Small Multiples in Power BI New Card Visual: Full Guide

Question 1

Is the new card visual replacing the old one in Power BI?

Answer

No, not yet. The new card visual is a separate visual currently available under Preview Features. You can use it alongside the classic card visual, but only the new one supports small multiples.

Question 2

How do I enable the new card visual in Power BI?

Answer

Go to File > Options and settings > Options > Preview features, then check the box for New card visual. Restart Power BI after enabling it to see the new visual in your pane.

Question 3

Can I use small multiples in other visuals besides the card visual?

Answer

Yes, small multiples are available in some other visuals like bar and column charts. However, the functionality and formatting options vary by visual type. This blog focuses specifically on how it works within the new card visual.

Question 4

Why don’t I see the small multiples option in my card visual?

Answer

You’re likely using the classic card visual. Only the new card visual, available under preview, supports small multiples. Make sure the feature is enabled in your Options.

Question 5

Can I show more than one measure in each small multiple card?

Answer

Yes. The new card visual supports multiple measures. You can display values like Net Sales and Gross Profit together inside each repeated card.

Question 6

How does Power BI handle too many cards in small multiples?

Answer

You can choose how overflow is handled:

Continuous scroll allows users to scroll vertically or horizontally.
Pagination splits cards into pages with navigation buttons.

These settings help maintain a clean layout even when displaying a large number of categories.

Question 7

Can I customize the appearance of each card?

Answer

Yes. The new card visual supports:

Custom borders, including thickness and color
Background colors or even background images
Full control over font style, callout size, and label formatting
Rounded corners for a modern look

Question 8

What do small multiples mean in Power BI?

Answer

Small multiples in Power BI are a chart layout technique that repeats the same visualization across multiple panels, with each panel filtered to a different category or dimension value, making it easy to compare trends and patterns side by side. Instead of cramming multiple data series into a single chart, small multiples split the view into a grid of identical charts same axes, same scale, same visual type each showing one segment of your data. For example, a sales line chart broken out by region would display a separate panel for North, South, East, and West, letting you spot differences in seasonal trends without the visual noise of overlapping lines. Power BI introduced native small multiples support for several core visuals, including bar charts, line charts, and the newer card visual. The feature is particularly useful when comparing performance across product categories, geographic regions, business units, or time periods where relative patterns matter as much as absolute values. Because the axes stay consistent across all panels, comparisons remain fair and meaningful rather than distorted by individual scaling.

Question 9

How to display multiple values in one card in Power BI?

Answer

You can display multiple values in one card in Power BI by using the new Card (preview) visual, which supports multiple data fields in a single card container unlike the classic card visual that only shows one measure at a time. To set this up, add the new Card visual to your report canvas, then drag multiple measures or columns into the Fields well. Each value appears as a separate reference label within the same card, and you can configure the layout to show them stacked vertically or side by side. You can also use a reference label for each metric, giving each value its own title, font size, and formatting independent of the others. For more advanced scenarios, creating a calculated measure using CONCATENATEX or a combined DAX expression lets you merge multiple values into a single display field, though this reduces individual formatting control. The new Card visual also supports conditional formatting per value, so you can apply color rules to each metric separately based on thresholds. Pairing this with small multiples takes it further, letting you repeat the multi-value card across categories like region or product line for quick side-by-side comparison. If your goal is a dashboard-style summary, combining multiple measures in one card with well-labeled reference lines reduces visual clutter and gives stakeholders a compact, scannable view of key metrics without toggling between separate visuals.

Question 10

How to resize multiple visuals in Power BI?

Answer

To resize multiple visuals at once in Power BI, select all the visuals you want to resize by holding Ctrl and clicking each one, then drag a corner handle to resize them simultaneously. For more precise control, use the Format pane under General > Size and Position to enter exact width and height values in pixels. When multiple visuals are selected, any size value you type applies uniformly to all selected visuals, which saves significant time when building dashboards with repeated chart patterns. For small multiples specifically, resizing works differently since the individual cards within a small multiples layout are controlled by the container, not adjusted individually. You manage their appearance through the small multiples formatting options in the visual’s format panel, where you can set row and column counts to indirectly control how much space each card occupies within the parent visual boundary. The Align and Distribute options under the Format menu also help maintain consistent sizing and spacing across visuals on a report canvas, which is essential when building structured, grid-style layouts.

Question 11

How to display 0 instead of blank in Power BI card visual?

Answer

To display 0 instead of blank in a Power BI card visual, wrap your measure in a COALESCE or IF function to replace blank values with zero. The most reliable approach is using COALESCE in your DAX measure: Sales Amount = COALESCE([Your Measure], 0) Alternatively, use an IF with ISBLANK: Sales Amount = IF(ISBLANK([Your Measure]), 0, [Your Measure]) Both methods force the card visual to render a numeric zero rather than an empty field. This matters especially in small multiples layouts, where blank cards in a grid can create visual gaps that make comparisons harder to interpret. A consistent zero value keeps all card instances visible and aligned across categories. One additional option is using the Power BI measure syntax with a plus zero trick: Sales Amount = [Your Measure] + 0 This works in some scenarios but is less explicit than COALESCE, so the first two approaches are generally preferred for production reports. When building small multiples with the new card visual, applying COALESCE at the measure level rather than relying on visual-level formatting gives you cleaner control over how missing data appears across every card in the matrix.

Question 12

When to use small multiples?

Answer

Small multiples work best when you need to compare the same chart type across multiple categories, segments, or time periods without cluttering a single visual. Use them when your data has a categorical dimension like region, product line, or department and you want to see individual trends side by side rather than layered on top of each other. They are especially useful when a single chart becomes too crowded to read clearly. For example, if you have sales trends for 12 product categories on one line chart, the lines overlap and lose meaning. Small multiples split that into 12 clean panels, each sharing the same axis scale, so comparisons stay accurate and patterns become obvious at a glance. Consider small multiples when your audience needs to spot outliers across groups, track how individual segments behave differently over time, or identify which categories follow the overall trend and which deviate from it. They work well in executive dashboards, regional performance reports, and product-level analysis where quick visual scanning matters more than drilling into a single data point. Avoid them when you have too many categories beyond 20 or so panels, the individual charts shrink to the point of being unreadable. They also lose value if the differences between categories are minimal, since separate panels add visual complexity without revealing anything meaningful.

Question 13

How to multiply 2 values in Power BI?

Answer

To multiply two values in Power BI, create a calculated column or measure using the multiplication operator () in DAX. For example: Total Revenue = [Units Sold] [Price Per Unit]. You can do this in three ways depending on your use case. For a calculated column, go to the Modeling tab, select New Column, and write your DAX expression referencing two existing columns. For a measure, select New Measure and use the same operator, typically wrapping values in aggregation functions like SUM for example: Total Revenue = SUM(Sales[Units]) * SUM(Sales[Price]). For quick calculations without DAX, Power Query’s Add Column feature lets you multiply two columns directly during data transformation using a custom column formula. The key distinction is that calculated columns compute row by row and store results in the data model, while measures calculate dynamically based on the current filter context in your report. For large datasets, measures are generally more efficient since they don’t increase model size. When working with the small multiples feature in Power BI’s new card visual, using well-structured measures for your multiplied values ensures the calculations respond correctly as the visual filters across different category panels.

Question 14

How to multiselect in Power BI?

Answer

To multiselect in Power BI, hold Ctrl and click multiple data points, visuals, or fields simultaneously to select them together. For selecting data points within a visual, Ctrl+click lets you highlight multiple individual values across charts, tables, or cards useful when comparing non-contiguous segments. If you want to select a continuous range, Shift+click works in some visual types to select everything between two points. For cross-visual selection on a report canvas, Ctrl+click lets you select multiple visuals at once, which helps when you need to align, format, or move several visuals together. You can also draw a selection rectangle by clicking and dragging on an empty canvas area to grab multiple visuals in a region. In the context of small multiples, multiselect becomes particularly useful for cross-filtering clicking one panel while Ctrl+clicking another lets you compare how two category segments interact with the rest of your report. This behavior respects the filter interactions you have configured between visuals. For slicer multiselect, enable the Multi-select with CTRL option in the slicer’s formatting pane, or turn on the Select all toggle to allow users to pick multiple slicer values without holding Ctrl. Some slicers also support a dedicated multi-select mode that removes the need for keyboard shortcuts entirely, improving usability in embedded or touch-based environments.

Question 15

What are the 7 stages of data visualization?

Answer

The 7 stages of data visualization are data collection, data processing, data transformation, visual mapping, rendering, interaction, and insight communication. Here is how each stage works in practice. Data collection involves gathering raw data from relevant sources. Data processing cleans and validates that data to remove errors or inconsistencies. Data transformation structures the data into a format suitable for analysis, such as aggregations or calculated columns. Visual mapping assigns data values to visual properties like position, color, size, or shape. Rendering converts those mappings into actual charts, graphs, or visual outputs. Interaction allows users to explore the data dynamically through filters, drill-downs, or tooltips. Finally, insight communication presents findings in a way that supports clear decision-making. In Power BI specifically, these stages play out across the report-building workflow. Small multiples in the new Card visual, for example, compress several of these stages into a single visual element. You map a category field to the small multiples dimension, Power BI handles the rendering across multiple panels, and the viewer immediately extracts comparative insight without additional interaction. Kanerika’s work with Power BI reporting follows this same logic, designing visuals that move users efficiently from raw data to actionable insight rather than creating dashboards that require heavy interpretation. Understanding these stages helps you make deliberate design choices at each step rather than defaulting to whatever chart type feels familiar.

Question 16

What is a multi-row card visualization in Power BI?

Answer

A multi-row card visualization in Power BI is a display format that shows multiple data fields stacked vertically within a single card, allowing you to present several measures or values together in one compact visual. Unlike a single-card visual that displays one metric, the multi-row card groups related KPIs or data points in a list-style layout, making it easy to compare figures without switching between separate visuals. This format works well for dashboards where space is limited but you need to surface multiple metrics at once, such as total sales, units sold, and profit margin displayed together. Each row in the card shows a label alongside its corresponding value, giving viewers a clean, scannable summary of key data points. The new card visual in Power BI, which Microsoft introduced as an upgrade over the classic card and multi-row card, extends this concept further by supporting small multiples, conditional formatting, reference labels, and more flexible layout controls. Small multiples in the new card visual let you repeat the card layout across category segments, so instead of one card with aggregated totals, you get a grid of cards broken down by dimension, such as region or product category, within a single visual container. This combination of multi-row data display and small multiples functionality makes the new card visual a more powerful tool for exploratory reporting and executive-level dashboards.

Question 17

What are the 4 types of graphs?

Answer

The four main types of graphs are bar graphs, line graphs, pie charts, and scatter plots. Each serves a distinct analytical purpose depending on the data relationship you want to communicate. Bar graphs compare discrete categories side by side, making them ideal for ranking or volume comparisons. Line graphs show trends and changes over time, which is why they’re common in time-series analysis. Pie charts display part-to-whole relationships, showing how individual segments contribute to a total. Scatter plots reveal correlations or distributions between two continuous variables. In the context of Power BI’s small multiples feature, bar and line graphs are the most commonly used chart types because they scale cleanly across multiple panels without losing readability. When you apply small multiples to these graph types, each panel repeats the same chart structure for a different category or dimension, letting you spot patterns across segments without cluttering a single visual. Kanerika’s Power BI implementations frequently use small multiples with bar and line charts to give business stakeholders clear, side-by-side comparisons across regions, product lines, or time periods.

Question 18

What is the use of cards in Power BI?

Answer

Cards in Power BI display a single, prominent metric or KPI value on a report canvas, making them ideal for highlighting key numbers at a glance. They are one of the most commonly used visuals for executive dashboards and summary pages because they present critical data points like total revenue, customer count, or year-to-date growth without surrounding clutter. The primary use cases for cards include tracking performance against targets, surfacing real-time aggregated measures, and giving report viewers an immediate snapshot of business health before they dive into detailed charts. Cards respond to slicers and filters just like other visuals, so the displayed value updates dynamically based on user selections. The newer card visual in Power BI expands on this by supporting conditional formatting, reference labels, trend indicators, and richer layout options, making it far more flexible than the legacy card. When combined with small multiples, a single card visual can repeat across multiple dimension values, such as regions or product categories, letting analysts compare the same metric across segments in a compact, readable format. This turns a simple number display into a structured comparison tool without requiring separate visuals for each category. For teams building data-driven reporting solutions, understanding how to configure card visuals effectively is a foundational skill in Power BI report design.

Question 19

How to use multiple conditions in Power BI?

Answer

Multiple conditions in Power BI are handled through DAX logical functions like IF, IFS, SWITCH, AND, and OR, depending on how many conditions you need to evaluate. For two conditions, nested IF statements work: IF([Sales] > 1000 && [Region] = East, High East, Other). The && operator combines AND logic inline, while || handles OR logic. For three or more conditions, SWITCH(TRUE()) is cleaner and easier to maintain than deeply nested IFs. For example: SWITCH(TRUE(), [Sales] > 5000, Tier 1, [Sales] > 2000, Tier 2, [Sales] > 500, Tier 3, Tier 4) In the context of small multiples and the new Card visual, multiple conditions become useful when building dynamic titles, conditional formatting rules, or measures that change behavior based on slicer selections or filter context. You can use CALCULATE with multiple filter arguments to apply compound conditions to aggregations, such as CALCULATE(SUM(Sales[Amount]), Sales[Region]=East, Sales[Category]=Electronics). For visual-level conditional formatting across small multiples panels, a background color measure using SWITCH(TRUE()) lets each card respond differently based on its partition value combined with a performance threshold, making outliers immediately visible across the grid. Teams working on advanced Power BI reporting, including those using Kanerika’s data analytics services, typically standardize on SWITCH(TRUE()) for readability and easier debugging when condition logic grows complex.

Question 20

How to add multiple cards in Power BI?

Answer

To add multiple cards in Power BI, insert individual card visuals one at a time by selecting the Card visual from the Visualizations pane and assigning a different measure or field to each one. For a more structured layout, the new Card visual (introduced as an update to the classic card) supports multiple data fields within a single visual, reducing the need to stack separate cards manually. You can drag multiple measures into the Fields well of this updated card to display several KPIs in one container. To create a small multiples effect with cards, add your primary measure to the card visual, then drag a categorical field into the Small Multiples well. This automatically generates a grid of cards, each representing a different category, which is far more efficient than copying and positioning individual visuals across the canvas. For organizing multiple standalone cards, use the Selection pane to group them, or align them precisely with the Format menu’s alignment tools. If you need consistent formatting across cards, copy one formatted card and paste it, then swap out the measure field to save time on setup.

Question 21

Is Power BI a good career in 2026?

Answer

Power BI remains a strong career choice in 2026, with demand for data visualization and business intelligence professionals continuing to grow across industries. Microsoft’s consistent investment in Power BI’s feature set, including advanced AI capabilities, Copilot integration, and improved visuals like the new card visual with small multiples, keeps the platform highly relevant in enterprise environments. Organizations are increasingly relying on self-service BI tools to make faster decisions, and Power BI sits at the center of that shift. Professionals who understand not just basic reporting but advanced techniques, DAX, data modeling, and visual storytelling tend to command stronger salaries and more opportunities. The skillset also pairs well with adjacent roles in data engineering, analytics engineering, and business analysis, making it a versatile foundation rather than a narrow specialization. Certifications like the PL-300 still carry weight with hiring managers, especially when backed by practical project experience. Firms like Kanerika that deliver data analytics and BI solutions at scale consistently look for Power BI expertise, which reflects broader market demand. Whether you are aiming for an in-house analyst role or a consulting career, fluency in Power BI combined with knowledge of modern features and best practices gives you a competitive edge in the 2026 job market.

Question 22

What is the alternative to multi row card in Power BI?

Answer

The best alternative to the multi-row card in Power BI is the new Card (preview) visual, which supports small multiples, conditional formatting, and more flexible layout options than its predecessor. Beyond the new Card visual, you have several other alternatives depending on your use case. A table or matrix visual works well when you need to display multiple metrics across categories in a structured grid format. The KPI visual is a strong choice when you want to show a single measure against a target with trend context. For more creative layouts, you can use a combination of shapes, text boxes, and measures to build custom card-like displays within the report canvas. The small multiples feature in the new Card visual is particularly useful when replacing multi-row cards because it lets you repeat a card layout across dimension values like region, product, or team without stacking individual visuals manually. This reduces canvas clutter and keeps the report maintainable as data changes. If you need advanced card designs with icons, images, or HTML-based formatting, third-party visuals from AppSource like HTML Content or Card with States offer capabilities that native visuals currently lack. For teams building production-grade Power BI reports, evaluating which alternative fits your specific display requirement, whether summary metrics, comparisons, or trend monitoring, will give you better results than defaulting to any single visual type.

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