DAX measures Clean-up in data model?

[MacJasem]

Hey Comrads

The scenario from my pov:

I've inherited a data model/powerbi report which is big (with a lot of measures and calculated tables/columns etc.), and i want to clean up the model from un-used DAX measures, calculated tables and columns. but doing that manually would take me days, since the report is massive with a lot of pages and visuals. 

Does anyone have an idea if there's a tool you can use to see which DAX measures are being used in the report? and if not what approaches have you used that sped up the cleaning process?

Thanks in advance!

[V-yubandi-msft]

Hi @MacJasem ,

Everything is clear now. Please let us know if you need any additional information.

Regards,

Yugandhar.

[V-yubandi-msft]

Hi @MacJasem ,

I hope this clarifies your query. If you need any further clarification or additional information, please feel free to let us know.

Power BI Desktop does not natively identify unused measures or objects. Tools such as DAX Studio and Tabular Editor are commonly used for dependency analysis, validation, and safer model cleanup.

Thank you.

[Olufemi7 · Accepted solution]

Hello @MacJasem, 

If you want to clean up unused measures, calculated columns, and tables in a large Power BI model, doing it manually is painful. Fortunately, there are tools that can help:

• Measure Killer – An external tool built specifically for this. It scans your PBIX file and shows which measures, columns, and tables are actually used in visuals. Anything not referenced is flagged as unused, so you can safely remove or hide them.

Official pages:• Brunner BI: https://en.brunner.bi/measurekiller A
• Microsoft Fabric Community blog (correct link): https://community.fabric.microsoft.com/t5/Power-BI-Community-Blog/PowerBi-Measure-Killer-external-to... B

• DAX Studio: Widely used by developers for deeper analysis. Connect to your model, list/export measures, inspect dependencies, and analyze performance. Official docs: https://daxstudio.org/docs/intro/ (use alongside the DAX reference on Microsoft Learn).

Practical tips before cleanup:

• Backup first: Save a copy of the PBIX before changes.
• Hide, then delete: Hide suspected unused items initially to avoid breaking indirect references.
• Iterate and test: Clean in small batches and validate visuals, slicers, drill‑throughs, and relationships after each round.

Direct answer: start with Measure Killer to quickly surface unused objects, then use DAX Studio for validation and performance tuning. The Fabric Community post above walks through setup and options, including MSI/Store/portable installs B. The official Measure Killer page lists features like dependency trees, documentation export, and best‑practice checks A.

[MacJasem]

Hey @Olufemi7 

Thanks for the detailed feedback. a quick confirming question. Does Measure Killer also take into account those measures that are reference upon reference as in use measures, or only the measure used in a visual?

[Olufemi7]

Hi @MacJasem, 

Yes  Measure Killer does account for reference‑upon‑reference scenarios. If a measure is used by another measure that’s ultimately in a visual, both are flagged as “in use.” It builds a dependency tree so you don’t risk deleting something indirectly required. For complex models, I will still recommend a quick validation in DAX Studio just to be safe.

[MacJasem]

Hi @Olufemi7 

I testet Measure Killer on a smaller dataset with one report and did an analysis and i found the best way is to export the TMDL code and entering it into the PBI desktop file (TMDL View) and there showing the Preview comparison of what is being deleted and then applying. It did a great work👌no need for DAX Studio or even Tabular editor. I understand this is a more simple approach but thought this approach might come handy for someone else that is more new to PowerBI and not that familiar with DAX studio or Tabular Editor.

[V-yubandi-msft]

Hi @MacJasem ,

Thank you for sharing your experience this is very insightful.

Using Measure Killer to find unused objects and then checking changes in the TMDL view in Power BI Desktop before making updates is a smart and cautious strategy. Previewing what will be removed helps make the cleanup safer.

This method is also helpful for those who are new to Power BI and may not be comfortable with tools like DAX Studio or Tabular Editor. For simpler models or single reports, your approach is both effective and easy to use.

Thanks again for sharing this will likely help others in similar situations.

Regards,

Yugandhar.

[cengizhanarslan]

If you have the PBIX/PBIP locally, the fastest approach is Measure Killer (external tool). It scans the report and tells you which measures/columns/tables are referenced by visuals (and can remove unused ones).

If you want something more “official/controlled”, use Tabular Editor:

• open the model

• use Best Practice Analyzer / dependency view to find what’s referenced

• and/or export metadata + search for references (slower, but safer)

Measure Killer Link: https://www.brunner.bi/measurekiller

[Jaywant-Thorat]

Great question — this is exactly the pain point every Power BI professional hits when inheriting a monster model.
Remember:

1. Power BI Desktop cannot natively tell you which measures are unused.
2. External tools + a safe cleanup strategy is the correct way.

BEST TOOL: DAX Studio
This is the #1 tool professionals use for this exact scenario.
What it can do:

• List all measures
• Identify measures referenced by other measures
• Identify measures referenced by visuals
• Export results to Excel
• Let you safely flag likely unused measures

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[MacJasem]

Hey @Jaywant-Thorat 

Thanks for the feedback. 

Are you referring to the use of DMV's in DAX studio? in such case which DMV returns the measures referenced by visuals and measures referenced by other measures?

if not DMV's then what and where do i get this info in DAX studio?

[Kedar_Pande]

@MacJasem 

Measure Killer (free tool) → scans report + model → lists unused measures/tables instantly

If this answer helped, please click 👍 or Accept as Solution.
-Kedar
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kedar-pande

[V-yubandi-msft]

Hi @MacJasem ,

Thank you for engaging with the Microsoft Fabric Community. In addition to @FBergamaschi  response, it’s important to note that Power BI does not currently provide a built in way to identify unused DAX measures, calculated columns, or calculated tables at the semantic model level.

For model level cleanup and governance, using external modeling tools such as Tabular Editor is recommended. These tools can analyze dependencies directly within the semantic model and help identify objects with no references. This approach is safer and more scalable, especially when working with large or shared models.

Hope this helps. Please let us know if you need any further assistance.

Regards,

Yugandhar.

[FBergamaschi]

Hi @MacJasem,

for each report connected to the semantic model, you can use this

https://powerbihelper.org/

But as fare as I know you need to repeat this for every different report

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