Data
Plugin
pbi-cli
Power BI CLI - semantic models (.NET TOM) and PBIR reports for token-efficient AI agent usage, built for Claude Code
Plugin Signal75/100Solid
maintained100
capable55
documented75
adopted56
Install
$ npx -y skills add MinaSaad1/pbi-cli --agent claude-code
Run the curl in your terminal, the rest in Claude Code.
Stats
438
Stars
113
Forks
Active
Maintenance
Python
Language
MIT
License
19h ago
Last commit
4mo ago
Created
Repo: MinaSaad1/pbi-cli
What's inside
Skills
13/power-bi-custom-visualsVibe-code Power BI custom visuals end-to-end: scaffold a TypeScript project, iterate on src/visual.ts and capabilities.json, validate with the Power BI Visuals SDK toolchain, package to .pbiviz, and import into a PBIR report. Invoke this skill whenever the user mentions "custom/power-bi-daxWrite, execute, and optimize DAX queries and measures for Power BI semantic models using pbi-cli. Invoke this skill whenever the user mentions DAX, queries data in Power BI, writes calculations, creates measures, asks about EVALUATE, SUMMARIZECOLUMNS, CALCULATE, time/power-bi-deploymentImport and export TMDL/TMSL formats, manage model lifecycle with transactions, and version-control Power BI semantic models using pbi-cli. Invoke this skill whenever the user mentions "deploy", "export", "import", "TMDL", "TMSL", "version control", "git", "backup", "migrate",/power-bi-diagnosticsTroubleshoot Power BI model performance, trace query execution, manage caches, and verify the pbi-cli environment using pbi-cli. Invoke this skill whenever the user says "pbi not working", "setup issues", "connection failed", "slow query", "performance", "profiling", "tracing",/power-bi-docsAuto-document Power BI semantic models by extracting metadata, generating documentation, and cataloging all model objects using pbi-cli. Invoke this skill whenever the user says "document this model", "what's in this model", "list everything", "data dictionary", "model/power-bi-filtersAdd, remove, and manage page-level and visual-level filters on Power BI PBIR reports using pbi-cli. Invoke this skill whenever the user mentions "filter", "TopN filter", "top 10", "bottom 5", "relative date filter", "last 30 days", "categorical filter", "include values",
Show all 13 skillsShow fewer
/power-bi-modelingCreate and manage Power BI semantic model structure using pbi-cli -- tables, columns, measures, relationships, hierarchies, calculation groups, and date/calendar tables. Invoke this skill whenever the user says "create table", "add measure", "add column", "create relationship",/power-bi-pagesManage Power BI report pages and bookmarks -- add, remove, configure, and lay out pages in PBIR reports using pbi-cli. Invoke this skill whenever the user mentions "add page", "new page", "delete page", "page layout", "page size", "page background", "hide page", "show page",/power-bi-partitionsManage Power BI table partitions, named expressions (M/Power Query data sources), and calendar table configuration using pbi-cli. Invoke this skill whenever the user mentions "partitions", "data sources", "M expressions", "Power Query", "incremental refresh", "named/power-bi-reportScaffold, validate, preview, and manage Power BI PBIR report projects using pbi-cli. Invoke this skill whenever the user mentions "create report", "new report", "PBIR", "scaffold", "validate report", "report structure", "preview report", "report info", "reload Desktop", "convert/power-bi-securityConfigure row-level security (RLS) roles, object-level security, and perspectives for Power BI semantic models using pbi-cli. Invoke this skill whenever the user mentions "security", "RLS", "row-level security", "access control", "data restrictions", "who can see", "filter by/power-bi-themesApply, inspect, and compare Power BI report themes and conditional formatting rules using pbi-cli. Invoke this skill whenever the user mentions "theme", "colours", "colors", "branding", "dark mode", "corporate theme", "styling", "conditional formatting", "colour scale",/power-bi-visualsAdd, configure, bind data to, and bulk-manage visuals on Power BI PBIR report pages using pbi-cli. Invoke this skill whenever the user mentions "add a chart", "bar chart", "line chart", "card", "KPI", "gauge", "scatter", "table visual", "matrix", "slicer", "combo chart", "bind
Badges
1
README
1Why pbi-cli?
Get Started
pipx install pbi-cli-tool # 1. Install (handles PATH automatically)
pbi-cli skills install # 2. Register Claude Code skills (one-time setup)
pbi connect # 3. Connect to Power BI Desktop
Open Power BI Desktop with a .pbix file, run the three commands above, and start asking Claude.
Requires: Windows with Python 3.10+ and Power BI Desktop running.
Install and set up pbi-cli from https://github.com/MinaSaad1/pbi-cli.git
Claude will clone, install, connect, and set up skills automatically.
pip install pbi-cli-tool
On Windows, pip install often places the pbi command in a directory that isn't on your PATH.
Fix: Add the Scripts directory to PATH
python -c "import site; print(site.getusersitepackages().replace('site-packages','Scripts'))"
Add the printed path to your system PATH, then restart your terminal. We recommend pipx to avoid this entirely.
Semantic Model Layer
Ask Claude to work with your Power BI semantic model. Requires pbi connect.
Create measures in bulk
Debug broken DAX
Snapshot and restore your model
Audit your model for issues
Test row-level security
Report Layer
Ask Claude to build and manage your Power BI reports. No connection needed -- works directly on PBIR files.
Build a report in 6 steps
Visuals, pages, themes, filters
32 visual types
Architecture
Two layers, one CLI:
- Semantic Model layer -- Direct in-process .NET interop from Python to Power BI Desktop via TOM/ADOMD. No MCP server, no external binaries, sub-second execution.
- Report layer -- Reads and writes PBIR (Enhanced Report Format) JSON files directly. No connection needed. Works with
.pbipprojects.
Desktop Auto-Sync
All config lives in ~/.pbi-cli/:
~/.pbi-cli/
config.json # Default connection preference
connections.json # Named connections
repl_history # REPL command history
Bundled DLLs ship inside the Python package (pbi_cli/dlls/).
Skills
After running pbi-cli skills install, Claude Code discovers 13 Power BI skills. Each skill teaches Claude a different area. You don't need to memorize commands.
Semantic Model Skills (require pbi connect)
| Skill | What you say | What Claude does |
|---|---|---|
| DAX | "What are the top 10 products by revenue?" | Writes and executes DAX queries, validates syntax |
| Modeling | "Create a star schema with Sales and Calendar" | Creates tables, relationships, measures, hierarchies |
| Deployment | "Save a snapshot before I make changes" | Exports/imports TMDL, manages transactions, diffs snapshots |
| Security | "Set up RLS for regional managers" | Creates roles, filters, perspectives |
| Docs | "Document everything in this model" | Generates data dictionaries, measure inventories |
| Partitions | "Show me the M query for the Sales table" | Manages partitions, expressions, calendar config |
| Diagnostics | "Why is this query so slow?" | Traces queries, checks model health, benchmarks |
Report Layer Skills (no connection needed)
| Skill | What you say | What Claude does |
|---|---|---|
| Report | "Create a new report project for Sales" | Scaffolds PBIR reports, validates structure, previews layout |
| Visuals | "Add a bar chart showing revenue by region" | Adds, binds, updates, bulk-manages 32 visual types |
| Pages | "Add an Executive Overview page" | Manages pages, bookmarks, visibility, drillthrough |
| Themes | "Apply our corporate brand colours" | Applies themes, conditional formatting, colour scales |
| Filters | "Show only the top 10 products" | Adds page/visual filters (TopN, date, categorical) |
| Custom Visuals | "Build a radial gauge Power BI doesn't have" | Scaffolds a TypeScript visual project, iterates on tsc --noEmit, packages .pbiviz, imports into the report |
Custom Visual Authoring
The Custom Visuals skill turns vibe-coding into the Power BI Visuals SDK loop.
Claude scaffolds a sibling TypeScript project with npx pbiviz new, iterates against
the Power BI Visuals API with tsc --noEmit between every change, packages a
.pbiviz, and embeds it into your report:
# After installing the skill, just describe what you want in Claude Code:
# "Build me a radial gauge that highlights values above target"
#
# Under the hood, the skill drives:
npx --yes powerbi-visuals-tools@^5.6.0 new mygaugevisual
# (Claude edits src/visual.ts + capabilities.json, runs tsc --noEmit until clean)
npx --yes powerbi-visuals-tools@^5.6.0 package
pbi visual import-custom dist/mygaugevisual.1.0.5.pbiviz --replace
The skill auto-installs Node and pbiviz on first run (with your consent), pins
the SDK to a known-good version, keeps the TypeScript project as a sibling to your
.pbip (no PBIR contamination), and operates under a curated npm allowlist for
common deps (D3, Lodash, date-fns) -- anything off-list requires explicit approval.
Three new pbi-cli commands support the loop:
| Command | What it does |
|---|---|
pbi visual import-custom <pbiviz> | Embed a locally-built .pbiviz into the report's RegisteredResources/ and register it in report.json. --replace overwrites by GUID. |
pbi visual list-custom | List embedded and public (AppSource) custom visuals, distinguished by kind. |
pbi visual remove-custom <guid-or-name> | Deregister and physically delete the .pbiviz resource. |
All Commands
27 command groups covering both the semantic model and the report layer.
| Category | Commands |
|---|---|
| Queries | dax execute, dax validate, dax clear-cache |
| Model | table, column, measure, relationship, hierarchy, calc-group |
| Deploy | database export-tmdl, database import-tmdl, database export-tmsl, database diff-tmdl, transaction |
| Security | security-role, perspective |
| Connect | connect, disconnect, connections list, connections last |
| Data | partition, expression, calendar, advanced culture |
| Diagnostics | trace start/stop/fetch/export, model stats |
| Report | report create, report info, report validate, report preview, report reload |
| Pages | report add-page, report delete-page, report get-page, report set-background, report set-visibility |
| Visuals | visual add/get/list/update/delete, visual bind, visual bulk-bind/bulk-update/bulk-delete, visual where |
| Filters | filters list, filters add-categorical/add-topn/add-relative-date, filters remove/clear |
| Formatting | format get/clear, format background-gradient/background-conditional/background-measure |
| Bookmarks | bookmarks list/get/add/delete/set-visibility |
| Tools | setup, repl, skills install/list/uninstall |
Use --json for machine-readable output (for scripts and AI agents):
pbi --json measure list
pbi --json dax execute "EVALUATE Sales"
pbi --json visual list --page overview
Run pbi <command> --help for full options.
REPL Mode
For interactive work, the REPL keeps a persistent connection:
$ pbi repl
pbi> connect --data-source localhost:54321
Connected: localhost-54321
pbi(localhost-54321)> measure list
pbi(localhost-54321)> dax execute "EVALUATE TOPN(5, Sales)"
pbi(localhost-54321)> exit
Tab completion, command history, and a dynamic prompt showing your active connection.
Development
git clone https://github.com/MinaSaad1/pbi-cli.git
cd pbi-cli
pip install -e ".[dev]"
ruff check src/ tests/ # Lint
mypy src/ # Type check
pytest -m "not e2e" # Run tests (488 tests)
Bundled third-party software
pbi-cli-tool ships with Microsoft Analysis Services client library
assemblies (Microsoft.AnalysisServices.*.dll) under src/pbi_cli/dlls/.
These binaries are not covered by pbi-cli's MIT license. They are
redistributed unmodified under the Microsoft Software License Terms for
Microsoft Analysis Management Objects (AMO) and Microsoft Analysis
Services - ADOMD.NET. Full terms are in
THIRD_PARTY_LICENSES.md and the companion
NOTICE file. By installing pbi-cli-tool you agree to those
terms in addition to the MIT License that applies to the rest of the
package.
Contributing
Contributions are welcome! Please open an issue first to discuss what you'd like to change.
- Fork the repository
- Create a feature branch
- Make your changes with tests
- Open a pull request
File tree
190MinaSaad1/pbi-cliView on GitHub
.gitattributes
.github/
workflows/
ci.yml
custom-visual-smoke.yml
downloads-chart.yml
release.yml
.gitignore
assets/
architecture-flow.svg
auto-sync.svg
backup-restore.svg
banner.svg
before-after.svg
bulk-operations.svg
chat-demo-report.svg
chat-demo.svg
dax-debugging.svg
downloads-chart.svg
layers.svg
model-health-check.svg
report-layer.svg
report-workflow.svg
rls-testing.svg
skills-hub.svg
stats.svg
visual-types.svg
CHANGELOG.md
Claude_AI_symbol.svg
CONTRIBUTING.md
LICENSE
New_Power_BI_Logo.svg
NOTICE
pyproject.toml
README.md
README.pypi.md
scripts/
bake_headers.py
generate_downloads_chart.py
SECURITY.md
src/
pbi_cli/
__init__.py
__main__.py
commands/
__init__.py
_helpers.py
advanced.py
bookmarks.py
calc_group.py
calendar.py
column.py
connection.py
database.py
dax.py
expression.py
filters.py
format_cmd.py
hierarchy.py
measure.py
model.py
partition.py
perspective.py
relationship.py
repl_cmd.py
report.py
security.py
setup_cmd.py
skills_cmd.py
table.py
trace.py
transaction.py
visual.py
core/
__init__.py
adomd_backend.py
banner.py
bookmark_backend.py
bulk_backend.py
claude_integration.py
config.py
connection_store.py
custom_visual_backend.py
dotnet_loader.py
errors.py
filter_backend.py
format_backend.py
output.py
pbir_models.py
pbir_path.py
pbir_validators.py
report_backend.py
session.py
tmdl_diff.py
tom_backend.py
visual_backend.py
dlls/
__init__.py
Microsoft.AnalysisServices.AdomdClient.dll
Microsoft.AnalysisServices.Core.dll
Microsoft.AnalysisServices.dll
Microsoft.AnalysisServices.Tabular.dll
Microsoft.AnalysisServices.Tabular.Json.dll
pbi_cli.runtimeconfig.json
README.md
main_pbi_cli.py
main.py
preview/
__init__.py
renderer.py
server.py
watcher.py
skills/
__init__.py
power-bi-custom-visuals/
AGENTS-template.md
SKILL.md
power-bi-dax/
SKILL.md
power-bi-deployment/
SKILL.md
power-bi-diagnostics/
SKILL.md
power-bi-docs/
SKILL.md
power-bi-filters/
SKILL.md
power-bi-modeling/
SKILL.md
power-bi-pages/
SKILL.md
power-bi-partitions/
SKILL.md
power-bi-report/
SKILL.md
power-bi-security/
SKILL.md
power-bi-themes/
SKILL.md
power-bi-visuals/
SKILL.md
templates/
__init__.py
visuals/
__init__.py
actionButton.json
advancedSlicerVisual.json
areaChart.json
azureMap.json
barChart.json
card.json
cardNew.json
cardVisual.json
clusteredBarChart.json
clusteredColumnChart.json
columnChart.json
donutChart.json
funnelChart.json
gauge.json
image.json
kpi.json
lineChart.json
lineStackedColumnComboChart.json
listSlicer.json
multiRowCard.json
pageNavigator.json
pivotTable.json
ribbonChart.json
scatterChart.json
shape.json
slicer.json
stackedBarChart.json
tableEx.json
textbox.json
textSlicer.json
treemap.json
waterfallChart.json
utils/
__init__.py
desktop_sync.py
platform.py
repl.py
tests/
__init__.py
conftest.py
mocks/
__init__.py
test_bookmark_backend.py
test_bulk_backend.py
test_claude_md.py
test_commands/
__init__.py
test_connection.py
test_dax.py
test_measure.py
test_misc_commands.py
test_model.py
test_repl.py
test_setup.py
test_table.py
test_config.py
test_connection_store.py
test_custom_visual_backend.py
test_e2e.py
test_errors.py
test_filter_backend.py
test_format_backend.py
test_hardening.py
test_helpers.py
test_output.py
test_pbir_path.py
test_pbir_validators.py
test_platform.py
test_preview.py
test_report_backend.py
test_skill_triggering.py
test_tmdl_diff.py
test_visual_backend.py
test_visual_calc.py
THIRD_PARTY_LICENSES.mdFAQ
pbi-cli is a Claude Code plugin with 13 hand-picked skills for data work, indexed on Flowy. Install it with the command on its page. It includes power-bi-custom-visuals, power-bi-dax, power-bi-deployment. Its skills do not fire on their own yet. Request auto-invocation to have Flowy route them as you prompt. Free and open source.
- What is pbi-cli?
- Power BI CLI - semantic models (.NET TOM) and PBIR reports for token-efficient AI agent usage, built for Claude Code
- How do I install pbi-cli?
- Run these in Claude Code: npx -y skills add MinaSaad1/pbi-cli --agent claude-code. Then prompt normally.
- Does pbi-cli auto-invoke its skills?
- Not yet. It is indexed on Flowy as a plain plugin. Request auto-invocation on its page and Flowy will route its skills for you as you prompt.
- Is pbi-cli free?
- Yes. Flowy is free and open source, with nothing gated. You can read every skill in full before you install.