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2. Installation and Interface Tour

2.6 Power BI File Types

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Quick answer: the short, self-contained version of this lesson is the guide Power BI File Types: PBIX, PBIT and PBIDS.

Start with a problem

Salman e-mailed his .pbix to a trainee to share the design. The file contained all the customer data.

Explain simply

.pbix = queries + model + data + report. .pbit = template, no data. .pbip = project saved as text folders for Git. .pbids = a data-source shortcut that opens Desktop with a connection.

Show the data

Need File type
Share the design without data ?
Work with Git and see changes line by line ?
Your normal working file ?
Give colleagues a ready connection to a source ?

About this data: This table uses columns: Need, File type. This table uses columns: CitySales.pbix. This table uses columns: CitySales.pbit. Values shown are the lesson examples already on this page (not a new dataset).

Fictional sample data. Practice file: visuals_orders_apr_may_2026.csv (source: src/practice/).

Demonstrate

  1. Build the report from the practice CSV and save CitySales.pbix.

    Your result should look like this:

    CitySales.pbix
    Contains 8 rows of data

  2. File › Export › Power BI template › save CitySales.pbit.

    Your result should look like this:

    CitySales.pbit
    No rows; asks for the source when opened

  3. File › Save as › Power BI project (.pbip).

    Your result should look like this:

    Folder
    CitySales.pbip + CitySales.Report/ + CitySales.SemanticModel/

  4. Open the .pbit: Power BI asks for parameters or the source and loads fresh data.

Show the result

Your result should look like this (fictional sample):

Need File type
Share the design without data .pbit
Work with Git .pbip
Normal working file .pbix
Ready connection to a source .pbids

Explain what happened

Only .pbix (Import mode) carries data inside the file. The template and project formats separate design from data.

Explore further

  • Publishing to the Service and sharing an app avoids sending files at all.

Detailed reference for this lesson:

Extension What it is
.pbix Standard Power BI Desktop file – contains queries, model, data (for Import mode) and report
.pbit Power BI template – same as pbix but without data; asks for parameters when opened
.pbip Power BI Project – saves the report and model as folders of text files, good for source control (Git)
.pbids Data source file – opens Desktop with a pre-defined connection

Try it yourself

Open Power BI Desktop, click Home › Enter data, type a small table of three products with prices, and load it. Now switch between Report, Table and Model views and find the new table in each. Drag the Price column onto the canvas and see which visual Power BI chooses.

Ravindra Bagale's Tip

Friends, many students send a .pbix to a colleague when they only meant to share the design, and the file contains all the customer data. Use .pbit (template) to share structure without data, and publish to the Service to share reports securely instead of e-mailing files. Don't make this mistake!

Fix common mistakes

Wrong result Reason Correction
Customer data leaked by e-mail Sent .pbix to share the design Send .pbit or share via the Service
Git shows one huge binary change Committed .pbix Use .pbip
Template opens empty and stays empty Source path not available to the receiver Use parameters with clear descriptions

Practise independently

Practice task

Do the Enter data exercise: type Milk ₹30, Ladi Pav ₹40, Thick Poha ₹70, load it, and drag Price to a card. What does the card show, and which file type would you send to a classmate to share only the design?

Hints
  • Sum of three prices.
Solution

Card: ₹140 (30 + 40 + 70). Send a .pbit (no data).

Think like a professional

Treat a .pbix like a data file under your company's data rules, not like a design document.

Ravi Sir's Cards for this lesson

Power BI file types: PBIX, PBIT, PBIP. Sending a .pbix can send all the data too. You must pick the right file type.Revision cardWhat is the difference between a .pbix and a .pbit file? A .pbix holds queries, model, report and the imported data. A .pbit template holds the same design but no data. It loads fresh data when openedInterview card.pbix vs .pbit file. Both are Power BI Desktop files. .pbix is the normal report file. .pbit is a template.Comparison card

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