there is discarded by the next `plugin update`. Write the note to the agent's memory file instead, and say plainly in the note that it still needs promoting into the plugin. Nothing portable belongs in `~/.claude/rules/`, `.cursor/rules/` or `.github/instructions/`. Those are per-machine and per-user. ## How to use `pbir` ### General workflow 1. Explore the report. The report must be in PBIR format: pbip, pbir-only, or pbix-with-PBIR-metadata. Prefer pbir or pbip. Whenever the user mentions Power BI Desktop or says the report is open in Desktop, run `pbir desktop list` FIRST: it maps each running instance to the file it has open (locating the report on disk) and confirms the bridge works before any edits begin. `pbir desktop` is Windows-only; on macOS and Linux do not use it (every invocation fails). On macOS, deploy with `pbir publish` to a sandbox workspace in Fabric instead and verify the rendered report in the browser via the Chrome MCP tools. On Linux there is no `pbir` at all (see "When `pbir` is missing"): with the user's permission publish the byConnection report to a sandbox workspace with `fab import`, then verify by rendering it server-side through the Power BI ExportTo API. 2. Identify the model. Reports generally should be thin reports connected to a remote model in Power BI or Fabric. 3. Clarify intent. For vague or open-ended instructions, consult **`references/vague-prompts.md`** and use `AskUserQuestion` to understand expectations and report context before mutating anything. 4. Plan changes. For new reports, pages, or visuals, draft a wireframe or mock-up for the user to approve before building. 5. Make changes. Reach for relevant files in `references/`, `examples/`, and related skills like `pbi-report-design`. 6. Validate. Mutating commands validate their own writes. Run explicit `pbir validate` after a coherent batch of changes and before completion; use narrower checks while iterating and `--all` for the final confidence pass. For visual confirmation, prefer the local loop when the report is open in Power BI Desktop: `pbir desktop refresh` then `pbir desktop screenshot` and inspect the PNG (see "Desktop Integration" below). Otherwise ask permission to publish to a sandbox workspace with `pbir publish` and inspect rendering via Chrome MCP, devtools CLI, or Playwright. 7. Iterate. Expect multiple rounds. Push back on one-shot expectations from vague prompts. 8. Record learnings. Route each one by the rule in **Learning from Mistakes** above. ### Path syntax `pbir` uses a filesystem paradigm for identifying reports, pages, visuals etc. and glob syntax for bulk operations. Format: `ReportName.Report/PageName.Page/VisualName.Visual` - Type suffixes (`.Report`, `.Page`, `.Visual`) are required - Quote paths with spaces: `"My Report.Report/Dashboard.Page"` - Use glob patterns for bulk operations: `"Report.Report/**/*.Visual"` (requires `--force/-f` for `set` and `rm`) - `*.Visual`; all visuals on current page - `Page.Page/*.Visual`; all visuals on a specific page - `**/*.Visual`; all visuals across all pages - `**/card*.Visual`; visuals whose name starts with "card" - `**/*.Report/**/*.Visual`; all visuals across all reports - Properties via `get` or `set` and dot notation: `"Report.Report/Page.Page/Visual.Visual.title.fontSize"` - Filters/bookmarks: `"Report.Report/filter:Name"`, `"Report.Report/bookmark:Name"` - If multiple reports match, disambiguate with parent folder prefix - Absolute filesystem paths work too: `"C:\Reports\Sales.Report"`, `"C:\Reports\Flash.pbix"` (globs do not combine with absolute paths) - Workspace destinations use `.Workspace` suffix: `"My Workspace.Workspace/Report.Report"` ## Critical Rules Follow all rules below. 0. **ASK user for clarifications and push back on one-shot prompt requests.** Pursue an iterative multi-step way-of-working 1. **CHECK references before starting work.** Identify relevant [references](references/) and [examples](examples/) that can help you understand the user requirements 2. **NEVER edit report JSON files directly on Windows or macOS.** Always use `pbir` CLI commands. Use `pbir cat` or `pbir get` to inspect JSON or properties; use `pbir set` for any property not covered by a dedicated command. The sole exception is Linux, where `pbir` cannot be installed at all and hand-authoring is the only route (see "When `pbir` is missing"). 3. **Discover before setting.** Run `pbir schema describe ` to list a visual type's objects, then `pbir schema describe ` for property names, types, ranges, and enums before formatting. Do not guess property names 4. **Theme-first formatting.** Check `pbir visuals format` before applying bespoke formatting; the theme may already set the property. Prefer `pbir theme set-formatting` for changes that apply to all visuals of a type. Reserve `pbir visuals title/background/border` for one-off overrides 5. **Validate proportionally.** Mutating commands already validate their writes. Run `pbir validate "Report.Report"` after each coherent batch and before completion. Use `--qa` for overlap/overflow checks, `--fields` for model field verification, and `--all` for the final confidence pass. On Linux, where `pbir` cannot be installed, check every changed file with `jq empty` and against the `pbip:pbir-format` skill's `references/validation.md` instead 6. **Verify rendering through the Desktop bridge.** When the report is open in Power BI Desktop, run `pbir desktop refresh` after every change unless the user asks not to, then `pbir desktop screenshot` and inspect the PNG after every meaningful change. Validation cannot catch rendering problems (overlap, truncation, wrong field, illegible formatting); the screenshot is the only proof a change rendered as intended. When a request involves many changes, ask the user up front whether to refresh after each step (so they watch progress in the canvas) or once at the end. Check availability once with `pbir desktop list` before starting the loop; if the bridge is unavailable, do not retry it after every change (see "When the bridge is unavailable" below) 7. **One Desktop, batched writes.** Three rules that together stop the open/close thrash and the lost-edit class of bug: - **One Desktop instance per PBIP.** Confirm with `pbir desktop list` before the first write. Two instances on the same project produce stale-model false negatives: you query one and edit the other, and the disagreement looks like a broken edit. - **Batch every write for a page, then apply once.** Not edit, apply, edit, apply. A reload re-parses the whole project, so per-edit applies cost time and add windows in which the two copies diverge. - **A Desktop save writes out and never reads back, and it re-serializes the entire report definition.** If Desktop holds pending canvas changes when you edit on disk, either apply the external change first or have the user close without saving, deliberately, and say which you chose. The failure is silent: the on-disk edit is simply gone. Corollary: two generators must never share a TMDL anchor. You do **not** need to close Desktop to pick up an on-disk edit. On 26.08+ the **Apply external changes** banner reloads the project in place; see the `pbi-desktop:connect-pbid` skill's `references/desktop-lifecycle.md` for the exceptions and the UIAutomation snippet that clicks it. ## Core Workflows ### Exploration and Analysis Understand existing reports before modifying. **Always check page dimensions and existing visual positions before adding or resizing visuals** setting position/size without knowing the page dimensions causes errors. Read those positions off disk at the start of every task, and again after any pause in which the user had the report open in Desktop: a Desktop save writes canvas nudges back into `visual.json`, so coordinates remembered from earlier in the conversation can silently undo hand adjustments the user just made. ```bash pbir desktop list # FIRST if Desktop is mentioned: instances (PID, open file) pbir ls # Find all reports pbir ls "Report.Report" # List pages/filters/theme pbir tree "Report.Report" -v # Full structure with fields pbir validate "Report.Report" # Health check pbir get "Report.Report" # Report properties pbir pages json "Report.Report/Page.Page" # Check page width/height ``` For deeper exploration, consult **`references/exploration.md`**. ### Model Discovery (Required Before Binding Fields) Always query the connected model to discover correct table/column/measure names. Never guess field names. ```bash pbir model "Report.Report" # Connection info (workspace, model, thick/thin) pbir model "Report.Report" -d # All tables, columns, measures pbir model "Report.Report" -d -t Sales # Filter to specific table pbir model "Report.Report" -q "EVALUATE VALUES('Geography'[Region])" # Check field values pbir model "Report.Report" -q "EVALUATE ROW(\"Revenue\", [Total Revenue])" # Test a measure pbir fields list "Report.Report" # Fields already in use across report ``` Routing depends on the report's model reference: thin reports (`byConnection`) query the Power BI / Fabric service; thick reports (`byPath`) query the local Analysis Services engine of the Power BI Desktop instance that has the report open, so `-q` and `-d` work fully offline against live model state. Local queries need the .NET Framework ADOMD client (found automatically from DAX Studio or Desktop installs; override with `PBIR_ADOMD_DIR`). When `-d` fails with `failed to load model schema` or `Could not retrieve model definition`, the schema route is broken rather than the report: on a `byConnection` report the schema comes through the Fabric CLI, so check `fab --version` first. `-q` still works, and a local `byPath` model is unaffected. Measure-bound visuals keep working while column-bound projections do not, and `--skip fields` does not help. See "When the model schema will not load" in **`references/fields-and-bindings.md`** before changing approach. For full model query patterns and field binding workflows, consult **`references/fields-and-bindings.md`**. ### Semantic Model + Report Workflows (`te` + `pbir`) When work crosses both layers, use Tabular Editor CLI (`te`) for semantic-model mutations and `pbir` for report mutations. Model object identity is the boundary: modern `te mv` cascades references inside the model, but report bindings still retain the old `Table.Field` and must be updated with `pbir`. ```powershell te connect "Sales Workspace" "Sales Model" te mv "'Actuals'[Actuals MTD]" "'Actuals'[Sales MTD]" --save te validate --errors-only pbir fields replace "Sales Flash Report.Report" --from "Actuals.Actuals MTD" --to "Actuals.Sales MTD" --dry-run pbir fields replace "Sales Flash Report.Report" --from "Actuals.Actuals MTD" --to "Actuals.Sales MTD" pbir validate "Sales Flash Report.Report" --fields pbir desktop refresh "Sales Flash Report.Report" ``` Use `te deps --downstream` plus `pbir fields find` before a rename, `pbir fields replace-table` after a table rename, and no report rewrite for metadata-only changes such as format strings or descriptions. For renames, moves, additions, deletions, deploy/rebind order, and final gates, consult **`references/te-cli-tandem.md`**. ### Desktop Integration (Refresh and Screenshot) When the report is open in Power BI Desktop (Windows, with the "external tool access" preview feature enabled), drive the running instance directly. This is the fastest way to visually verify changes; no publishing required. ```bash pbir desktop list # Running instances (PID, open file, unsaved state, pages); `status` is an alias pbir desktop refresh "Report.Report" # Reload on-disk definition into the canvas (`reload` is an alias) pbir desktop refresh "Report.Report" -m # --model: also re-apply the model (TMDL) definition pbir desktop screenshot "Report.Report/Page.Page" -o verify.png pbir desktop screenshot "Report.Report" --all # Every page -> ./screenshots (--output-dir to set; --settle before first capture) ``` The edit-verify loop: mutate with `pbir set`/`add`, then `pbir desktop refresh`, then `pbir desktop screenshot`, then read the PNG. Inspect the rendered page after every meaningful change; screenshots catch what validation cannot (overlap, truncation, wrong field, illegible formatting). Set `PBIR_DESKTOP_AUTO_REFRESH=1` to fold the refresh step into every save. `--scale` is clamped to 1-3 (default 2); `--pid` targets a specific instance when several are open. Screenshots need the Desktop window in the Report view. Refreshing an instance with unsaved changes makes Desktop save first, rewriting the whole definition on disk. PBIX files support screenshot but not refresh. For requirements, multi-instance behavior, and troubleshooting, consult **`references/desktop-integration.md`**. Do not guess a sleep between refresh and screenshot: `--settle` only applies with `--all`, and there is no `--out` (the single-page flag is `-o/--output`). For a single page, use the **`reports:pbi-verify-loop`** skill, which refreshes and then captures until two consecutive screenshots match. **When the bridge is unavailable.** `pbir desktop` commands are Windows-only: on macOS and Linux do not use them at all; every invocation fails before reaching Desktop. On Windows, `pbir desktop list` distinguishes the cases: the bridge is unreachable when the preview feature is off ("Enable external tool access to Power BI Desktop through secure local APIs" under File > Options and settings > Options > Preview features, then restart Desktop), and it reports when no running instance has the target report open. If the preview feature is off, relay the enable steps to the user once and ask whether they want to turn it on; do not keep retrying bridge commands meanwhile. Until the bridge works, and always on macOS, verify with `pbir validate --all`, then with the user's permission deploy with `pbir publish` to a sandbox workspace in Fabric and inspect the rendered report in the browser through the Chrome MCP tools. On Linux `pbir` cannot be installed at all, so check the changed JSON with `jq empty` and against the `pbip:pbir-format` skill's `references/validation.md`, then with the user's permission publish the byConnection report to a sandbox workspace with `fab import` (always pass `-f`), and inspect the rendering by exporting it server-side through the Power BI ExportTo API. ### Creating Reports New reports include out of the box: - The **sqlbi** theme (professional colors, typography). Do not run `pbir theme apply-template` unless the user requests a different theme - A default **Page 1** with a **textbox** visual for the page title at position (20,20) height 90. Do not add a new textbox; rename the existing page instead. Place subsequent visuals at `y:120` or below to avoid overlapping the title textbox. Use `--no-title` on `pbir new report` to skip the default title textbox when the user wants a clean canvas Connection: pass `--connection "Workspace/Model.SemanticModel"`, or set an active connection first with `pbir connect` (optionally `pbir profile` / `pbir connect --profile ` to switch between saved connections). When an active connection is set, the connection flag can be omitted. The connection has to be a tenant model: the command cannot be pointed at a local sibling `.SemanticModel`, so create against the workspace copy and then `pbir report rebind --local` (see `references/create-new-report.md`). ```bash pbir new report "Sales.Report" -c "Workspace/Model.SemanticModel" pbir pages rename "Sales.Report/Page 1.Page" --to "Overview" -f # Rename default page (new name via --to) pbir add visual card "Sales.Report/Overview.Page" --title "Revenue" -d "Values:Sales.Revenue" --y 120 pbir add filter Date Year -r "Sales.Report" pbir validate "Sales.Report" ``` Data-role names in `-d "Role:Table.Field"` (e.g. `Values`, `Category`, `Y`, `Series`, `Indicator`) come from the visual type's capability schema. Run `pbir add visual --list` or `pbir visuals bind --list-roles` to discover the roles for unfamiliar visual types. The CLI matches role names case-insensitively, so `Values:` and `values:` both work. For step-by-step creation guidance, use the **`create-pbi-report`** skill. ### Adding and Formatting Visuals **Formatting hierarchy**: base theme -> custom theme -> visual-type defaults -> individual visual overrides. Always check and prefer theme-level formatting before applying bespoke visual formatting. Use `pbir visuals format` to see the full cascade with source labels (default/wildcard/visualType/visual). ```bash # Add a visual with data binding (role names match the visual capability list) pbir add visual card "Report.Report/Page.Page" --title "Total Sales" -d "Values:Sales.Revenue" # ALWAYS check theme cascade first; see what formatting already applies pbir visuals format "Report.Report/Page.Page/Visual.Visual" # Set formatting in the THEME (preferred; applies to all visuals of this type) pbir theme set-formatting "Report.Report" "card.*.border.radius" --value 8 # Only format bespoke if genuinely one-off pbir visuals title "Report.Report/Page.Page/Visual.Visual" --text "Revenue" --fontSize 14 --show # Bind more fields pbir visuals bind "Report.Report/Page.Page/Visual.Visual" -a "Category:Products.ProductName" # Validate after changes pbir validate "Report.Report" # If the report is open in Desktop, confirm the rendering pbir desktop refresh "Report.Report" pbir desktop screenshot "Report.Report/Page.Page" -o verify.png # then Read verify.png ``` For bulk visual creation, see **`references/add-new-visual.md`**. For formatting workflows, consult **`references/format-visuals.md`** (theme-first approach, property discovery, glob patterns). ### Visual Groups Visual groups bind multiple visuals so they move and scale together. Use them when a set of visuals should behave as a single unit (a header strip, a KPI row, a chart-plus-annotation pair). ```bash pbir visuals group "Report.Report/Page.Page" --list # List groups on page pbir visuals group "Report.Report/Page.Page" --create "KPI Group" # Create empty group pbir visuals group "Report.Report/Page.Page/Group.Visual" --add "Card.Visual" --add "KPI.Visual" pbir visuals group "Report.Report/Page.Page/Group.Visual" --remove "Card.Visual" pbir visuals group "Report.Report/Page.Page/Visual.Visual" --ungroup # Remove this visual from its group pbir visuals group "Report.Report/Page.Page/Group.Visual" --ungroup # Ungroup all members and delete the group ``` Default mode is `ScaleMode`; override with `--mode` if a different behavior is needed. ### Style Presets Style presets apply a curated bundle of formatting in one step. Use a preset when the user wants a consistent look across many visuals without specifying every property. ```bash pbir visuals preset --list # Available presets pbir visuals preset "Report.Report/Page.Page/Visual.Visual" --name minimal pbir visuals preset "Report.Report/**/*.Visual" --name presentation ``` Presets are themed; pair them with `pbir theme apply-template` for full visual consistency. ### Property Discovery (Required Before Formatting) Every visual type has dozens of objects with hundreds of properties. Use the schema discovery workflow to find the right object and property name before setting values. Do not guess property names. ```bash # Step 1: What objects exist for this visual type? (objects + property counts) pbir schema describe "lineChart" # Step 2: What properties does an object have? (includes types, ranges, enums, descriptions) pbir schema describe "lineChart" "lineStyles" # Step 3: What's currently set on a live visual? (shows source: default/wildcard/visualType/visual) pbir visuals format "Report.Report/Page.Page/Visual.Visual" pbir visuals format "Report.Report/Page.Page/Visual.Visual" -v # Include unset (None) properties pbir visuals format "Report.Report/Page.Page/Visual.Visual" -p lineStyles # Filter to object # Step 4: Fuzzy search for a property by name pbir visuals properties -s "marker" ``` For built-in visuals, the authoritative list of valid type ids and per-type `objects` names comes from Microsoft's core visual catalog (bundled and pinned by the CLI). Use it to confirm a type or object name exists before authoring: ```bash pbir schema types # Built-in visual + entity type ids (--vco for universal container objects, --selectors for selector objects) pbir schema describe "barChart" # Valid objects + their properties for one type pbir schema roles "barChart" # Data roles the type accepts (required? multiple? Column/Measure) pbir schema describe "tableEx" --json # Full JSON for agent consumption ``` `pbir schema describe` draws from this core catalog (the authority `pbir set` enforces) and enriches it with the theme schema for value ranges and enums. Custom visuals are out of scope for the catalog. Schema descriptions include practical usage notes (e.g., error bars as target lines, title.text supporting measure-driven dynamic values). Use `--json` output for full descriptions. For a complete offline reference of every property for every visual type, consult **`references/property-catalogue.md`** (49 types, 15 universal containers, 12,600+ property slots). ### Bulk Modification (Glob Patterns) ```bash # Set property on ALL visuals in report (glob requires -f) pbir set "Report.Report/**/*.Visual.title.show" --value false -f # Find all card visuals pbir find "Report.Report/**/card*.Visual" # Format all visuals on a page pbir visuals title "Report.Report/Page.Page" --show --fontSize 12 ``` ### Conditional Bulk Ops (--where) `--where` filters which visuals a glob operation targets. Available on `set` and all `visuals` property commands. ```bash pbir set "Report.Report/**/*.Visual.title.fontSize" --value 16 --where "visual_type=card" -f pbir visuals legend "Report.Report/**/*.Visual" --show --where "width__gt=400" pbir visuals resize "Report.Report/**/*.Visual" --width 350 --height 250 --where "visual_type=card" ``` Predicate operators: `=`, `__lt`, `__gt`, `__lte`, `__gte`, `__in=a|b|c`, `__contains`, `__icontains`. Combine with commas (ANDed): `--where "visual_type=card,width__gt=300"`. Full operator list in **`references/format-visuals.md`**. ### Conditional Formatting ```bash # Find out what a container accepts before writing to it pbir schema describe barChart.dataPoint # "Conditional formatting:" line at the bottom # Create CF (structural; use pbir visuals cf) pbir visuals cf "Visual" --measure "labels.color _Fmt.StatusColor" pbir visuals cf "Visual" --gradient --field "Table.Field" --min-color bad --max-color good pbir visuals cf "Visual" --data-bars --field "Table.Field" pbir visuals cf "Visual" --image --field "_SVG.Bullet" # measure-driven image or SVG # Read / edit / remove CF (dot-path; use pbir set / pbir get) pbir get "Visual.dataPoint.fill.cf" # summary pbir set "Visual.dataPoint.fill.cf.gradient.min.color" --value "bad" pbir set "Visual.dataPoint.fill.cf" --remove # or --clear pbir get "Report.Report/**/*.Visual.**.cf" # bulk read ``` CF reaches well past data point colors: titles, subtitles, borders, tooltips, axis bounds, reference-line values, data-label text, and error-bar styling all accept a measure. `pbir schema describe .` is the authoritative answer for any one container, and a starred property there was confirmed against a rendered report rather than inferred from the catalog. When the field driving the format is not the field being formatted (a grid column coloured by a helper measure, a combo chart's secondary series), name the target with `--target-field`, otherwise the entry scopes to the driver and Desktop renders it on the wrong column: ```bash pbir visuals cf "Grid.Visual" --rules --field "Sales.Margin %" --rule "lt 0 bad" \ --on values.backColor --target-field "Sales.Revenue" ``` For gradient/rules/icons/data bars/image options, copy/remove/convert, and best practices, consult **`references/conditional-formatting.md`**. ### Visual Actions, Bookmarks, Drillthrough ```bash pbir visuals action "Visual" --type PageNavigation --target "Details" # Set action pbir add bookmark "Report.Report" "Q1 View" # Create bookmark pbir bookmarks page "Report.Report" "Q1 View" "Details" # Set bookmark target page pbir pages drillthrough "Report/Details.Page" --table T --field F # Add drillthrough pbir pages set-tooltip "Report/Tooltip.Page" # Configure tooltip ``` For bookmark management, consult **`references/bookmarks.md`**. ### Filters ```bash pbir add filter Table Field -r "Report.Report" # Categorical pbir add filter T F -r "R.Report" --type TopN --n 10 --by-table T2 --by-field F2 # TopN pbir add filter T F -r "R.Report" --type Advanced --operator GreaterThan --values 1000 pbir add filter Date Date -r "R.Report" --type RelativeDate --period Last30Days ``` Filter creation validates the field against the connected semantic model. If validation cannot resolve (missing connection, model unreachable), the command fails closed rather than producing an unverified filter. Use `--no-validate` only when the user explicitly needs to bypass this. To change filter type, remove and recreate. For full filter reference, consult **`references/filters.md`**. ### Auditing Reports ```bash pbir validate "Report.Report" # Structure, schema, fields, QA (use --all) pbir bpa run "Report.Report" # Best Practice Analyzer rule sweep pbir bpa run "Report.Report" --fix --save # Apply safe automatic fixes pbir tree "Report.Report" -v # Structure + field bindings pbir theme colors "Report.Report" # Palette and usage pbir color list "Report.Report" # Every hard-coded color literal and where it is used pbir fields list "Report.Report" # Fields in use pbir dax measures list "Report.Report" # Extension measures pbir filters list "Report.Report" # Filters at every scope ``` BPA rules are managed with `pbir bpa rules list/ignore/unignore`; ignored rules are scoped per report. For the comprehensive audit checklist, consult **`references/audit-report.md`**. ## Command Reference The full command reference lives in **`references/cli-reference.md`**. Always run `pbir --help` before using an unfamiliar command; the help text is authoritative for flag names and defaults. Quick map of command groups: ```yaml Getting started: config, connect (+ --profile), profile, new Browse and query: ls (+ --tree), find, get, cat, model # `tree` is an alias of `ls --tree` Modify: set, add, mv, cp, rm, visuals, pages Data: fields, filters, dax, bookmarks, annotations Theme and style: theme (colors, fonts, set-colors, set-fonts, set-formatting, apply-template), color (list, replace), fonts (list, replace, clear, available) Schema discovery: schema (= capabilities) (types, describe, roles, status, upgrade), visuals properties, visuals format Workflow ops: validate, backup, restore, publish, download, batch, open, bpa, usage Desktop (Windows): desktop (list/status, refresh/reload, screenshot) ``` Notes on the less-obvious groups: - **connect / profile**: `pbir connect "Report.Report"` sets the active context so subsequent commands can omit the report path. `pbir profile` saves and switches named connections (`pbir connect --profile dev`). - **visuals group**: visual groups let users scale and position multiple visuals together. See "Visual groups" workflow below. - **visuals preset**: named style presets (`minimal`, `bold`, `clean`, `emphasis`, `presentation`) apply curated formatting in one step. - **bpa**: Best Practice Analyzer. `pbir bpa run "Report.Report"` reports rule violations; `--fix --save` applies safe fixes. `pbir bpa rules list/ignore/unignore` manages the rule set. - **color**: `pbir color list` enumerates every hard-coded color literal and where it is used; `pbir color replace --from --to ` swaps one across the report (scope with `--theme`/`--report`). Distinct from the `theme` group, which edits the theme JSON rather than inline literals. - **fonts**: the typography mirror of `color`. `pbir fonts list` audits families/sizes/weights across report + theme; `pbir fonts replace --from --to` swaps a family everywhere; `pbir fonts clear` drops per-visual font/format overrides so the theme default applies. To set the theme's own fonts, use `pbir theme set-fonts`. - **usage**: `pbir usage "Report.Report"` (or a workspace / published report) pulls views, viewers, pages, and load times from the Power BI service via your `az login` token. `--model` adds the workspace usage metrics model for richer detail (Contributor+, generates a hidden model). Relies on undocumented service telemetry. ## Global Flags Top-level flags; place before the subcommand: `pbir -q new report ...`, NOT `pbir new report -q ...` ```yaml -q / --quiet: suppress animations, tips, spinners (agent-friendly) --output-format text|json: structured stdout for commands that support it --error-format text|json: structured stderr where supported --debug: enable tracebacks and timing --rawdog: skip EVERY validation check (umbrella for --skip all) --skip : skip validation categories (repeatable, comma-separated): structure, schema, schema-version, fields, enums, qa, roles, layout, theme ``` `pbir` validates implicitly on mutations. `--skip`/`--rawdog` relax that for deliberate cases, e.g. `pbir --skip fields set ...` to author a visual whose field is not in the model yet. They are global, so they go before the subcommand. Prefer fixing the underlying issue over `--rawdog`. They skip *validation* only: neither bypasses the model schema **load** that authoring a column reference needs, so neither rescues a `failed to load model schema` (see `references/fields-and-bindings.md`). Command-specific output flags such as `--json` or `-F json`, and mutation flags such as `-f/--force`, go after the relevant subcommand. Check `pbir --help`; they are not global flags. ## Common Mistakes - **Role names are case-insensitive but should match the capability list.** Use `pbir add visual --list` or `pbir visuals bind --list-roles` to discover role identifiers (e.g. `Values`, `Category`, `Y`, `Series`) for the target visual type. - **`pbir cat` does not support filters or bookmarks.** Use `pbir filters list --json` or `pbir bookmarks json` instead. - **`pbir publish` uses positional args**, not `- …(truncated)