Modeling Power BI with Code: Unlocking the Power of Semantic Link

Ready to build and manage Power BI data models using code instead of manual configuration? In this hands-on session, you’ll work with Semantic Link, the bridge between Power BI semantic models and programmable workflows in notebooks.

The session starts with the fundamentals: what Semantic Link is, how it works, and when it makes sense to use it instead of tools like Power Query. From there, the focus quickly shifts to practice. You’ll learn how to:

load data from source systems

read and explore an existing semantic model

add measures, tables, and relationships programmatically

Step by step, we build a complete data model from scratch using Semantic Link. Along the way, you’ll see how to structure and automate your modeling process in notebooks, including practical best practices and common pitfalls.

This session is aimed at BI professionals and data engineers who want to work more efficiently with Power BI semantic models in Microsoft Fabric or Azure Notebooks. By the end, you’ll have a clear understanding of how Semantic Link can help you model at scale in a more controlled and repeatable way.

Understand what Semantic Link is and when to use it for Power BI data modeling Build and modify semantic models programmatically using notebooks Apply best practices to structure, automate, and scale your modeling workflow