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.

You might encounter an issue where visuals in your Power BI report turn blank after a data refresh.

This can be frustrating, especially when you rely on up-to-date data for decision-making.

In this blog post, I'll explore common causes of blank visuals in Power BI after a refresh and provide solutions to resolve this issue.

Common Causes of Blank Visuals After Refresh

1. Data Model Issues:

   • Solution: Check your data model for issues such as circular dependencies, data type mismatches, or missing relationships. Review the Power Query editor for any errors that may affect data loading. Here's how to get to the editor:
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2. Query Folding Problems:

   • Solution: Ensure that query folding is occurring properly during data loading. Query folding means that Power BI sends data transformation tasks back to the data source, which can improve performance and data accuracy. If query folding is not working as expected, review your data source and transformation steps. Check out the red box on the left for your transformation steps. 
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3. Data Source Connection Errors:

   • Solution: Verify that your data source connections are correctly configured. If your data source requires authentication or has specific connection settings, double-check them to ensure they are accurate.
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4. Data Load Errors:

   • Solution: Examine the data load process for errors or warnings. These can often be found in the "Query Editor" or "Query Dependencies" views. Resolve any data load errors to ensure a successful refresh.

5. DAX or M Formula Errors:

   • Solution: Review your DAX (Data Analysis Expressions) and M (Power Query formula language) formulas for errors or issues. A formula error can lead to blank visuals. Use the "Data" and "Model" views in Power BI Desktop to identify formula problems.

6. Memory and Resource Constraints:

   • Solution: Check if your report consumes too much memory or resources during data refresh. Reduce unnecessary data or calculations if your report is reaching resource limits.

7. Visual-Level Filters:

   • Solution: Visual-level filters applied to a report page can sometimes cause visuals to go blank after a refresh. Double-check these filters to ensure they are correctly configured and not overly restrictive.

8. Custom Visual Issues:

   • Solution: If you are using custom visuals, make sure they are up to date and compatible with your Power BI version. Some custom visuals may not function correctly after a Power BI update.

9. Scheduled Refresh Failures:

   • Solution: Inspect your scheduled refresh settings in the Power BI service. If the scheduled refresh is failing, you'll need to troubleshoot the issue, which may involve examining data source credentials or addressing data source availability.
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10. Report Design and Layout Issues:

    • Solution: Sometimes, blank visuals can occur due to design or layout issues. Ensure that visuals are correctly placed on the report canvas, not hidden behind other elements, or placed outside the visible area.

Conclusion

Blank visuals in Power BI reports after a data refresh can be caused by various factors, including data model problems, query folding issues, data source connection errors, or formula errors.

By carefully examining and addressing these potential causes, you can resolve the issue and ensure that your Power BI reports display the most up-to-date and accurate data.

Regular monitoring and testing of data refreshes will help you catch and fix issues before they affect your reporting process.