Managing RLS in Service in Power BI - Step-by-Step Guide

Introduction

Row-Level Security (RLS) lets you control who sees what data in your Power BI reports. Managing RLS in the Power BI Service helps you assign users to roles so they only see data meant for them.

When you want sales managers to see only their region's sales data in a shared report

When you need to restrict financial data visibility to specific departments

When different teams use the same report but should see only their own project data

When you publish a report and want to control data access without changing the report itself

When you want to update user access quickly without republishing the report

Steps

Step 1: Sign in

- Power BI Service (app.powerbi.com)

You see your workspace and reports list

Step 2: Select

- Workspace containing your dataset

Workspace content loads showing reports and datasets

Step 3: Click

- Datasets tab or section

List of datasets appears

Step 4: Click the ellipsis (three dots) next to your dataset

- Dataset name

A menu opens with options

Step 5: Select

- Security

RLS roles defined in the dataset appear with user assignment options

Step 6: Add users or groups

- Role membership panel for each role

Users are assigned to roles and will see filtered data accordingly

💡 Use email addresses or security groups for easier management

Step 7: Click Save

- Security panel

User assignments are saved and active immediately

Before vs After

Before

All users see the full dataset with no restrictions

After

Users see only the data filtered by their assigned RLS role

Settings Reference

Security

📍 Dataset ellipsis menu in Power BI Service

Assign users to RLS roles to control data visibility

Default: No users assigned

Roles

📍 Defined in Power BI Desktop before publishing

Create rules that filter data for assigned users

Default: No roles defined

Common Mistakes

Assigning users to roles in Power BI Desktop instead of Power BI Service

User assignments must be done in the Service; Desktop only defines roles

Define roles in Desktop, then assign users to roles in Power BI Service under dataset security

Not saving changes after adding users to roles

Changes won't apply until saved, so users won't have restricted access

Always click Save after assigning users to roles

Using incorrect email addresses or not using security groups

Users won't get access if emails are wrong; managing many users is harder without groups

Double-check emails and prefer security groups for easier management

Summary

Managing RLS in Power BI Service lets you assign users to roles to control data access.

Roles are created in Power BI Desktop; user assignments happen in the Service.

Always save your changes after assigning users to roles to activate RLS.