Does Exporting Data Consume Capacity Units?

[philnotts]

Hi, 

Does anyone know whether exporting data from Power BI visualisation consumes additional Fabric Capacity Units  to the amount of CU used to render the report visuals? We are trying to understand whether exporting could be a major contributor to high capacity consumption. 

[jaineshp · Accepted solution]

Hey @philnotts,

Yes, exporting data from Power BI visuals does consume additional Fabric Capacity Units because it often triggers new queries to fetch the full dataset, not just what's rendered in the visual. This can contribute noticeably to overall capacity usage, especially with large or frequent exports.

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Best Regards,
Jainesh Poojara | Power BI Developer

[v-tsaipranay]

Hi @philnotts ,

I wanted to follow up on our previous suggestions. We would like to hear back from you to ensure we can assist you further.

Thank you.

[v-tsaipranay · Accepted solution]

Hi @philnotts ,

Thank you for reaching out to the Microsoft Fabric Community.

As @jaineshp  mentioned, exporting data from Power BI visuals uses additional Fabric Capacity Units (CUs). This happens because the export process usually runs new backend queries to get the full dataset, not just the summarized data shown in the visual.

These queries need more compute resources like CPU and memory, increasing CU consumption. Also, exporting can bypass visual-level filters or limits, such as Top N, which may lead to larger data exports. Frequent exports or those involving large datasets can have a significant effect on overall capacity usage.

To track this, you can check the Capacity Metrics app or review activity logs for export-related loads. In short, exports do use extra CUs and can impact capacity usage, especially in high-demand situations.

Hope this helps. Please reach out for further assistance.

Thank you.

[jaineshp · Accepted solution]

Hey @philnotts,

Yes, exporting data from Power BI visuals does consume additional Fabric Capacity Units because it often triggers new queries to fetch the full dataset, not just what's rendered in the visual. This can contribute noticeably to overall capacity usage, especially with large or frequent exports.

Fixed? ✓ Mark it • Share it • Help others!

Best Regards,
Jainesh Poojara | Power BI Developer