Icon Map Lite documentation

Icon Map Lite is a map visual for Power BI, for reports where a certified visual is a hard requirement. It draws your report data as circles, images, heatmaps, cells, 3D columns, lines and shapes over a world map that is built into the visual, and it makes no network requests. These pages show you how to build a map and explain every setting.

Can you use Icon Map Pro or Icon Map Slicer?

If your organization does not require a certified visual, use Icon Map Pro or Icon Map Slicer. They are the most capable mapping visuals for Power BI, with detailed basemaps for the whole planet and layers read from servers and links, which Lite cannot offer. Lite, Pro and Slicer sets out what Lite does not do.

An Icon Map Lite map of Europe with circles sized and colored by sales, city labels and a legend, over the built-in world map — Data layers over the built-in world map

Start here

How it worksThe built-in map, data layers and reference layers, and how each row of your data finds its layer. Build your first mapA step-by-step tutorial with sample data, from an empty visual to a map that filters the report. Choose a layer typeEvery layer type, what it shows and the fields it needs. Lite, Pro and SlicerWhat Lite is for, what it leaves out, and when to use Pro or Slicer instead.

Browse by topic

Get startedAdd the visual to a report, learn the concepts and build a first map. Data layersCircles, images, clusters, heatmaps, cells, 3D columns, lines, routes and shapes. Background map and viewThe built-in themes, custom basemaps, zoom, tilt, globe, light and sky. Reference layersUploaded files for context, and day and night shading. Labels, tooltips and legendLabel your data, choose what tooltips show and add a legend. Selection and filteringFilter the report from the map by click, lasso, radius or the map's location. Settings and referenceThe Format pane card by card, the field wells, conditional formatting and languages. LicensingThe per user license from Microsoft AppSource, the free trial, and what viewers without a license see. HelpTroubleshooting, support, security and release notes.

Where Icon Map Lite works

Icon Map Lite works in Power BI Desktop and the Power BI service. It does not support Power BI Report Server, Publish to web, Power BI Embedded or government clouds such as GCC. See Supported environments and privacy.

Versions and languages

Use the version menu at the top of any page to match the documentation to the version of Icon Map Lite in your report. The version number is shown on the page you see when the visual has no fields, and in Format pane > Icon Map Lite once it has data. What's new lists the main changes in each version.

Icon Map Lite is available in English, German, Spanish, French and Portuguese, and the place names on the built-in map follow the same language. See Languages.