Hi, I'm Tom Blessing. I'm an expert at helping small to mid-sized companies adopt Power BI. I'm also a recovering investment banker, with deep experience applying technology to otherwise manual data problems. I have dual degrees in Finance and Technology Management from Indiana University.

Resources to help build your fundamentals: Learning Power BI? Data fundamentals are critical for this process to be easier. I've assembled a few DataCamp courses to help. I earn a small commission if you click and purchase.

Introduction to Power BI course: Master Power BI basics and learn to build impactful reports.

Exploratory Data Analysis in Power BI course: Learn about Power BI's Exploratory Data Analysis (EDA) and enhance your reports.

Introduction to SQL course: Learn how to create and query relational databases using SQL in just two hours.

Introduction to DAX course: Learn the fundamentals of Data Analysis Expressions (DAX) such as calculated columns, tables, and measures.

Database Design course: Learn to design databases in SQL to process, store, and organize data in a more efficient way.

Power BI can encounter issues that may hinder your ability to create effective visualizations.

One common problem you may encounter is when your Power BI line chart is not working as expected.

In this blog post, I'll explore some common issues with Power BI line charts and provide troubleshooting tips to help you resolve them.

1. No Data Displayed in the Line Chart

   • Data Source: Ensure that your data source is correctly connected, and the data you want to visualize is loaded into Power BI. Go to File > Options and Settings > Data Source Settings to make sure you're linking to the right files. 

   • Data Fields: Verify that you have selected the appropriate data fields for the line chart. Make sure you have values to display on the y-axis and a date or category field on the x-axis. The x-axis and y-axis fields are the most important to populate with numerical data types. 

   • Filters and Slicers: Check if any filters or slicers are applied that might be hiding your data. Clear any filters or slicers if necessary. Open up the filters pane and check to see if any filters are affecting the visuals. 

2. Data Not Aggregated Properly

   • Data Summarization: Confirm that your data is correctly summarized or aggregated for the chosen time interval. You might need to use functions like SUM, AVERAGE, or MAX to aggregate your data. 

   • Date Hierarchies: Ensure that you have set up date hierarchies correctly in Power BI, so the chart displays data at the desired granularity (e.g., day, month, year).

3. Missing or Incorrect Visualization Fields

   • Axis Fields: Double-check that you have placed the appropriate data fields in the correct areas of the line chart visualization (e.g., values in the Values field well, dates or categories in the Axis field well).

   • Legend and Tooltips: Make sure your legend and tooltips fields are correctly configured to provide context and information when users interact with the chart.

4. Data Type Issues

   • Data Types: Ensure that the data types of your fields are correctly set in Power BI. Date fields should be recognized as dates, and numeric fields should be recognized as numbers. Go into Power Query to verify your data types. 

   • Formatting: Review the formatting settings for your line chart, such as number formats, date formats, and axis scales, to ensure they match your data.

5. Visual Interactions

   • Cross-Filtering: Check if any other visuals on your report page are affecting the line chart through cross-filtering. Adjust visual interactions if necessary in the Format pane. 

6. Data Range and Filtering

   • Data Range: Examine the date range or data filtering applied to your visual. Make sure it encompasses the period you want to display.

   • Relative Date Filters: If you are using relative date filters, ensure they are set correctly and not limiting your data.

7. Data Refresh

   • Data Refresh: If you have recently updated your data source, ensure that you have refreshed your data in Power BI to reflect the changes.

8. Chart Type Compatibility

   • Chart Type Selection: Verify that a line chart is the appropriate chart type for your data. In some cases, your data may be better suited for other visualizations, such as bar charts or scatter plots.

Conclusion

Encountering issues with Power BI line charts can be frustrating, but most problems have straightforward solutions.

By following the troubleshooting tips outlined in this blog post, you can identify and resolve common issues that may arise when your Power BI line chart is not working as expected.

Remember to carefully review your data, visualization settings, and interactions to create accurate and insightful line charts for your reports and dashboards.