Can I filter a DirectQuery using a user supplied parameter

[thatfield]

Hello,

I'm working on building a report that is looking at a rather large dataset. However, my users do not need to see the entire dataset at one time, instead they only want to see records for a specific property. I'm still new to PowerBI but in Business Objects I was able to force the user to select a value for a given parameter before the query was sent to the database, am I able to do something similar in PowerBI?

This is an example of what I am hoping to be able to do in PowerBI, it prompts the user for a parameter before even querying the data in the database.

[v-yiruan-msft]

Hi @thatfield ,

Please check if the following methods can help you achieve your requirement.

1. URL filter

https://app.powerbi.com/groups/me/reports/8d6e300b-696f-498e-b611-41ae03366851/ReportSection3?filter=Store/TerritoryChain eq 'NC – Lindseys'

2. User editing of DirectQuery query parameters

3. RLS

Filter a directQuery with parameter and apply parameter change within URL call (PBIRS sept2021)

Unfortunately what you are trying to do is not possible. Currently the parameters in a query can only be changed at "design time" (while editing in Power BI Desktop) and cannot be changed dynamically while viewing a report. 

One other approach would be to include all the rows from your User table, then apply the url filter using the filter= syntax as documented here https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/power-bi/collaborate-share/service-url-filters 

Another approach could be to look at using Row Level Security to filter the user table, but you would need to have some way of mapping to a login to one of your user ids in order to do that.

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Best Regards

[lbendlin]

Dynamic M query parameters in Power BI Desktop - Power BI | Microsoft Docs