How to Export Chart Data from Power BI to Excel?

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Question

I created several visualizations in my Power BI sales dashboard, but my team needs to perform additional analysis in Excel. Is there a way to export the data from specific charts to Excel while maintaining the filtered view that’s shown in the visualization?

Overview

Power BI offers multiple ways to export visualization data to Excel, enabling deeper analysis and sharing with team members who primarily use Excel. Similar to how you can extract a list of records in Power BI, exporting chart data is quite straightforward, the challenge is to keep as much of your reporting task in Power BI, rather than uses to fiddle with Excel.

Data Model Setup

We’ll use a SalesData table containing OrderID (Text), ProductName (Text), SalesDate (Date), Quantity (Whole Number), UnitPrice (Decimal Number), and TotalAmount (Decimal Number) fields to demonstrate the export functionality.

Step-by-Step Export Process

Here’s a basic diagram of our workflow:

Method 1: Direct Visual Export

  1. Right-click on your visualization
  2. Select “Export data”
  3. Choose between two options:
   - Summarized data: Exports aggregated data as shown in the visual
   - Underlying data: Exports raw data used to create the visual
  1. Click “Export” to save the Excel file

Method 2: Export from Visual Data View

  1. Click the “More options” (…) in the visual’s top-right corner
  2. Select “Show as a table”
  3. Click “More options” again
  4. Choose “Export data”
  5. Select your preferred format:
   - .xlsx for Excel workbook
   - .csv for comma-separated values

Method 3: Export Using DAX Query

For more control over exported data, you can create a measure that will :

Filtered Export = 
CONCATENATEX(
    FILTER(SalesData,
        SalesData[TotalAmount] > 1000
    ),
    SalesData[OrderID] & "," & 
    SalesData[ProductName] & "," &
    FORMAT(SalesData[SalesDate], "mm/dd/yyyy") & "," &
    FORMAT(SalesData[TotalAmount], "#,##0.00"),
    UNICHAR(13) & UNICHAR(10)
)

Common Issues and Solutions

  1. Export Button Not Visible
  • Ensure you have the latest Power BI Desktop version
  • Check if the visual type supports data export
  • Verify you have export permissions
  1. Data Limit Exceeded
  • Break down the export into smaller chunks using filters
  • Use DirectQuery mode for large datasets
  • Export underlying data in batches
  1. Formatting Issues
  • Export as .xlsx instead of .csv for complex formatting
  • Use DAX measures to control number and date formats
  • Apply Excel formatting after export

For more advanced requirements, you might want to learn how to export a matrix or table from Power BI to Excel, which offers additional formatting options.

Exporting Charts as Images

In addition to exporting data, Power BI allows you to export visualizations such as scatter, column, pie, doughnut and others as static images, which is particularly useful for presentations or documentation.

Steps to Export a PowerBi chart as Image:

  1. Click on the visualization you want to export
  2. Select the “More options” (…) menu in the top-right corner
  3. Choose “Export as image”
  4. Select your preferred options:
   - Image format (PNG/JPG)
   - Resolution (Standard/High)
   - Include background (Yes/No)
  1. Click “Export” to save the image file

Best Practices for Image Export:

  • Use high resolution for presentation materials
  • Consider removing the background for transparent PNG files
  • Ensure all visual elements are visible before export
  • Verify that filters and slicers are set correctly
  • Check the exported image for text legibility