Power BI adds user context to calculated columns in Direct Lake
Microsoft added a new Expression Context property to calculated columns in Power BI semantic models. Analysts can now set this to User Context so the column evaluates at query time rather than being stored in the model. The change works with Direct Lake models over OneLake. It supports use cases like showing different currency labels or applying user-specific filters without creating separate columns for each person. Calculated columns still require the property to be set manually. The feature does not apply to import mode models or older storage engines.
Until now every calculated column was fixed at refresh time and stored in the model. This forced analysts to either create many duplicate columns for different users or accept that one calculation had to serve everyone. The new option removes that trade-off for Direct Lake models. A single column can now return different results depending on the viewer, which reduces model size and avoids the need to pre-build every possible variation.
Analysis
Ignore the new property until your inherited 200-step queries are documented and your model refresh finishes in under ten minutes. Then test one user-aware column on a non-critical report to see if it actually removes a calculated column you already hate maintaining.
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