SAP BI 2025 Patches: Web Intelligence and Semantic Layer

With the SAP BI 2025 release, a new maintenance model applies where patches are regularly released to fix defects. The patches released to date are:

SAP BI 2025 Patch 01: May 12, 2025SAP BI 2025 Patch 02: June 6, 2025SAP BI 2025 Patch 03: July 8, 2025SAP BI 2025 Patch 04: August 8, 2025SAP BI 2025 Patch 05: Sept 23, 2025SAP BI 2025 Patch 06: Nov 11, 2025SAP BI 2025 Patch 07: Dec 15, 2025SAP BI 2025 Patch 08: Jan 23, 2026

For more details, refer to the SAP BI 2025 Patches Release Notes.

Until the SAP BI 2027 release, these patches may also deliver minor changes intended to complete existing functionality.

This article is part of the What’s New in Web Intelligence and Semantic Layer series and summarizes these changes for Web Intelligence and Semantic Layer:

This article will be updated as new patches are released.

SAP BI 2025 Patch 01

Web Intelligence: Purging Documents

Purging a query removes also its results if they are used as filters in other queries through a filter of type “Result from another query”.

For more details, refer to this SAP BI 4.3 SP5 article.

Semantic Layer: Derived Tables in WITH Clause

You can simplify the generated SQL for derived tables in relational universe. To do so, you must set the DERIVED_TABLES_AS_CTE parameter to Yes in the data foundation Query Script Parameters dialog box before publishing the universe.

For more details, refer to this SAP BI 4.3 SP5 article.

Information Design Tool: Universe Conversion

In SAP BI 2025, universes created with the Universe Design Tool are no longer supported by the Information Design Tool. The only official method to convert these UNV universes is by using the Semantic Layer Java SDK.

However, there is a workaround to enable conversion directly in the Information Design Tool :

Open the InformationDesignTool.ini file located in the Information Design Tool installation folder.Add the following line at the end of the file:
-Dsap.sl.showUNV=trueSave the file and restart the Information Design Tool. You will then be able to select and convert UNV universes within the tool.

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SAP BI 2025 Patch 02

Web Intelligence: Sort Sections

You can use any objects to sort section instances, not just the object used to create the section. This is useful, for example, when you want to sort a section by a measure, such as sorting cities by their number of inhabitants.

For more details, refer to this SAP BI 4.3 SP5 article.

Web Intelligence: Hide Free Elements and Merged Objects in Drill Filters

You can hide free drill elements and merged dimensions in the drill filters to prevent users from seeing these objects’ values when drilling in Reading mode.

For more details, refer to this SAP BI 4.3 SP5 article.

Web Intelligence: Insert an Icon

When inserting an icon from the Quick Access side panel > Report Elements tab, the icon picker opens in a compact pop-over. In this pop-over, you can:

Select an icon, then click on the report to place it.Press the [Esc] key or click the Close icon () in the pop-over header to cancel this action.

Insert an Icon Pop-Over

When launched from the main toolbar, the icon picker opens as a dialog box.

In both cases, the Details view—previously used to display icon tags—has been removed.

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SAP BI 2025 Patch 06

Web Intelligence: Usability

Several usability enhancements have been introduced to simplify document design:

In the Quick Access side panel > Data Sources tab, the expanded or collapsed state of the Recents section is now saved in the user settings.In the Main side panel > Objects tab, when duplicating a variable, the focus automatically moves to the newly created variable.For SAP BW and SAP HANA data sources, a checkbox has been added in the Set as prompt column header, allowing you to enable or disable this property for all variables at once.

Set Variables Dialog Box: Set as Prompt

Web Intelligence: Rich Text Cell

In Design mode, when editing a Rich Text cell in the Build > Format > Specific Settings tab:

In the text field toolbar, you can click the Insert an icon button () to open the icon picker. Select an icon to place it into the text.The Text, Layout and Multiple Value Management sections can be expanded and collapsed.

Rich Text Settings

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SAP BI 2025 Patch 07

Web Intelligence: Change Source Usability

In the Change Source dialog box:

When you select an existing query in the document as the target, a new column displaying the query name is added next to the one with data source name (Request 349866). The selected data source and query to change are displayed in bold.The Apply changes in all queries sharing the same data source checkbox has been moved below the source data source. It is displayed only when applicable — that is, when the data source is used by multiple queries.

Change Source Dialog Box

Web Intelligence: Query Panel Usability

In the Query Panel, the Search filter has been replaced with a dynamic filter that updates data source objects on the fly.

Query Panel Objects Filter

Web Intelligence: Set Relative Position

In Design mode, a new shortcut makes it easier to position one report element relative to another. Instead of using the Build > Format > Layout tab to set relative positions, simply press the [Shift] key.

If no report element is selected, dotted arrows appear to indicate the relative positions of all report elements.

Display All Relative Positions

If one or more report elements are selected, only the relationships between those selected elements are displayed, with the referenced elements highlighted in blue.

Display Selected Elements Relative Positions

When moving a report element while holding the [Shift] key, arrows appear to show alignment with other elements. If you release the element while still holding [Shift], it will be positioned vertically and horizontally relative to the aligned elements.

Setting Relative Position

Negative relative position is not allowed. If you move a report element that is positioned relatively to another one:

If the position relative to this other report element remains positive, the frame of this element is highlighted in blue.If the relative position becomes negative, the horizontal and/or vertical border of the frame turn(s) orange to warn that the affected relative positioning (horizontal, vertical, or both) will be disabled. Upon releasing the mouse:The affected relative positioning is disabled if the position became invalid.A toast message is displayed at the bottom of the window. This message replaces the former Warning/Confirmation dialog box.

Negative Relative Position

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SAP BI 2025 Patch 08

Web Intelligence: SAP BI 4.3 SP3 Cubes Conversion

When Data mode was released in SAP BI 4.3 SP3, merging cubes (left join, append) was not supported and was possible only by enabling a toggle.

Such cubes created in SAP BI 4.3 SP3 are converted to the new supported format when the document in which they were created is opened.

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​ With the SAP BI 2025 release, a new maintenance model applies where patches are regularly released to fix defects. The patches released to date are:SAP BI 2025 Patch 01: May 12, 2025SAP BI 2025 Patch 02: June 6, 2025SAP BI 2025 Patch 03: July 8, 2025SAP BI 2025 Patch 04: August 8, 2025SAP BI 2025 Patch 05: Sept 23, 2025SAP BI 2025 Patch 06: Nov 11, 2025SAP BI 2025 Patch 07: Dec 15, 2025SAP BI 2025 Patch 08: Jan 23, 2026For more details, refer to the SAP BI 2025 Patches Release Notes.Until the SAP BI 2027 release, these patches may also deliver minor changes intended to complete existing functionality.This article is part of the What’s New in Web Intelligence and Semantic Layer series and summarizes these changes for Web Intelligence and Semantic Layer:This article will be updated as new patches are released.SAP BI 2025 Patch 01Web Intelligence: Purging DocumentsPurging a query removes also its results if they are used as filters in other queries through a filter of type “Result from another query”.For more details, refer to this SAP BI 4.3 SP5 article.Semantic Layer: Derived Tables in WITH ClauseYou can simplify the generated SQL for derived tables in relational universe. To do so, you must set the DERIVED_TABLES_AS_CTE parameter to Yes in the data foundation Query Script Parameters dialog box before publishing the universe.For more details, refer to this SAP BI 4.3 SP5 article.Information Design Tool: Universe ConversionIn SAP BI 2025, universes created with the Universe Design Tool are no longer supported by the Information Design Tool. The only official method to convert these UNV universes is by using the Semantic Layer Java SDK.However, there is a workaround to enable conversion directly in the Information Design Tool :Open the InformationDesignTool.ini file located in the Information Design Tool installation folder.Add the following line at the end of the file:-Dsap.sl.showUNV=trueSave the file and restart the Information Design Tool. You will then be able to select and convert UNV universes within the tool.Back to Top ⤒SAP BI 2025 Patch 02Web Intelligence: Sort SectionsYou can use any objects to sort section instances, not just the object used to create the section. This is useful, for example, when you want to sort a section by a measure, such as sorting cities by their number of inhabitants.For more details, refer to this SAP BI 4.3 SP5 article.Web Intelligence: Hide Free Elements and Merged Objects in Drill FiltersYou can hide free drill elements and merged dimensions in the drill filters to prevent users from seeing these objects’ values when drilling in Reading mode.For more details, refer to this SAP BI 4.3 SP5 article.Web Intelligence: Insert an IconWhen inserting an icon from the Quick Access side panel > Report Elements tab, the icon picker opens in a compact pop-over. In this pop-over, you can:Select an icon, then click on the report to place it.Press the [Esc] key or click the Close icon () in the pop-over header to cancel this action.Insert an Icon Pop-OverWhen launched from the main toolbar, the icon picker opens as a dialog box.In both cases, the Details view—previously used to display icon tags—has been removed.Back to Top ⤒SAP BI 2025 Patch 06Web Intelligence: UsabilitySeveral usability enhancements have been introduced to simplify document design:In the Quick Access side panel > Data Sources tab, the expanded or collapsed state of the Recents section is now saved in the user settings.In the Main side panel > Objects tab, when duplicating a variable, the focus automatically moves to the newly created variable.For SAP BW and SAP HANA data sources, a checkbox has been added in the Set as prompt column header, allowing you to enable or disable this property for all variables at once.Set Variables Dialog Box: Set as PromptWeb Intelligence: Rich Text CellIn Design mode, when editing a Rich Text cell in the Build > Format > Specific Settings tab:In the text field toolbar, you can click the Insert an icon button () to open the icon picker. Select an icon to place it into the text.The Text, Layout and Multiple Value Management sections can be expanded and collapsed.Rich Text SettingsBack to Top ⤒SAP BI 2025 Patch 07Web Intelligence: Change Source UsabilityIn the Change Source dialog box:When you select an existing query in the document as the target, a new column displaying the query name is added next to the one with data source name (Request 349866). The selected data source and query to change are displayed in bold.The Apply changes in all queries sharing the same data source checkbox has been moved below the source data source. It is displayed only when applicable — that is, when the data source is used by multiple queries.Change Source Dialog BoxWeb Intelligence: Query Panel UsabilityIn the Query Panel, the Search filter has been replaced with a dynamic filter that updates data source objects on the fly.Query Panel Objects FilterWeb Intelligence: Set Relative PositionIn Design mode, a new shortcut makes it easier to position one report element relative to another. Instead of using the Build > Format > Layout tab to set relative positions, simply press the [Shift] key.If no report element is selected, dotted arrows appear to indicate the relative positions of all report elements.Display All Relative PositionsIf one or more report elements are selected, only the relationships between those selected elements are displayed, with the referenced elements highlighted in blue.Display Selected Elements Relative PositionsWhen moving a report element while holding the [Shift] key, arrows appear to show alignment with other elements. If you release the element while still holding [Shift], it will be positioned vertically and horizontally relative to the aligned elements.Setting Relative PositionNegative relative position is not allowed. If you move a report element that is positioned relatively to another one:If the position relative to this other report element remains positive, the frame of this element is highlighted in blue.If the relative position becomes negative, the horizontal and/or vertical border of the frame turn(s) orange to warn that the affected relative positioning (horizontal, vertical, or both) will be disabled. Upon releasing the mouse:The affected relative positioning is disabled if the position became invalid.A toast message is displayed at the bottom of the window. This message replaces the former Warning/Confirmation dialog box.Negative Relative PositionBack to Top ⤒SAP BI 2025 Patch 08Web Intelligence: SAP BI 4.3 SP3 Cubes ConversionWhen Data mode was released in SAP BI 4.3 SP3, merging cubes (left join, append) was not supported and was possible only by enabling a toggle.Such cubes created in SAP BI 4.3 SP3 are converted to the new supported format when the document in which they were created is opened.Back to Top ⤒    Read More Technology Blog Posts by SAP articles 

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