Power BI Custom Visuals (pbiviz)

Build distributable Power BI developer visuals: TypeScript/D3 visuals packaged as a .pbiviz file, written against the powerbi-visuals-api and built with the pbiviz CLI (powerbi-visuals-tools). This skill covers the full loop: scaffold, develop, live-preview, package, certify, and publish.

Pick the right tool first

This plugin holds five visual approaches. Choose before building:

deneb-visuals:    no-code Vega / Vega-Lite specs inside a report; no packaging, no TypeScript
python-visuals:   matplotlib / seaborn script visuals (static image, computes at render)
r-visuals:        ggplot2 script visuals (static image); R's stats ecosystem
svg-visuals:      SVG drawn by a DAX measure (ImageUrl); inline in tables/cards, no visual sandbox
powerbi-custom-visuals (this skill): a real .pbiviz developer visual, reusable across
                  reports and shareable on AppSource; full interactivity, formatting pane, certification

Reach for this skill when the need is a reusable, interactive, distributable visual with its own formatting pane. For a one-off chart in a single report, a sibling skill is usually faster and lighter.

Prerequisites

• Node.js 20.19 or later (the powerbi-visuals-tools engine minimum)
• pbiviz CLI: run via npx -y powerbi-visuals-tools <command>, or install it globally
• Developer mode for live preview: enable the developer visual in Power BI Desktop, or turn on developer mode in the Power BI service

Core workflow

1. Scaffold: pbiviz new <VisualName> creates the project (src/visual.ts, capabilities.json, pbiviz.json, tsconfig.json, package.json, style/, assets/)
2. Implement the visual class in src/visual.ts. Implement the IVisual interface; the class name must equal visualClassName in pbiviz.json. Core methods: constructor (set up DOM and services), update (render on data/size/settings change), getFormattingModel (populate the format pane), destroy (cleanup)
3. Declare data and formatting in capabilities.json: dataRoles (the field wells), dataViewMappings (how roles map to the dataView), and objects (format-pane properties)
4. Build the formatting model with powerbi-visuals-utils-formattingmodel (FormattingSettingsService, cards, slices). A card name matches a capabilities.json object; a slice name matches a property
5. Live-preview: pbiviz start, then add the developer visual to a report and iterate against real data
6. Package: pbiviz package produces the .pbiviz under dist/; import it into a report

Full command flags, the project layout, the IVisual lifecycle, and formatting-model patterns are in references/pbiviz-toolchain.md.

Use the bundled pbiviz MCP server

This plugin ships a .mcp.json that starts the pbiviz MCP server (npx -y powerbi-visuals-tools mcp). It grounds development in current, correct API usage instead of guessed code. Prefer its tools while building:

get_available_apis:    look up data, formatting, interaction, and utility APIs with examples
get_best_practices:    API-version management, performance, security, accessibility, testing
add_feature:           list features available to add (bookmarks, tooltips, drill-down, selection, localization)
implement_feature:     step-by-step instructions, code templates, and config changes for a feature
list_visual_info:      extract a project's GUID, version, author, data roles, dependencies
check_vulnerabilities: scan dependencies and source for risky patterns (eval, innerHTML)
prepare_certification: verify required files, configuration, capabilities, and assets pre-submission

Setup, client config, and per-tool detail are in references/mcp-server.md.

Certify and publish

Certification unlocks export to PowerPoint and email subscriptions, and signals a reviewed visual. Key gates: a lowercase certification branch matching the package, eslint-plugin-powerbi-visuals passing, no eval/fetch/XMLHttpRequest, a clean npm audit, and the latest API. Audit with pbiviz package --certification-audit. Publishing goes through Partner Center to AppSource. R-based visuals cannot be certified.

Requirements and the submission flow are in references/certification-publishing.md.

Learn from shipped visuals

Microsoft publishes the full source of official and certified visuals. Start from the tutorials (circlecard, sampleBarChart) and read a production visual close to the target (gantt, sankey, sunburst, timeline, ChicletSlicer) for real patterns. A curated list with what each one teaches is in references/community-examples.md.

Additional resources

Reference files

• references/pbiviz-toolchain.md ... CLI commands, project structure, IVisual lifecycle, capabilities.json, formatting model, key npm packages
• references/mcp-server.md ... the bundled pbiviz MCP: setup and its tools
• references/certification-publishing.md ... certification requirements and AppSource publishing
• references/community-examples.md ... official and certified example visuals worth reading

Examples

• examples/vscode-mcp.json ... standalone .vscode/mcp.json for a visual project outside this plugin
• examples/capabilities-objects.json ... a capabilities.json objects block wired to a formatting card