Issue in bubble map

[mihir0030]

Dear Microsoft team,

In the bubble map visual for few users the location "France-34295" pincode is showing up under Florida,USA and for the other users it is showing up in France but in a wrong location.

How is this possible?

Regards
Mihir

[v-karpurapud]

Hi @mihir0030 

I wanted to check if you’ve had a chance to review the information provided. If you have any further questions, please let us know. Has your issue been resolved? If not, please share more details so we can assist you further.

Thank You.

[v-karpurapud]

Hi @mihir0030 

We have not yet heard back from you about whether our response addressed your query. If it did not, please share more details so we can assist you more effectively.

Thank You.

[Poojara_D12]

Hi @mihir0030 

The issue you're experiencing with the bubble map visual in Power BI—where the location "France-34295" appears under Florida, USA for some users and in the wrong location in France for others—is a common geocoding problem caused by ambiguous location data. Power BI relies on Bing Maps for geocoding, and when you provide a value like "34295" without enough geographic context, it may incorrectly interpret it as a U.S. ZIP code (in this case, Venice, Florida), rather than as part of a French postal code or region. This behavior can vary slightly between users due to differences in browser settings, region settings, or cached data, which is why the bubble appears differently across sessions or users.

To fix this, you need to disambiguate the location data. Instead of just using "France-34295", split the location into separate fields—such as City, Postal Code, and Country—and ensure the map visual uses a properly structured hierarchy or the "Country" and "Postal Code" fields with correct data categories assigned in Power BI (e.g., setting "Country" as “Country/Region”, and "Postal Code" as “Postal Code”). This helps Bing Maps resolve the location more accurately and consistently across all users.

[v-karpurapud]

Hi @mihir0030 
Thank you for contacting the Microsoft Fabric Community Forum.
 

The issue with the bubble map incorrectly placing "France-34295" under Florida, USA, or in an incorrect location in France, stems from geocoding inconsistencies due to ambiguous location formatting. Since "France-34295" is not a standard geolocation input and "34295" is also a ZIP code in Florida, geocoding services may misinterpret the location. This is especially likely if the mapping tool or geocoding API defaults to U.S. locations when country and postal code fields are not clearly defined.

To resolve this, it is recommended to separate location data into distinct fields, such as "Country" and "Postal Code," rather than combining them. This approach enables mapping tools to accurately identify and display the correct location. In platforms like Power BI or Tableau, assigning appropriate data categories to each column, such as designating one as "Country" and another as "Postal Code," will help ensure the tool interprets the data correctly.

Refer to the official documentation for more details:
Tips and Tricks for maps (including Bing Maps integration) - Power BI | Microsoft Learn

Regards,
Karpurapu D,
Microsoft Fabric Community Support Team.
 

[mihir0030]

Hi @v-karpurapud & @Poojara_D12

I tried the approach you had mentioned, but the bubble is still showing up in an incorrect place in France. It should show up in Montpellier but it is showing it in Le Champ Beaubois.

Kind Regards
Mihir 

[v-karpurapud]

Hi @mihir0030 

Thank you for the update. Since separating location data into fields like "Country" and "Postal Code" does not resolve the issue, this points to a deeper geocoding limitation. Bing Maps does not recognize "34295" as a valid postal code in France, so it tries to find the closest match, which can result in the bubble being placed incorrectly sometimes in Le Champ Beaubois, France, or even in Florida, USA, due to overlapping ZIP codes.

To address this, consider bypassing Bing’s text-based geocoding by using exact geographic coordinates. In Power BI, map "Latitude" and "Longitude" directly in the visual. It’s also helpful to keep a lookup table that connects codes to the correct city names, postal codes, and geographic coordinates. This approach helps ensure accurate and consistent location mapping for all users.

Regards,
Karpurapu D,
Microsoft Fabric Community Support Team.

[mihir0030]

Hi @v-karpurapud , we do not have latitude/longitude data in our semantic model.

[v-karpurapud]

Hi  @mihir0030 

The ongoing issue with the bubble map misplacement, even after separating the location fields, appears to stem from limitations within Bing Maps' geocoding engine, which is used by Power BI. The code "34295" is not identified as a valid French postal code, causing Bing Maps to assign it to approximate or incorrect locations, such as Le Champ Beaubois in France or even a site in Florida, USA, due to overlapping ZIP codes. This mapping behavior is determined by Bing’s geocoding logic and cannot be modified directly within Power BI.

We suggest submitting a support ticket to Microsoft for further investigation. Since the issue relates to Bing Maps’ handling of non-standard or ambiguous location codes, Microsoft Support may be able to recommend a more effective solution, such as custom geocoding options or backend adjustments.

You can submit a ticket through the Microsoft Power BI Support Portal:

How to create a Fabric and Power BI Support ticket - Power BI | Microsoft Learn

Regards,
Karpurapu D.

[v-karpurapud]

Hi @mihir0030 

We wanted to follow up and ask if you have submitted a support ticket. Could you let us know if the issue was resolved after creating the support case?


Thank You.