Power BI card visual: headline numbers readers grasp at a glance
Power BI card visual shows one or more key figures as large, readable numbers. Each card can also carry an image and reference labels that add context, such as a target. Microsoft recommends this visual for new reports, and it replaces the two older card visuals. This guide explains how to build it, how to arrange several cards and which settings matter most. In short, add several measures to one card, set a reference label for the target, and set display units to None to show full numbers.
- Several cards, one visual
- Reference labels
- Layout and display units
Last updated
What is the Power BI card visual?
A card answers one question quickly: what is the number right now? Microsoft describes the visual as a way to show measure values with optional callout images and reference labels. So a revenue card can also show the target and the gap.
One visual can hold several cards. That matters for speed as well as for layout. According to Microsoft, combining multiple measures and reference labels in one visual reduces visual load time and optimizes the queries sent to the semantic model.
According to Microsoft's card visual article, the November 2025 release made the current card generally available. Before it, Power BI had two separate visuals, the single card and the multi-card, and the current one replaces both for new work. However, existing reports with the older visuals continue to render without changes.
Create a Power BI card visual in four steps
These steps follow Microsoft's article and apply to Power BI Desktop and the Power BI service.
Add the visual
First select the Card icon under Build visual in the Visualizations pane. An empty card then appears on the canvas.
Add a value
Next drag a measure or a column to the Values well. The card then shows that figure as a callout value.
Add more values
Then add further measures to the same well. Each one becomes its own card inside the visual.
Format the cards
Finally open Format visual and work through the Visual tab, where the callout, image and layout settings sit.
How do you arrange several cards in one visual?
The layout settings control the grid of cards. Microsoft documents two options that exclude each other. With Fixed size on, you specify the exact pixel dimensions for each card, and scroll bars appear when the container is too small.
Fit to space works the other way. When it is on, cards grow or shrink to fill the container based on the cards present. When it is off, the visual reserves space for the number of cards you specify, even if fewer exist.
Categories add a second dimension. When you place a field in the Categories well, the visual repeats the cards for each category value. For example, one set of cards per region then appears, each under its own header.
Three parts of a KPI card you can format
Microsoft's article describes these areas, and each one has its own section in the format pane.
Callout
The callout holds the main value and its label. You set the font, the color and the display units here.
Reference labels
Reference labels sit in their own area and add related figures, such as a target, along with an optional detail value.
Images
A card can show an image, a callout image or a header background. The source is an upload, a web address or a data column.
Why does the Power BI card visual shorten large numbers?
By default, the display units of a callout value are set to Auto. Power BI then abbreviates large figures with a letter for thousands, millions or billions. That keeps the card compact, but it hides detail.
Finance readers often want the full figure. To show it, open the Callout values section in the format pane, go to Values and set Display units to None. The card then prints the complete number.
So decide per card which form helps the reader. For example, a headline total usually reads well in short form. However, a figure that people reconcile against another system should appear in full. For a whole page of targets and status colors, see the Power BI KPI scorecard.
Design habits for cards that readers trust
A card is small, so every choice in it carries weight with the reader.
- Show only the figures that readers act on
- Add a reference label so the number has context
- Use the same display units across related cards
- Apply conditional colors only for real exceptions
- Keep images small so the number stays dominant
- Group related measures in one visual, not in many
Power BI card visual: common questions
Can one Power BI card visual show several measures?
Yes. Each measure or column you add to the Values well becomes its own card inside the same visual. Microsoft notes that this approach also helps performance, because one visual with several measures loads faster than many separate visuals and sends more efficient queries to the semantic model.
Where did the older card visuals go?
They still exist for backward compatibility. Microsoft explains that you select the three dots in the Visualizations pane and choose Restore default visuals. The legacy single card and multi-card then appear in the unpinned area of the pane. For new reports, however, Microsoft recommends the current card visual.
Can a card filter other visuals on the page?
Yes, when the visual uses categories. Category headers are selectable, so a reader can select one to filter the other visuals on the page. Holding Ctrl selects several headers at once. As an author, you can adjust this behavior with the Edit interactions feature.
Does the Power BI card visual support conditional formatting?
Yes. Microsoft documents conditional formatting for elements such as the font color, the background and the border of a card. So a figure can turn a warning color when it falls below a target. Use this sparingly, because a page full of colored cards loses its signal.
Can Power BI Agency redesign our KPI pages?
Yes. One of our consultants reviews which figures your readers really use, then rebuilds the page with clear cards, reference labels and consistent units. We work remotely inside your own Microsoft tenant and show progress in weekly demos. Power BI Agency is a division of Sataware Technologies, a Microsoft Solutions Partner, and is not part of Microsoft.
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