Power BI maps: put the right point in the right place
Power BI maps turn location data into bubbles and shapes on a map. The results depend on how well the service can match each place name to coordinates. Microsoft now points authors to the Azure Maps visual and plans to retire the older map visuals in a future release. This guide explains the visual, the data preparation and the documented limits.
- Azure Maps visual
- Geocoding made reliable
- Limits and privacy
Last updated
Which Power BI maps should a new report use?
Microsoft's documentation carries a clear note. The Azure Maps visual is generally available, except in sovereign clouds. When you open a report with an older map visual, a message may encourage you to upgrade maps and filled maps to Azure Maps.
The note also states a plan. In a future release, Power BI plans to deprecate the older map visuals and migrate existing reports. You can convert maps and filled maps now. Therefore a new report should start with the Azure Maps visual.
The older visuals rely on Bing Maps for coordinates. However, the preparation advice below helps either way, because both services need clear location data.
Field wells of the Azure Maps visual
Microsoft lists six data buckets for the visual, and each one has a specific job.
| Field well | What goes in it | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Location | Place data such as country, state or city | May be sent to Azure for geocoding |
| Latitude | Decimal degrees between -90 and 90 | Removes doubt about the place |
| Longitude | Decimal degrees between -180 and 180 | Used together with latitude |
| Legend | A field that groups the points | Gives each category its own color |
| Size | A measure | Scales each point relative to the others |
| Tooltips | Extra fields | Shown when a reader hovers over a shape |
How does geocoding decide where a point goes?
Geocoding is the process of turning a place name into map coordinates. Microsoft says plainly that the result is sometimes a best guess. For example, a town named Southampton exists in England, in Pennsylvania and in New York.
So a city column alone can put points in the wrong country. When you add a state or a country column, the match improves. Microsoft also advises that each field holds one location level only. A city field should contain the city, not the city and the state together.
Latitude and longitude remove the doubt entirely. Microsoft notes that these values return results more quickly, and the fields must use the decimal number format in the model.
Prepare location data for Power BI maps in four steps
These steps come from Microsoft's tips for authors who have access to the semantic model.
Set data categories
First select each location column in Table view. Then set its Data Category on the Column tools tab, such as City or Postal Code.
Add more location columns
Next add state and country columns when a city name alone is ambiguous, and categorize them as well.
Add coordinates
Then include latitude and longitude as decimal numbers when the source has them, because they remove the guesswork.
Use Place for full addresses
Finally, if one column holds a complete address, set its category to Place, which suits that kind of text.
What do Power BI maps send to the map service?
Location data leaves the report so that the map service can return coordinates. For the older bubble maps, Microsoft states that no data goes to Bing when latitude and longitude are provided. Otherwise the content of the Location bucket is sent.
The Azure Maps visual works in a similar way. Data in the Location bucket may be sent to Azure for geocoding. Details about the area in view are also sent to retrieve the map images. However, the other data on the map renders locally.
So think about what sits in the location field. A postal code or a city is rarely sensitive, but a home address can be. When in doubt, use coordinates or a less detailed level.
Three limits of the Azure Maps visual
Microsoft documents these points under considerations, so check them before a rollout.
Data point cap
The visual supports up to 30,000 data points. Therefore aggregate very detailed data before you plot it.
Export and subscriptions
Microsoft's availability table marks Power BI export and subscriptions as not supported, so the map is missing from those outputs.
Regional availability
The visual is not available in China or in Azure Government clouds at this time, according to the same article.
Power BI maps: questions from report authors
Why do Power BI maps put a city in the wrong country?
Because the name is ambiguous and the service has to guess. Set the Data Category of the column first. Then add a state or country column and place both in the Location well. If the source has latitude and longitude, use those instead, since they remove the doubt.
Can readers drill from country to city on a map?
Yes. Drag more than one field into the Location bucket, and the fields form a geo-hierarchy. Readers can then drill up and down. Microsoft recommends the expand option in most maps, because it keeps the higher level as context and so helps the geocoding.
Will my older Power BI maps stop working?
Microsoft has stated a plan to deprecate the older map visuals in a future release and to migrate existing reports to Azure Maps. The documentation gives no date in the note we read. So convert important reports yourself when convenient, and check the results after each conversion.
Should I use an address or coordinates?
Coordinates are the safer choice when you have them. Microsoft states that latitude and longitude remove ambiguity and return results more quickly. Addresses also work in the Location well. However, each address must be geocoded, and that step can place a point wrongly.
Can Power BI Agency clean up our location reporting?
Yes. One of our consultants reviews the location columns, sets the data categories, adds coordinates where the source allows and moves older maps to the Azure Maps visual. We work remotely in your own Microsoft tenant, with the scope fixed in a written quote. Power BI Agency is a division of Sataware Technologies, a Microsoft Solutions Partner, and is not part of Microsoft.
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