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jmscrx
Helper I
Helper I

Simple Report Sharing - Issue or Feature?

Hi folks. I have a fairly simple PowerBI model with 7 or 8 pages (tabs in it), which I've published to the web. This has been working well for months. I'd like to Share that report with other users in my organization and am having issues.

 

When accessing the report via a browser in the PowerBI service (defaults to my first page as configured), and choose the Share button, I can "Copy Link" with no problem.

 

jmscrx_0-1632860890813.png

 

If I paste that link directly into a browser (tried in both Chrome and Firefox), it directly loads the report, however if I take create clickable link somewhere (e.g., text in a cell within Excel, link in a Word document, etc.), everytime the link is clicked, it doesn't load the report, it redirects to the PowerBI service login page as if I'm not logged in at all. If I simply paste the link literally into the same browser tab, it directly loads the report with no issue? My goal is to take the Share link and create a clickable link to my report within other documents, which does not seem to work. 

 

I currently have a Pro license and basically all the other users that this would be shared with would be free. Any help would be appreciated, thanks!

 

 

 

 

1 ACCEPTED SOLUTION

Fair enough, however this is not a good solution when wanting to share a report or dashboard with dozens of people, or perhaps Sr. level executives (e.g., having to tell them to install PBI desktop and continously send them updated pbix files isn't a great solution).

 

I guess exporting to PDF or similar is the best option for my case, thanks for the replies and knowledge.

 

JS

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8 REPLIES 8
GilbertQ
Super User
Super User

Hi @jmscrx 

 

First of all just remember the links that you share via Publish to Web can be used and viewed by any person in the world without any authentication.

 

If you want to share this report with publish to web you have to get the URL from the publish to web section as shown below

 

GilbertQ_0-1632864767245.png

 





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@GilbertQ - Thanks for the reply and insight - a few things.

 

Your point about sharing via publish to web being able to be seen by anyone with no authentication, that's certainly not my intention and perhaps I'm unclear on how to accomplish my goal here. In the screenshot I provided via the Share option, it states that "People in your organization with the link...", which to me implies that people authenticated within my organization (e.g., other co-workers), similar to sharing with SharePoint for example, would be able to view. Is this not the case and if so, what is the proper way to simply share a PowerBI report with co-workers (via the PowerBI service seemed to make the most sense)?

 

In terms of getting the link via the publish to web section, when I view the same from the report I'm referring to I don't see that as an option (though it sounds like that's not what I want anyway in terms of wide-open public sharing).

jmscrx_0-1632865733035.png

 

 

 

 

Hi @jmscrx 

 

you are correct based on your image that when embedding each user will have to authenticate and also have a Power BI Pro license to view the reports.





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Thanks again. Any idea why I don't seem to have the option for a public link?

There has to be some sort of license involved for the people you want to share with. Sharing isn't free except for public Publish to Web.

 

"With sharing, whether you share content inside or outside your organization, you need a Power BI Pro or Premium Per User (PPU) license. Your recipients also need Power BI Pro or Premium Per User (PPU) licenses, unless the content is in a Premium capacity."

 

https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/power-bi/collaborate-share/service-share-dashboards

@AlexisOlson - Thanks for the reply, a bit surprising but I never considered that publishing to the web and sharing just for users to view wouldn't be 'free.' Are there options to share with non-licensed users outside of exporting to a PDF and sharing the PDF, or similar?

Power BI Desktop is completely free and you can share .pbix files like you would share other files like spreadsheets and word documents (e.g. via email, OneDrive, shared file systems, etc.).

Fair enough, however this is not a good solution when wanting to share a report or dashboard with dozens of people, or perhaps Sr. level executives (e.g., having to tell them to install PBI desktop and continously send them updated pbix files isn't a great solution).

 

I guess exporting to PDF or similar is the best option for my case, thanks for the replies and knowledge.

 

JS

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