How to create PowerBI applications with parametric datasource

[fmcarona]

Hi all,

I made a report that feeds info from an Exchange mailbox datasource and published it as a PowerBI App inside my Company catalog. The problem is that anybody install the app feeds info always from my mailbox.

How can I make a PowerBI App that permits to each user that makes the installation to decide which mailbox to feed data from?

I mean... if you go to the public PowerBI's apps gallery there's the Google Analytics App. Of course who wrote that app doesn't know which Google Analytics Account the report will be fed from. It's the user that install the PowerBI App that has to specify the Google Analytics Accout (and make the OAuth authentication too!) in order to feed the report.

How can I develop a PowerBI app that works such a way?

Thanks for your support, best regards,

Marco

[v-yuezhe-msft]

@fmcarona,

The existing published app doesn't provide you parameter feature, there are several options for you to workaround this issue.

1. Develop your own content pack following the guide in this article: https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/power-bi/developer/service-content-pack-overview.

2. Define data source parameter in Power BI Desktop file and create Power BI report template. This way, you can send the PBIT to your users, and they can initialize the Power BI report  using their own mailbox.

https://powerbi.microsoft.com/en-us/blog/deep-dive-into-query-parameters-and-power-bi-templates/



Regards,
Lydia

[fmcarona]

Hi Lydia @v-yuezhe-msft

Thanks for your reply. The 1st solution sounds the best for me but at the link you provided, the 1st FAQ says "Can I build a Power BI Service content pack for a third-party SaaS application that I don’t own? NO..."

In my case, my content pack consists of a report that makes analysis on the user's mailbox (mailbox provided by O365 Outlook, that I don't own)...

Is it possible to make a content pack and use it inside my Organization, without publishing it worldwide?

Thanks again, best regards

[v-yuezhe-msft]

@fmcarona,

Regarding to the custom content pack issue, you can post the question in Power BI Developer forum at http://community.powerbi.com/t5/Developer/bd-p/Developer to get dedicated support.

 

Regards,
Lydia