Problems displaying questionnaire results in Power BI

[Fusilier2]

This isn't a data question but more of a formatting question.

How do you show the results of questionnaire questions in PBI reports? I'm looking for ideas.

My organisation runs colleague and resident surveys each year which I have to report the results of these.

The problem is, when displaying the results, the length of questions is invariably larger than visualisations allow for both in axis display and legend. The questions get truncated so it is hard to tell what the question is and looks awful for anybody using the published report:

I've tried changing font sizes, and for bar charts adjusting the y-axis width.  With no word-wrap available on axis or legends questions are still being truncated.

Has anybody come up with a display solution for reports like this?

[v-hashadapu]

Hi @Fusilier2 , hope you are doing great. May we know if your issue is solved or if you are still experiencing difficulties. Please share the details as it will help the community, especially others with similar issues.

[v-hashadapu]

Hi @Fusilier2 , Hope you're doing okay! May we know if it worked for you, or are you still experiencing difficulties? Let us know — your feedback can really help others in the same situation.

[v-hashadapu]

Hi @Fusilier2 , Thank you for reaching out to the Microsoft Community Forum.

We find the answer shared by @danextian  is appropriate. Can you please confirm if the solution worked for you. It will help others with similar issues find the answer easily.
Thank you.

[Fusilier2]

Thank you for your responses. I will have a look at the suggestions.

This does seem to be a major failing of Power BI.

[danextian · Accepted solution]

Hi  @Fusilier2

This is a roundabout way to show the legends but this does work

• disable the legend in the original visual
• create a measure that generates an SVG and use that as conditional formatting icon.
  • Circle Icon =

    VAR _Question = SELECTEDVALUE('Surve'[Question])

    VAR _radius  = 5

    VAR Color =

        SWITCH(

            _Question,

            "How satisfied are you with our service?", "%23118dff",     -- #118dff

            "What can we improve?", "%2312239d",                        -- #12239d

            "Would you recommend us to others?", "%23e56c37",           -- #e56c37

            "%23cccccc"                                                 -- fallback

        )

    VAR SVG =

        "<svg xmlns='http://www.w3.org/2000/svg' width='20' height='20'>" &

            "<circle cx='10' cy='10' r='" & _radius & "' fill='" & Color & "' />" &

        "</svg>"

    RETURN

        "data&colon;image/svg+xml;utf8," & SVG

    
    

Please see the attached pbix.

[burakkaragoz]

Hi @Fusilier2 ,

Yeah, this is a common pain point when working with long survey questions in Power BI visuals — especially when there's no word wrap on axis labels or legends.

Here are a few ideas that might help:

1. Use a Tooltip Table or Matrix

Instead of showing full questions on the axis, use short codes or Q1, Q2, etc., and then add a tooltip page or a hover-over matrix that shows the full question text when users hover over the visual. Cleaner and more scalable.

2. Switch to a Matrix Visual

If you're showing responses per question, a matrix lets you display full question text in rows with better control over column width and wrapping.

3. Use a Custom Visual

Some visuals from AppSource (like Bullet Chart, Text Enhancer, or Deneb) offer better text handling and wrapping options. Worth exploring if you're okay with using certified custom visuals.

4. Rotate Axis Labels

If you're using a bar chart with long x-axis labels, try rotating them to 45° or 90° — not ideal, but sometimes helps avoid truncation.

5. Use a Slicer to Select One Question at a Time

Instead of showing all questions at once, let users pick one from a slicer and show the result in a focused visual. This also helps with readability.

Let me know which direction you're leaning — happy to help mock something up.

If my response resolved your query, kindly mark it as the Accepted Solution to assist others. Additionally, I would be grateful for a 'Kudos' if you found my response helpful.

Translation and text formatting supported by AI assistance

[Direct]

Hi @Fusilier2 

Based on my experience, here are some approaches I would try depending on user requirements (how they want to see the data).

1. Use short codes: Make short codes or labels for each question (like Q1, Q2, Q3). Show these on the legend to keep it tidy. Add full question text in a tooltip so people can hover and read it.

2. Add a table as a legend: Put a table or matrix next to your chart that lists each code and its full question text. This acts like a clear legend for your viewers.

3. Use a slicer for one question at a time: Add a slicer so users can pick one question. Then show a big, clear chart for just that question, with the full text shown above the chart.

4. Create a separate “Details” page: Make one page for overall results, and separate detail pages for each question. On each detail page, show the full question at the top and a chart below.