KB0000010: Data Slicer Power BI date format based on regional settings

Product: Power BI visuals Related Product Version: all Last Updated: December 19, 2024

Data Slicer Power BI date format based on regional settings

In our Power BI custom visuals (Data Slicer, Flow, Gantt), the numeric and date/datetime formats are determined by the settings you configure for the field in Power BI. These formats may vary depending on your regional settings. In Power BI Desktop, there are two types of regional settings that influence formatting:

1. Current File Regional Settings: Locale for Import

This setting defines the locale used for data import and determines the format displayed in default Power BI visuals (e.g., tables).

2. Global Regional Settings: Application Language

This setting specifies the application’s language and impacts the format used in our custom visuals, such as Data Slicer, Flow, and Gantt.

Potential Format Discrepancies

Because default visuals and custom visuals rely on these two different settings in Power BI Desktop, the same field (e.g., a date) may appear in different formats within the same report. This discrepancy is noticeable with “Short Date” and “Long Date” formats.

How to Ensure Consistent Formatting

To avoid inconsistencies, ensure that both the Current File Regional Settings and Global Regional Settings are set to the same language.

Note for Power BI Service Users

This issue is specific to Power BI Desktop and does not occur in Power BI Service.