Error for saving the applied steps

[hb0135]

Hello,

I have done some change in the report and trying close and apply it below error is showing to me.

Can you pls help me regarding this.
I have attached the screen shot also.

Regards
Atharva

[hb0135]

Hello,

Thanks for the help 

It is working now

[pankajnamekar25]

Hello @hb0135 

Use Choose Columns in Power Query to keep only necessary fields

Avoid expanding all columns when merging or dealing with nested tables

 Remove unused or irrelevant columns from all queries

Disable loading of helper or intermediate queries

Avoid unpivoting wide tables unless filtered or limited

Combine similar tables if they have the same schema

Monitor column count using List.Count(Table.ColumnNames(Source)) in Power Query

Thanks,
 Pankaj Namekar | LinkedIn

If this solution helps, please accept it and give a kudos (Like), it would be greatly appreciated.

[Elena_Kalina · Accepted solution]

Hi @hb0135 

It looks like you're encountering an error related to the number of columns in your report. The error message indicates that your report has 16,753 columns, but the maximum allowed is 16,000.

Possible Causes & Solutions:

1. Accidental Column Proliferation

   • This often happens when formulas or pivot tables dynamically create too many columns.

   • Check if you have any unintended dynamic expansions (e.g., CROSSJOIN, GENERATE, or SUMMARIZE functions in Power Query/Power Pivot).

2. Power Query Issue

   • If you’re using Power Query, check if a transformation (like an unpivot or merge) is generating extra columns.

   • Fix: Review the "Applied Steps" in Power Query and look for steps that might be expanding data horizontally.

3. Excel/Power BI Limits

   • Excel and Power BI have hard limits on column counts (Excel: 16,384 columns; Power BI: 16,000 per table).

   • Fix:

     • Reduce the number of columns by removing unnecessary ones.

     • Transpose your data (switch rows/columns) if the dataset is naturally wide.

     • Split the report into multiple tables/files.

4. Corrupted File or Temporary Glitch

   • Sometimes, closing and reopening the file or refreshing the data model helps.

   • Try saving a copy of the file (.xlsx → .xlsb or .pbix → backup).

Next Steps:

• Check your data model:

  • In Power BI: Go to Model View and see if any table has an unusually high column count.

  • In Excel: Review Power Pivot → Diagram View.

• Debug Power Query:

  • Add a step to count columns (e.g., List.Count(Table.ColumnNames(YourTable))) to identify where the expansion happens.

If this post helps, then please consider Accepting as solution to help the other members find it more quickly, don't forget to give a "Kudos" – I’d truly appreciate it! 

Thank you.