How to Delete Semantic Model in Power BI

Keeping your Power BI workspaces tidy is essential for preventing confusion and ensuring everyone is using the correct data. A key part of this cleanup process involves removing old, unused, or duplicate semantic models. This article provides a clear, step-by-step guide to deleting a semantic model in Power BI, including crucial safety checks to perform first so you don't accidentally break important reports.

Before You Press Delete: Key Considerations

Deleting a semantic model is permanent, so a little prep work can save a massive headache later. Before you remove anything, you need to understand what other reports or dashboards depend on it. Rushing this step is how you accidentally break a critical report used by your entire department.

Step 1: The Golden Rule - Check for Dependencies

In Power BI, a single semantic model (what used to be called a dataset) can be the foundation for dozens of reports and dashboards. Deleting that model will break every single one of them. Fortunately, Power BI has a built-in tool that shows you exactly what will be affected.

This is where Lineage View becomes invaluable:

Navigate to Your Workspace: Go to the Power BI service and open the workspace containing the semantic model you want to delete.
Switch to Lineage View: At the top-left of your workspace file list, you'll see a small button next to "List." Click it and select "Lineage" from the dropdown menu.
Analyze the Connections: Power BI will now display a flow chart showing how all your assets connect. Find your semantic model on this diagram. Any items to the right of your model, with arrows pointing away from it, are dependent on it. These could be reports, dashboards, and even other semantic models using a DirectQuery connection to it.
Identify Impact: If you see several reports connected to your model, you need to investigate. Are they still being used? Do they need to be moved to a newer semantic model before the old one is deleted?

Never, ever skip this step. Taking 30 seconds to check the Lineage View can prevent hours of frantic work trying to fix broken reports.

Step 2: Communicate with Your Team

Just because you don't use a report anymore doesn't mean it's not critical for someone else. After checking the Lineage View, if you find dependencies, reach out to your colleagues. Send a quick message in your team's chat or email, saying something like:

"Hi Team, I'm cleaning up our 'Sales Q3 Pilot' workspace and plan on deleting the 'Old Sales Data v2' semantic model this Friday. My check shows it's connected to 'Marketing CPA Report' and 'Regional Sales Dashboard'. Does anyone still use these? If so, we'll need to reconnect them to the new 'Master Sales Model'."

This gives everyone a chance to speak up and prevents you from becoming the person who "deleted the internet."

Step 3: Create a Backup

Once you delete a model in Power BI Service, there's no "undo" button or recycle bin. The best practice is to back it up first. If the semantic model was originally published from a Power BI Desktop file, you already have a backup. If not, you can download a copy.

From your workspace list view, find the semantic model.
Click the three dots (...) for more options.
Select "Download this file". This will save a .pbix copy to your computer.

This .pbix file is your emergency parachute. If it turns out the deletion was a mistake, you can simply republish this file to restore the semantic model and its structure.

Step 4: Check Your Permissions

To delete a semantic model, you need to have the right role within the workspace. You must be an Admin, Member, or Contributor. If you are a Viewer, you will not have permission to delete content.

How to Delete a Semantic Model: The Step-by-Step Guide

Once you’ve done your due diligence - checked dependencies, communicated with your team, and saved a backup - you're ready to proceed with the deletion. The process itself is very straightforward.

Step 1: Open Your Power BI Workspace

Log in to app.powerbi.com and navigate to the workspaces panel on the left-hand side. Select the workspace that contains the semantic model you wish to delete.

Step 2: Locate the Semantic Model

Inside the workspace, you'll see a list of all content - reports, dashboards, and semantic models. To make things easier, you can filter this list to only show semantic models.

Click the "Content" tab to ensure you're viewing all items.
Just above the list of content, there may be filters for "All", "Reports", "Dashboards", etc. If available, click on "Semantic models" or a similar filter to narrow down the view.
Scroll to find the specific semantic model by name. Pay close attention to naming to ensure you're deleting the right one (e.g., Marketing Data Final vs. Marketing Data Final v2).

Step 3: Access the "More Options" Menu

Hover your mouse over the name of the semantic model you want to delete. To the right of the name, a menu icon with three vertical dots (...) will appear. Click on it to open a context menu with various actions.

Step 4: Select "Delete"

From the dropdown menu, click on the "Delete" option. This will trigger a final confirmation window.

Step 5: Review the Confirmation Warning

Power BI will display a warning dialog box. It will state explicitly that associated reports and dashboards that depend on this semantic model will also be deleted if they live within that same workspace. It will also remind you that this action is irreversible.

This is your last chance to turn back. If you are even slightly unsure, click "Cancel", and re-verify the dependencies using the Lineage View.

Step 6: Finalize the Deletion

If you have checked everything and are 100% confident, click the blue "Delete" button in the confirmation window. The semantic model and its directly associated reports within that workspace will be permanently removed.

What Happens After Deletion?

Immediately after you delete the semantic model:

Broken Reports and Dashboards: Any report or dashboard that solely relied on that model will immediately stop working. Users trying to access them will see an error message saying the underlying data could not be found.
Refresh Schedules Stop: Any configured scheduled refresh for the model will be terminated.
Permanent Loss: The model is gone for good. There is no feature within Power BI to recover it unless you saved a backup .pbix file beforehand.

Common Troubleshooting & Best Practices

What If I Can't Delete a Semantic Model?

If the "Delete" option is greyed out or you get an error, it's almost always due to one of two things:

Permissions: You do not have Contributor, Member, or Admin permissions in the workspace. You will need to ask someone with a higher permission level to either delete it for you or elevate your role.
Content Packs or Apps: If the semantic model is part of a published app or an old organizational content pack, you may need to update or unpublish the app before the system will allow you to delete core components.

Best Practices for Model Management

To avoid clutter in the future, adopt a few simple habits:

Use Good Naming Conventions: Don't leave your users guessing. Add prefixes or statuses like [PROD], [DEV], or [ARCHIVED] to model names to communicate their purpose.
Separate Workspaces: Don't bundle development, testing, and production reports into one workspace. Using separate workspaces (e.g., "Sales - Dev" and "Sales - Production") creates a clear distinction and reduces the risk of accidentally deleting a live model.
Regular Audits: Set a quarterly reminder to review workspace contents. Any models or reports that haven't been touched in six months are good candidates for archiving or deletion.

Final Thoughts

Deleting a semantic model in Power BI is a simple technical task, but doing it safely requires careful preparation. By always checking the Lineage View for dependencies, communicating with your teammates, and backing up your .pbix file, you can keep your workspaces organized without causing any data-related drama.

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