Automatically make a day report (PDF export) of all files in folder and all future files in folder

[MR_B]

Hi all!

As a fairly new user of Power BI I recently started to implement the application in my daily work. Currently I am trying to automatically generate day reports (PDF exports), however I can't seem to find a suitable example nor post covering my needs. What I'm trying to create is the following:

1. An indivual PDF export report of all (Excel)files in a folder, based on a template PBI report.
2. This folder currently contains about 50 Excel files, which consist of data for one day. The PDF export wil therefore be a dayreport. All files have the same format.
3. Every day a new Excel file is added to the folder, of which the data needs to be transformed into a new PDF export report.
4. Therefore two steps need to be done: 1) make a PDF export of all 50 files currently in the folder, 2) (preferably automatically) make a PDF export of all new files that will be added to the map in de future.

It would be great if someone could guide me in the right direction, or even show me an example.

[lbendlin]

You can export from Power BI to PDF via Power Automate but there is a limit on the number of exports you can do per day, and it is way lower than 50.

Can't you export your Excel files to PDF directly and cut out the Power BI middle man?

Once you produced your PDFs what will happen to them?  Is it maybe better to produce them only on request?

[MR_B]

Hi, Thank you for your reply. Let me try to phrase the question a little different.

I have made a report of one Excel file, which is based on data from the April 1st 2023. In this same folder I now have 10 new Excel files. These files have the same structure as the file used for the "template" report. 

How can I create a report (thus 11 Power BI reports) of all files in this map individually and automatically? I read that the maximum amount of Power Automate is about 8. However I am not in a hurry, thus it would be no problem for me that this automation task takes multiple days. Is it possible to automate this task such that the first 8 files are created on day 1 and the rest is automated on day 2.

[lbendlin · Accepted solution]

I still don't see what you need Power BI for.  But if you must - you can use report level filters and then render the PDFs manually from Power BI Desktop.  10 exports should take you less than an hour.   Ther may not be a need to automate this. 

[Anonymous]

Hi - I have a related question - I'm trying to export a line chart and table visual from one tab in a Power BI report.  When I use the Export --> PDF option, I basically get a screen shot of the whole tab, and I only get the few rows that are currently visible from the table visual (all data accessed via scrollbar is NOT provided in the PDF).  

Please tell me there is a fix for this?  I see this is easily done in Tableau, but I'm not seeing an easy one-to-one solution in Power BI.  Many Thanks!

[lbendlin]

• There is no fix for that on Power BI. Consider using paginated reports, or use less data.