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. 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.

IMPORTANT: FIRST Read and adhere to the mental model in 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.

bin/fetch.sh downloads a self-contained portable build instead. 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 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

Log learnings about the pbir CLI in the project's memory file: gotchas, unexpected behavior, user expectations, and design preferences. Use the agent-appropriate path:

• Claude Code: .claude/rules/pbir-cli.md
• Cursor: .cursor/rules/pbir-cli.mdc
• GitHub Copilot: .github/instructions/pbir-cli.instructions.md

Keep entries concise and generalizable. The memory file is not a change log. Prune redundancy, link out to references and examples rather than restating them.

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). Instead deploy with pbir publish to a sandbox workspace in Fabric and verify the rendered report in the browser via the Chrome MCP tools.
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. Add concise, generalizable entries to the memory file noted above.

When the user has manually changed a report and asks to pull it down or learn from the differences, follow references/manual-roundtrip-review.md.

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 and examples that can help you understand the user requirements

2. NEVER edit report JSON files directly. 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.

3. Discover before setting. Run pbir schema describe <type> to list a visual type's objects, then pbir schema describe <type> <object> 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

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)

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.

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.

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).

For full model query patterns and field binding workflows, consult references/fields-and-bindings.md.

Semantic Model + Report Workflows (te + pbir)

Use te for semantic-model mutations and pbir for report mutations. A model rename can cascade inside the model while report bindings retain the old Table.Field; use te deps --downstream, then pbir fields find/replace and validate both layers. Consult references/te-cli-tandem.md for deploy order and complete workflows.

Desktop Integration (Refresh and Screenshot)

When a PBIP/PBIR report is open in Power BI Desktop on Windows, use the bridge for the shortest visual feedback loop:

pbir desktop list
pbir desktop refresh "Report.Report"
pbir desktop screenshot "Report.Report/Page.Page" -o verify.png

Inspect the PNG after every meaningful batch. PBIX supports screenshots but not refresh; macOS/Linux do not support the bridge. When unavailable, validate, publish to an authorized sandbox, and inspect the service render. See references/desktop-integration.md for setup, multi-instance behavior, and troubleshooting.

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 <name> to switch between saved connections). When an active connection is set, the connection flag can be omitted.

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).

# 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).

Fast Rendered-Dashboard Loop

For renderer-sensitive iteration, publish cadence, New Card selectors, SVG table density, and latest-only line labels, follow references/rendered-dashboard-loop.md.

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).

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.

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.

# 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:

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)

# 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.

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.