Testing RLS in Desktop in Power BI - Step-by-Step Guide

Introduction

Testing Row-Level Security (RLS) in Power BI Desktop lets you check if your data restrictions work correctly. It helps you see what data different users will see before publishing your report.

When you want to verify that sales managers only see their region's data in the report.

When you need to confirm that employees can only view their own department's information.

When you want to test if a security role hides sensitive data from unauthorized users.

When you have created multiple roles and want to check each role's data view.

When you want to preview the report as a specific user without publishing it.

Steps

Step 1: Click

- Modeling tab

The Modeling ribbon options appear

💡 Make sure your roles are already created under Manage Roles before testing

Step 2: Click

- View as Roles button in the Modeling tab

The View as Roles pane opens showing available roles

Step 3: Select

- The checkbox next to the role you want to test in the View as Roles pane

The report view updates to show data filtered by the selected role

Step 4: Optionally select

- Multiple roles checkboxes or the 'Other user' option

The report updates to show combined or specific user data view

Step 5: Click

- OK button in the View as Roles pane

The report stays filtered by the selected role until you clear the view

Step 6: Click

- Clear role filter button in the View as Roles pane

The report returns to showing all data without role filters

Before vs After

Before

Report shows all sales data for all regions and departments

After

Report shows only sales data for the selected role, e.g., only the East region

Settings Reference

Manage Roles

📍 Modeling tab > Manage Roles

Create and edit security roles that filter data for users

Default: No roles defined

View as Roles

📍 Modeling tab > View as Roles

Test how the report looks for users in specific roles

Default: No role selected

Common Mistakes

Trying to test RLS without creating roles first

No roles means no filters apply, so testing shows full data

Create roles with proper filters in Manage Roles before testing

Selecting multiple roles that conflict during testing

Combining roles may show unexpected data or no data

Test one role at a time or use 'Other user' to simulate specific users

Summary

Testing RLS in Power BI Desktop lets you preview data restrictions before publishing.

Use the View as Roles feature on the Modeling tab to select roles and see filtered data.

Remember to create roles first and test them one at a time for clear results.