Ten tips for getting help with your Power BI questions
Do you ever get frustrated using Power BI or struggle because you can't get answers to your Power BI questions?
Here are 10 tips that Power BI experts (including people who work on the product at Microsoft) commonly follow to find answers to their Power BI questions.
Tip 1: Use a search engine
Experts who need answers for Power BI often use search. For example, to find a DAX formula for a common business calculation, use the internet to find solutions. Bookmark where you find the best answers, then create a folder for yourself for the tips and answers you find.
Tip 2: Check the Power BI documentation
The Power BI team is continually updating and improving the Power BI documentation. You can find great content, including recordings of webinars, white papers, tutorials, how-to articles, and links to blog posts of all the latest features.
Tip 3: Ask or search in the Power BI community
Ask questions and find answers in the Power BI community. BI experts around the world are active in the community and questions are answered quickly. Make sure to benefit from their knowledge by using this resource.
Tip 4: Check the service status and known issues
If you're having an issue with the service, it may be that the service itself is having issues. Check the Power BI and Fabric Support page for any reports.
It might be that you encountered a problem that is already known and is being actively worked on. Check the known issues report.
Tip 5: Read the Power BI blog for the latest news
The Power BI team explains all the new features in their regular Power BI blog posts. Find out what's new in everything from Power BI Desktop to the Power BI mobile apps. Make a habit of returning often to learn about the new features released each month. You never know when you'll benefit from that bit of information you noticed months ago.
Tip 6: Watch videos on YouTube
Do videos fit your learning style better? Power BI has two sets:
- To start, see Power BI home page on YouTube.
- Next, see a larger selection of videos Power BI Videos channel.
Tip 7: Attend training
The training options available are nearly endless, from in-person lab training to short videos.
You can find more options online, such as:
- edX.org offers free and paid courses, including certifications.
- LinkedIn Learning offers many Power BI courses including Power BI Essential Training.
- Look for in-person "Dashboard in a Day" training sessions.
Tip 8: Try Twitter
Lots of Power BI customers and experts are on Twitter. Ask your question in a tweet. Add the hashtags #PowerBI and #PowerBIHelp so the people who know see your tweet.
Tip 9: Join or create a Power BI user group
Join a Power BI user group and ask your group for help with answering your questions. Or you start your own user group and create a community of people who help each other out, focused on your needs: in your area, for your data, in your time zone.
Tip 10: Just try it
If all else fails, the final tip is to observe the system. Often, people ask what capabilities Power BI has. You can often answer this type of question by opening the Power BI service or Power BI Desktop, looking at the options in the user interface, and then trying to use them.
Try opening the Power BI service and navigating to Home. Scroll down for links to Getting Started resources.