Visuals not updating with new data

[bobbob123]

Hi,

I have a very simple table (see below) on an excel sheet.

Product Type	Product Quantity
A	12
B	16
C	19

I have created my visuals based on that excel sheet.
Now when I add another Product Type and Product Quantity on my excel sheet, then i head over to POWER BI (.pbix) file, I notice that power query has loaded the data but my visuals fail to update with the new data.

I don't know why my visuals are failing to load, i have tried to clear the cache but nothing seems to be updating. I notice that if I start a new page on my exisiting report and create a new visual, the data shows up. I don't want to create new visuals as it will be time consuming. Is there any workaround with this issue as this is the first I've encountered this issue. 

[Syndicate_Admin]

I am suffering from a very similar problem, if not the same.
In my case, I have a table created in Power Query, which pulls the current date using DateTime.LocalNow(). I use this in a visual in the report to show the last update date.

This solution has been in operation for months and has never had any errors.

After a series of tests, update the data of the semantic model either from power query, Pipeline (fabric), power BI Service (manual or scheduled update). It doesn't update the visual. Even so, I have verified that the semantic model is indeed updated.

I have done numerous tests and it seems to be a cache issue, but the common solutions to delete the cache do not work. On the other hand, the "Apply" or "Close and Apply" option in the power query to make changes to the report does not run unless you generate a new query.

I am convinced that it is a problem in the interaction of the Semantic Model and the Report.

Please comment.

[DataNinja777]

Hi @bobbob123 ,

Your visuals not updating despite Power Query loading the data suggests a few possible causes. First, ensure that you've clicked "Refresh" in the Power BI report view, not just in Power Query, and try selecting "Refresh All" from the Home tab. If the issue persists, check for any filters or slicers that might be preventing the new data from appearing—clearing all report-level, page-level, and visual-level filters could help. Another possible issue is hidden auto-generated relationships that might be filtering out your new data, which you can check in the Model View. Also, ensure that the new data in Excel maintains the same formatting as the existing data, as formatting mismatches can sometimes cause visuals to ignore updates.

It’s also possible that the report view is caching an old version of the data. Pressing Ctrl + F5 or going to Options > Global > Data Load to clear the cache may resolve the issue. Additionally, check the Edit Interactions settings, as certain interactions between visuals might be filtering out the new data. If the table structure has changed in any way, such as column headers being modified or new columns added, some visuals may lose field references. In this case, try re-selecting the fields in the visuals to ensure they are mapped correctly. If your data is in Import Mode, go to Transform Data and select Close & Apply to fully refresh the model. If you are using DirectQuery, check for any connectivity issues.

Since creating a new visual on a different page seems to display the data correctly, the issue might be page-specific. You can try duplicating the affected page and see if the visuals update properly. As a final step, copying the affected visuals onto a new page and checking if they refresh correctly could confirm whether the problem is related to that particular page’s filters or cache. If none of these solutions work, the issue may require further investigation, such as checking for dataset corruption or recreating the visuals. Let me know if any of these solutions work!

Best regards,

[bobbob123]

Sadly i've tried all that, in the past I've had no issues with updating my simple table. As this is only 1 table with no relationships im just suprised why it just won't update.  I don't have any filters on any pages or all pages. I only have visuals on one report that references the same table.

When i create a new report and drag and drop the columns, i see the new data but when I refresh from power query or power bi it just won't update. 

[DataNinja777 · Accepted solution]

Hi @bobbob123 ,

I’ve experienced a similar issue before, not just in Power BI but also with an Excel Power Pivot linked table, where the refresh wouldn’t work no matter what I tried. In that case, I eventually realized that the connection between the linked table and the data model had been lost, and I had to remove the table and re-add it to the model to restore the link. Given that experience, I suspect something similar might be happening in Power BI.

Since Power Query is loading the data but the visuals aren’t updating, it’s possible that the connection between the table and the report visuals is broken. You could try removing the table from Power Query and re-importing it from Excel, then applying the changes again. If that doesn’t work, duplicating the query with a new name and pointing the visuals to the new table might force Power BI to recognize the updated data. Another workaround is to copy the existing visuals to a new page or create a duplicate of the report page to see if they update there. If a new report works fine but the existing one doesn't, it could indicate an issue with cached metadata in the .pbix file. If all else fails, exporting the data, creating a fresh Power BI file, and re-importing everything might be the best way to resolve it.

Best regards,

[bobbob123]

I think this approach seems to work, duplicate the table from power query and then duplicate the report page and then reassign the column for each values seems to update the new data.