MC1218421 – Retirement of Power BI Q&A

Product:

Copilot, Power BI

Platform:

Online, World tenant

Status:

Change type:

User impact, Admin impact, Retirement

Links:

Details:

Summary:
Power BI Q&A, the legacy natural language tool, will retire by December 2026. New Q&A visuals cannot be created, and existing ones will stop working. Users should transition to Power BI Copilot for querying data. Organizations should review and update reports, documentation, and support accordingly.

Details:
Introduction
We are announcing the retirement of Q&A, Power BI's legacy natural language tool. Starting December 2026, Q&A experiences will be retired. Moving forward, users can leverage Power BI Copilot, which offers a more advanced and integrated solution for querying data using generative AI. This change reduces feature overlap, accelerates innovation, and provides a consistent experience across Power BI.
When this will happen:
Q&A experiences and Q&A Setup will be fully retired by the end of December 2026.

Change Category:
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Scope:
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Release Phase:

Created:
2026-01-16

updated:
2026-01-16

Task Type

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Docu to Check

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MS How does it affect me

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MS Preperations

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MS Urgency

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MS workload name

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summary for non-techies**

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Direct effects for Operations**

Retirement of Q&A Visuals
Existing Q&A visuals in reports and dashboards will stop functioning, leading to potential disruption in data access and reporting capabilities for users.
   - roles: Data Analysts, Business Users
   - references: https://powerbi.microsoft.com/blog/deprecating-power-bi-qa/

Transition to Power BI Copilot
Users will need to adapt to Power BI Copilot for querying data, which may require training and adjustment time, impacting productivity during the transition period.
   - roles: Data Analysts, IT Support
   - references: https://powerbi.microsoft.com/blog/deprecating-power-bi-qa/

Documentation and Support Updates
Internal documentation and helpdesk guidance will need to be updated to reflect the changes, which may lead to confusion and misinformation if not done timely.
   - roles: IT Support, Documentation Specialists
   - references: https://powerbi.microsoft.com/blog/deprecating-power-bi-qa/

Loss of Q&A Setup Tools
The retirement of Q&A Setup tools will hinder the ability to customize natural language queries, affecting user experience and data interaction.
   - roles: Data Analysts, Business Users
   - references: https://powerbi.microsoft.com/blog/deprecating-power-bi-qa/

Increased Support Requests
As users encounter issues with the retirement of Q&A, there may be a surge in support requests, straining IT resources and impacting response times.
   - roles: IT Support, Helpdesk Staff
   - references: https://powerbi.microsoft.com/blog/deprecating-power-bi-qa/

Configutation Options**

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Potentional Risks**

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IT Security**

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explanation for non-techies**

Power BI is making a shift from its older Q&A feature to a newer tool called Power BI Copilot. Imagine you're at a restaurant that has been serving a classic dish for years. The dish is popular, but the chef decides to replace it with a new recipe that uses the latest cooking techniques and ingredients. This change aims to offer a better dining experience, even though it means saying goodbye to the old favorite.

In this case, the classic dish is the Power BI Q&A feature, which allowed users to ask questions about their data in plain language. However, by December 2026, this feature will be retired, meaning you won't be able to create new Q&A visuals, and existing ones will stop working. The new recipe, Power BI Copilot, uses advanced technology to provide more sophisticated data insights.

For organizations, this means reviewing and updating any reports or dashboards that currently use the Q&A feature. It's like updating your menu to reflect the new dish. You'll need to familiarize yourself with Power BI Copilot, which offers a more integrated and innovative way to interact with your data.

This transition doesn't come with any compliance issues, but it's important to update any internal documentation and support materials to help users adapt to the change. Think of it as providing a new recipe card to your staff so they can explain the new dish to customers.

Overall, while change can be challenging, this update is designed to enhance the user experience and keep up with technological advancements. By preparing now, organizations can ensure a smooth transition to the new Power BI Copilot tool.