How to Share Reports in Power BI: Step-by-Step Guide

To share a report in Power BI, publish it to Power BI Service and use the Share button to send access via email or generate a link. You can also embed reports in apps or websites for wider access.

Syntax

Sharing a report in Power BI involves these steps:

• Publish: Upload your report from Power BI Desktop to Power BI Service.
• Share: Use the Share button on the report page in Power BI Service.
• Enter recipients: Add email addresses of people you want to share with.
• Set permissions: Allow recipients to reshare or build on the report.
• Send: Click Send to share the report.

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1. Open Power BI Desktop
2. Click 'Publish' and select workspace
3. In Power BI Service, open the report
4. Click 'Share'
5. Enter email addresses
6. Set permissions
7. Click 'Send'

Example

This example shows how to share a report named Sales Dashboard with a colleague using Power BI Service.

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1. Publish 'Sales Dashboard' from Power BI Desktop to your workspace in Power BI Service.
2. Go to https://app.powerbi.com and sign in.
3. Open the 'Sales Dashboard' report.
4. Click the 'Share' button at the top right.
5. Enter your colleague's email, e.g., [e-mail].
6. Optionally check 'Allow recipient to share this report'.
7. Click 'Send'.

Output

An email invitation is sent to [e-mail] with a link to the 'Sales Dashboard' report.

Common Pitfalls

• Not publishing the report: You must publish your report to Power BI Service before sharing.
• Missing permissions: Recipients need Power BI Pro licenses or the report must be in a Premium workspace.
• Sharing with external users: External sharing requires tenant settings to allow it.
• Link sharing limitations: Sharing a link without permissions will not grant access.

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Wrong way:
- Sharing a report file (.pbix) via email instead of publishing.
Right way:
- Publish report to Power BI Service and share via the Share button.

Quick Reference

Step	Action	Notes
1	Publish report	Use Power BI Desktop 'Publish' to upload report
2	Open report in Power BI Service	Go to https://app.powerbi.com
3	Click 'Share'	Located at top right of report page
4	Enter email addresses	Add colleagues or groups
5	Set permissions	Allow reshare or build permissions if needed
6	Send invitation	Recipients get email with access link

Key Takeaways

Publish your report to Power BI Service before sharing.

Use the Share button in Power BI Service to send access via email.

Recipients need Power BI Pro or Premium workspace access to view reports.

Check tenant settings for external sharing if sharing outside your organization.

Avoid sharing report files directly; always share via Power BI Service.