Forum Discussion

Sivapriya's avatar
Sivapriya
Regular Visitor
3 months ago
Solved

Power BI Desktop Does Not Reflect JSON File Changes Without Reopening

I'm working on an automation workflow that programmatically modifies Power BI project files (.pbip format), specifically the report layout JSON files  using a backend server process.

The Problem:
Every time my server writes changes to the .pbip JSON files (report layout, visuals, pages), Power BI Desktop does not pick up those changes automatically. I have to manually close and reopen the file to see the updates.

Current Workflow:
Server writes changes to .pbip JSON → Close Power BI Desktop → Reopen file → Changes now visible

Any guidance from the community or Microsoft team would be greatly appreciated.

Need Help
  • pankajnamekar25's avatar
    pankajnamekar25
    3 months ago

    Hello  Power BI Desktop loads .pbip JSON/layout files into memory when the project opens and does not auto-detect external file changes.

    So after your backend updates the JSON files, you must reopen the PBIP file to see the changes. Currently, there is no supported hot reload or live refresh feature for report layout JSON files.

     


    If my response helped you, please consider clicking
    Accept as Solution ✅ and giving it a Like 👍 – it helps others in the community too.

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    Sivapriya

  • Kagiyama_yutaka's avatar
    Kagiyama_yutaka
    3 months ago

    I think PBI Desktop only reads the pbip JSON at open, and it does not watch for external changes, so the supported way is just to close and reopen the project after ur server writes the new JSON.

4 Replies

  • pankajnamekar25's avatar
    pankajnamekar25
    Super User
    3 months ago

    Hello  Power BI Desktop loads .pbip JSON/layout files into memory when the project opens and does not auto-detect external file changes.

    So after your backend updates the JSON files, you must reopen the PBIP file to see the changes. Currently, there is no supported hot reload or live refresh feature for report layout JSON files.

     


    If my response helped you, please consider clicking
    Accept as Solution ✅ and giving it a Like 👍 – it helps others in the community too.

    Thanks,

    Connect with me on:
    LinkedIn |
    Data With Pankaj - YouTube

     

     

    Sivapriya

  • Kagiyama_yutaka's avatar
    Kagiyama_yutaka
    Responsive Resident
    3 months ago

    I think PBI Desktop only reads the pbip JSON at open, and it does not watch for external changes, so the supported way is just to close and reopen the project after ur server writes the new JSON.

  • v-menakakota's avatar
    v-menakakota
    Community Support
    3 months ago

    Hi  Sivapriya  ,
    Thanks for reaching out to the Microsoft fabric community forum. 


    I would also take a moment to thank  pankajnamekar25 , for actively participating in the community forum and for the solutions you’ve been sharing in the community forum. Your contributions make a real difference. 
    I hope the above details help you fix the issue. If you still have any questions or need more help, feel free to reach out. We’re always here to support you.

    Best Regards, 
    Community Support Team

    • v-menakakota's avatar
      v-menakakota
      Community Support
      3 months ago

      Hi Sivapriya ,

      I hope the above details help you fix the issue. If you still have any questions or need more help, feel free to reach out. We’re always here to support you.

      Best Regards, 
      Community Support Team