Power BI REST API gives 403 error (User does not have access to group)

[tripleacoder]

I am trying to use the Power BI REST API with a "Power BI master account" - meaning a user account for the "app owns data" scenario.

The account has a Power BI Pro license and is a member of the workspace I am trying to read from.

I have also made the account the owner of the app registration for my app.

I can get a token, but when I call the API to get a data set id from the workspace, I get 403 (Forbidden).

The same program works if I use my personal credentials.

What am I missing?

[tripleacoder]

I have promoted the account to Owner/Admin of the workspace, but it doesn't seem to have helped.

[tripleacoder]

Using the following code:

System.Net.WebException ex;



Stream stream = ((System.Net.HttpWebResponse)(ex).Response).GetResponseStream();
using (StreamReader sr = new StreamReader(stream))
{
     string text = sr.ReadToEnd();
}

I was able to extract more detailed error information from the exception:

{"error":
{"code":"Unauthorized","message":"User(<ii>76e423fd-314d-42ff-ab23-306f25c46aea</ii>) does not have access to Group(<ii>2c6f2b64-162d-40c8-934e-44e3075c5ee8</ii>) with Permissions(ReadWrite)"}
}

[tripleacoder]

This is the scope part of the decoded token (which doesn't work):

scp: "Dataset.ReadWrite.All Workspace.ReadWrite.All",

This is the same part, when using my own credentials (which works):

scp: "Dataset.ReadWrite.All Workspace.ReadWrite.All",

They are equal...

[tripleacoder]

Why doesn't the user have access to the group/workspace? I have made it owner/admin...

Also, I get the same error when instead of retrieving a dataset id,  I try to create a new dataset in the same group.

Is it necessary to make the user Power BI Service Administrator?

[v-jiascu-msft]

Hi @tripleacoder,

1. Which API exactly is it?

2. Which token did you send with the request? Is it the one starts with "eyJ0e" or the one starts with "H4sIAAA"? It should be the former.

3. Are there any other message about the error?

Best Regards,

[tripleacoder · Accepted solution]

It seems I found the hidden setting:

https://community.powerbi.com/t5/Service/Manage-Permissions-in-Power-BI-Service/td-p/322832

Apparently, the dataset in the workspace requires the user to be added with "Manage permissions"...

After I did that, the error disappeared.

Very illogical, since Manage permissions seems to be related to sharing...

[v-jiascu-msft]

Thanks for sharing. I'm glad you solved it.

Best Regards,