Applies to: BI 2025 · Reading time: 7 min
In short. WIDX is a new export format introduced with SAP BusinessObjects BI 2025: a standalone file containing a Web Intelligence report, its data and the engine needed to display it interactively in a browser, with no BO server and no license. It is SAP’s first native answer to off-platform sharing, and it is welcome. But in its current release it is narrow: one report, its first page, only the new BI 2025 elements, static data, and a restricted reading environment. This article states precisely what WIDX covers, so you know when to use it and when to look elsewhere.
How it works
A WIDX file embeds three things: Webi’s rendering engine (JavaScript and WebAssembly), the report definition (layout, elements, filters) and a static dataset, captured at export time. On opening, the browser runs the engine locally: in-report filters, Show/Hide buttons and element navigation work as in Webi, but on frozen data. The file is generated from Webi (Export) or through scheduling and publications, and dropped on a file share or an intranet.
What WIDX does
- Reading with no license and no server: the recipient needs no BO account, no session, no network access to the platform.
- Real interactivity: in-report filters, collapsible elements, navigation between blocks — it is not an image, it is the report.
- Automatable generation: through scheduling or publications, like any other output format.
- Simple distribution: one file, droppable anywhere.
What WIDX does not do (today)
| Limit | Practical consequence |
|---|---|
| One report, its first page | A multi-tab document cannot be exported in one go: one file per tab, and the following pages are lost. |
| New elements only | A report built with classic elements must be rebuilt with the BI 2025 new elements to be exportable. |
| Dynamically filtered sections excluded | The most common report structures in mass reporting fall out of scope. |
| Reading on Windows, Chrome or Edge | No phone, no tablet, no Mac and no Safari. Sharing “with anyone, anywhere” is not there yet. |
| Static data | No refresh, no prompt: the reader sees the data as of the export. For recent figures, regenerate. |
| No email or BI inbox delivery when scheduled | Distribution goes through a file or FTP destination, then a sharing mechanism outside BO. |
| BI 2025 required | No backport to 4.3: the format assumes the platform upgrade. |
When to use it
- A single indicator to distribute widely: a one-page dashboard, rebuilt with the new elements, sent every Monday to readers without a license.
- Occasional offline viewing on a Windows machine: a committee, a trip, a site with no network.
- A PDF replacement where losing the filters was the regret.
Conversely, as soon as you need the whole document, classic elements, a phone, or up-to-date data without rebuilding the report, WIDX is not the right tool in its current release.
WIDX against the other sharing modes
| Launchpad instance | WIDX | Standalone HTML (extension) | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Reader license | No | Yes | No | No |
| Interactivity | None | Full | In-report filters | Filters, drill, sort, navigation |
| Scope | Whole document | Whole document | One report, one page, new elements | Whole document, classic elements included, several documents |
| Data kept up to date | Static at export | Regenerated at each scheduled run | Static at export | Regenerated at each scheduled run, same cadence and same content as a refreshed Webi report |
| On-demand refresh by the reader | No | Yes, with a license and refresh rights | No | No |
| Devices | All | Supported browsers, mobile app | Windows, Chrome / Edge | Any browser, responsive, mobile |
| BO version required | All | All | BI 2025 | 4.2, 4.3, BI 2025 |
Frequently asked questions
Can I export an existing 4.3 report to WIDX?
No. You need BI 2025, and the report must be built with the new elements. A classic report opened in BI 2025 does not become exportable for that reason alone.
Can the reader refresh the data?
No. The file contains a frozen dataset. For recent figures you reschedule the generation: the resulting file is then as up to date as a Webi report refreshed at the same moment.
Is a WIDX file secure?
It holds the data in clear text inside the file. Its security is that of wherever it is stored: treat it like an Excel export, not like BO access.
Does WIDX replace PDF?
For a one-page report built with the new elements and read on a Windows machine, yes, with a real gain. For regulatory archiving and universal distribution, PDF remains simpler.
Sources and references
- Christian Ah-Soon (SAP), “SAP BI 2025: What’s New In Web Intelligence and Semantic Layer” (introduction of the WIDX format)
- SAP Community — “Welcome to SAP BusinessObjects BI 2025”
- SAP Help Portal — Web Intelligence User Guide (export and output formats)
- Need4Viz testing on a BI 2025 instance (export scope, reading environment)
Related reading
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