Real-Time Preview

See your theme changes instantly in a live Power BI report.

Overview

The real-time preview feature eliminates the traditional export-import cycle when designing Power BI themes. As you make changes to colors, fonts, or visual properties, the embedded Power BI report updates instantly to show exactly how your theme will look in production.

This immediate feedback loop dramatically speeds up the design process and helps you make better decisions about your theme's visual hierarchy and consistency.

Using the Preview

The preview panel appears on the left side of the Theme Studio interface. It contains a fully interactive Power BI report with sample data that represents common visualization scenarios. You can interact with the report just like in Power BI - hover over data points, click to filter, and navigate between pages.

The preview automatically refreshes when you save changes. For performance, minor adjustments like color tweaks update immediately, while structural changes may take a moment to process. The refresh indicator shows when updates are being applied.

Preview Options

You can customize the preview to match your testing needs. Switch between different sample reports to see how your theme works with various visual types. Toggle between light and dark modes if your theme supports both. Use the fullscreen mode for detailed inspection or presentation to stakeholders.

For teams working on specific report types, you can upload your own PBIX file to use as the preview template. This ensures your theme is optimized for your actual use cases rather than generic samples.

Next: Import & Export

Learn how to import existing themes and export your creations.

Continue to Import & Export →