Do I need Premium capacity to use Copilot?

Yes, Power BI Copilot requires either a Fabric capacity (any size) or Power BI Premium (P1 or higher) capacity. Power BI Pro licenses alone are not sufficient. Additionally, your workspace must be assigned to a Copilot-enabled capacity and the tenant admin must enable Copilot for your organization.

Can Copilot access data I have hidden in Power BI?

Hidden columns are not a security mechanism—Copilot can potentially access them. You must use Row-Level Security (RLS) and Object-Level Security (OLS) to properly restrict access to sensitive data. Always test Copilot responses while impersonating different security roles to verify your security model works correctly.

How do I optimize my semantic model for better Copilot accuracy?

Focus on three areas: 1) Simplify your data model using star schema with clear fact and dimension tables, 2) Add comprehensive descriptions to tables, columns, and measures explaining what the data represents and how it should be used, and 3) Create AI Instructions that define business rules, default filters, and resolve ambiguous terminology. These changes dramatically improve Copilot ability to understand and answer questions correctly.

Power BI Copilot Best Practices 2026: Maximize AI-Powered Analytics

Microsoft Copilot in Power BI has evolved from an experimental feature to a production-ready AI assistant that's transforming how organizations create reports, analyze data, and generate insights. With the January 2026 feature release introducing grounded references and mobile integration, Copilot is now essential for modern Power BI deployments.

This guide covers proven best practices for maximizing Copilot's effectiveness in your organization.

Understanding Copilot in Power BI

Power BI Copilot enables users to create reports, dashboards, and even DAX queries using natural language. Recent updates include:

January 2026 Features

Grounded References The ability to attach a Report or Semantic model to Copilot chat as a grounded reference, ensuring responses are based on specific data sources.

Mobile Standalone Experience A complete chat experience straight from your mobile homepage, allowing you to ask any question about your data and get instant insights from Copilot, anytime, anywhere.

DAX Generation (Now GA) Microsoft Copilot is now generally available (GA) within the Power BI environment, allowing users to write and refine DAX queries in the DAX query view with AI assistance.

Best Practice #1: Semantic Model Design for AI

AI performs better with fewer, clearer choices. Lean schemas reduce ambiguity, prevent incorrect field selection, and improve Copilot's ability to map user questions to the right data.

Simplify Your Data Model

Consolidate Similar Tables Instead of separate tables for each product category, create a single Products table with a Category column. This reduces the choices Copilot must make when answering product-related questions.

**Use Star Schema** Organize your model with clear fact and dimension tables. Our guide on star schema design explains this pattern in detail.

Limit Measure Proliferation Create core measures (Sales, Quantity, Profit) rather than dozens of slight variations (Sales YTD, Sales MTD, Sales QTD). Use time intelligence patterns instead.

Clear Naming Conventions

Business-Friendly Names Use "Customer Name" instead of "cust_nm" or "customer_name_field_v2". Copilot works best with terminology business users actually use.

Avoid Technical Jargon Rename database fields to business terms. "Order Date" is better than "ord_dt" or "transaction_timestamp".

Consistent Prefixes Use consistent prefixes for related fields: "Sales Amount", "Sales Quantity", "Sales Cost" helps Copilot understand relationships.

Best Practice #2: Documentation & Descriptions

Add concise, business-oriented descriptions to tables, columns, and measures. This is the single most impactful change you can make for Copilot accuracy.

Table Descriptions

Table: Sales Description: Contains transaction-level sales data including order details, customer information, and product sales. Each row represents one line item on a sales order. Use this table to analyze sales performance, customer behavior, and product trends.

### Column Descriptions

Column: Order Date Description: The date the customer placed the order. Use this for time-based analysis of sales trends. Always filter to the last 3 years for current analysis unless specifically asked for historical data.

### Measure Descriptions

Measure: Total Revenue Description: Sum of sales amount for all completed orders, excluding canceled and returned items. Includes all product lines and customer segments. Measured in US dollars.

### What to Include

Intent: What the data represents and why it exists Units: Currency, percentages, counts, etc. Assumptions: Business rules or calculations applied Scope: What's included and what's excluded Context: When and how to use this data

Best Practice #3: AI Instructions

AI Instructions act as guardrails that guide Power BI Copilot behavior, especially when metrics or terminology can be interpreted in multiple ways.

When to Use AI Instructions

Ambiguous Business Terms If "Revenue" could mean Gross Revenue, Net Revenue, or Recognized Revenue, use AI Instructions to define which one Copilot should use by default.

Business Rules "Always exclude test customers when analyzing sales data unless explicitly requested."

Default Filters "When analyzing sales trends, default to the most recent 12 months of data."

Calculation Preferences "When comparing time periods, use year-over-year (YoY) comparisons unless month-over-month is specifically requested."

Example AI Instructions

# Sales Analysis Guidelines - Revenue always refers to Net Revenue (after discounts and returns) - Customer counts should exclude internal test accounts (Customer ID starting with 'TEST') - Sales comparisons should use YoY unless specified otherwise - Regional analysis uses 4 regions: North, South, East, West - "Current month" means month-to-date, not the full calendar month

### Setting AI Instructions

Open your semantic model in Power BI Desktop
Go to Model view
Select the entire model (not individual tables)
In the Properties pane, find "AI Instructions"
Enter your business rules and guidelines

Best Practice #4: Security Implementation

Never rely on hidden fields as a security mechanism. Copilot can potentially access hidden data, so proper security implementation is critical.

Row-Level Security (RLS)

Implement RLS to restrict data access based on user identity:

dax // Example: Sales Rep sees only their own customers [Sales Rep Email] = USERPRINCIPALNAME()

Our Row-Level Security guide covers implementation in detail.

Object-Level Security (OLS)

Use OLS to hide sensitive columns from specific users:

// Hide salary data from non-HR users Table: Employees Column: Salary Role: HR Only

### Copilot Security Considerations

Approved for Copilot Setting The "Approved for Copilot" setting (formerly "enhanced metadata") must be explicitly enabled. This applies friction treatment to ensure Copilot respects your security boundaries.

Test with Multiple Roles Always test Copilot responses while impersonating different security roles to verify RLS is working correctly.

**Audit Copilot Queries** Use Power BI usage metrics to monitor what questions users are asking and identify potential security issues.

Best Practice #5: Mobile Copilot Integration

The January 2026 update brings standalone Copilot to Power BI Mobile, enabling analytics anywhere.

Optimizing for Mobile Copilot

Concise Responses Design your semantic model knowing responses will be viewed on small screens. Short, focused insights work better than lengthy narratives.

Visual Preferences Mobile users prefer simple visualizations. Copilot should favor bar charts, line charts, and KPI cards over complex matrix tables.

Quick Insights Train users to ask specific questions ("What were sales yesterday?") rather than exploratory queries ("Tell me about sales trends").

Mobile Copilot Use Cases

Executive Dashboards on-the-go Executives can ask "What's our pipeline value?" and get instant answers without opening full reports.

Field Sales Analysis Sales reps can query "How am I tracking to quota this month?" while visiting customers.

Operational Alerts Operations managers can ask "Are we meeting our SLA targets today?" and get real-time insights.

Best Practice #6: DAX Generation with Copilot

With DAX generation now generally available (GA), Copilot can write complex calculations for you.

How to Use DAX Copilot

Open DAX query view in Power BI Desktop
Activate Copilot
Describe your calculation in natural language
Review and refine the generated DAX
Test thoroughly before deploying

Tips for Better DAX Generation

Be Specific About Context Instead of: "Calculate sales" Try: "Calculate total sales for the current fiscal year, excluding returned items"

Specify Filters Explicitly "Calculate average order value for online orders in the last 90 days"

Reference Existing Measures "Create a measure that shows [Total Sales] divided by [Total Quantity]"

Iterative Refinement Start with a basic request, then refine: "Now modify this to show year-over-year growth percentage"

Common DAX Patterns Copilot Handles Well

Time intelligence (YTD, MTD, YoY, MoM)
Running totals and cumulative calculations
Ratio and percentage measures
Conditional aggregations (CALCULATE with filters)
Rank and percentile calculations

Learn more about DAX optimization for complex calculations.

Best Practice #7: Training & Change Management

Copilot adoption requires organizational change, not just technical implementation.

User Training Program

Level 1: End Users - How to ask effective questions - Understanding Copilot responses - When to use Copilot vs. traditional reports

Level 2: Power Users - Semantic model optimization for Copilot - Writing AI Instructions - Creating Copilot-friendly reports

Level 3: Administrators - Security configuration - Monitoring Copilot usage - Troubleshooting and optimization

Measuring Success

Track these metrics to measure Copilot adoption: - Copilot query volume - Number of questions asked per week - Query success rate - Percentage of questions that return useful answers - User adoption rate - Percentage of licensed users actively using Copilot - Time savings - Reduction in report development time

Use the Copilot usage reports in your Fabric capacity to monitor these metrics.

Technical Requirements

Ensure your environment meets these requirements:

Capacity Requirements - Fabric capacity (any size) OR - Power BI Premium (P1+) capacity

Workspace Configuration - Workspace must be assigned to a Copilot-enabled capacity - "Approved for Copilot" setting enabled on semantic models

Admin Settings - Tenant admin must enable "Users can use Copilot in Microsoft Fabric" - Enable "Users can create AI Skills" for advanced scenarios

Licensing - Power BI Pro minimum (Premium Per User or Fabric for full features)

Common Copilot Issues & Solutions

Issue: Copilot doesn't understand my questions

Solution: Improve your semantic model descriptions, add synonyms to AI Instructions, and use clearer column names that match business terminology.

Issue: Copilot returns incorrect calculations

Solution: Review measure definitions, ensure relationships are correct, and add explicit calculation rules to AI Instructions.

Issue: Copilot suggests irrelevant visualizations

Solution: Hidden fields are being included. Use Object-Level Security to exclude irrelevant tables/columns from Copilot access.

Issue: Copilot is slow to respond

Solution: Simplify your semantic model, reduce the number of columns, and ensure DirectQuery sources are optimized.

Getting Expert Help

Optimizing Power BI for Copilot requires expertise in semantic modeling, DAX, security, and AI best practices. Our Power BI consulting services help organizations:

Semantic Model Optimization - Redesign models for AI performance
Copilot Enablement - Configure and deploy Copilot across your organization
Security Implementation - RLS, OLS, and Copilot-specific security
User Training - Hands-on workshops for all skill levels
Ongoing Optimization - Monitor usage and continuously improve

Conclusion

Power BI Copilot in 2026 represents a fundamental shift in how organizations interact with data. By following these best practices—optimizing semantic models, adding clear descriptions, implementing proper security, and training users—you'll maximize the value of AI-powered analytics and empower your organization to make faster, better decisions.

The future of BI is conversational, and Copilot is leading the way.