Power BI Web Part
Benefits
- Live and interactive: viewers filter, cross-highlight, and drill into the data right on the SharePoint page.
- No app-switching: people explore reports without leaving the intranet.
- Security built in: reports respect Power BI permissions and row-level security, so each viewer sees only the data they are allowed to see.
- Multi-page friendly: one report can feed several SharePoint pages, each opening on a different report page.
- Clean presentation: hide the navigation and filter panes so the report looks like part of the page.
- Copilot ready: embed links generated with Copilot enabled let viewers ask questions inside the report.
Settings
- Power BI report link: the dedicated SharePoint embed link generated in the Power BI service, not the browser address bar URL.
- Page name: sets the default page of a multi-page report; the report opens on the page you pick. If the dropdown is empty, the report has one page or the pasted URL already contains a page name.
- Display: adjusts how the report fits within the SharePoint page; the embedded report is responsive on mobile and desktop.
- Show Nav Pane: shows or hides the report’s page navigation.
- Show Filter Pane: shows or hides the filter pane for viewers.
- Secured data: embedded reports respect Power BI item permissions and row-level security, so each viewer sees only the data they are allowed to see.
- Copilot inside the report (optional): generate the embed link with Copilot enabled and viewers can ask Copilot questions in the embedded report. Requires the Copilot tenant setting plus Power BI Premium or paid Fabric capacity.
Limits and Nuances
- Publisher licensing: whoever embeds the report needs a Power BI Pro or Premium Per User license; a free license is not enough to publish.
- Viewer licensing: viewers also need a Pro or Premium Per User license, unless the report sits in a Power BI Premium capacity or a Fabric capacity of F64 or higher, where a free license is enough.
- Page permissions do not grant report permissions: someone can see the SharePoint page yet still get an error on the report. Grant access in the Power BI service separately.
- One-time sign-in: viewers must sign in to the Power BI service at least once to activate their license, or the report will not render. If the report is distributed through a Power BI app, they must also open that app in the service once first.
- Reports only: the web part does not embed Power BI dashboards. Rebuild the dashboard visuals as a report page instead.
- URL filters are not supported with this web part: you cannot pre-filter the report through the link.
- External guest accounts are not supported: guests see the loading logo, but the report never appears.
Power BI vs. the Alternatives
- Power BI web part vs. Quick Chart: use Quick Chart for one simple column or pie chart from a small list; use Power BI for interactive, multi-source, multi-page reporting.
- Power BI web part vs. the Embed web part: the Power BI web part keeps reports secure and permission-trimmed; the Embed web part with a publish-to-web link makes the data public, so reserve it for truly public content.
- Power BI web part vs. an embedded Excel workbook: Excel works when the numbers already live in a spreadsheet and nobody needs interactivity; Power BI wins for filtering, drill-down, and scheduled data refresh.
- Power BI web part vs. the List web part: if people just need to see and edit the rows, show the list itself; add Power BI when they need trends, totals, and visuals across the data.
Common Questions About the Power BI Web Part
Do viewers need a Power BI license to see an embedded report in SharePoint?
Usually yes. Viewers need a Power BI Pro or Premium Per User license, unless the report is hosted in a Power BI Premium capacity or a Fabric capacity of F64 or higher – in that case a free Power BI license is enough. Each viewer also has to sign in to the Power BI service at least once to activate that license.
Why does the embedded report show an error even though people can see the page?
Because SharePoint page permissions and Power BI report permissions are separate. Embedding a report does not grant anyone access to it – viewers need permission to the report inside the Power BI service, typically through workspace membership or a shared Power BI app. The two most common causes of the ‘content is not available’ message are missing report access and a deleted report.
Can the Power BI web part embed a dashboard?
No, the web part embeds reports only. If the content you want on the page currently lives in a Power BI dashboard, recreate those visuals as a report page and embed that instead. Multi-page reports work well here – the Page name setting lets you choose exactly which page the web part opens on, so one report can feed several SharePoint pages.
Is the data in an embedded Power BI report secure?
Yes. The web part uses secure embedding, so reports respect all Power BI item permissions and row-level security. Two people can look at the same page and see different numbers, each trimmed to their own access. This is what separates the Power BI web part from a publish-to-web embed, which exposes the data to anyone with the link.
Can external guests view a Power BI report embedded in SharePoint?
No. Guest accounts invited from outside your organization are not supported by the Power BI web part – guests see the loading logo, but the report never renders. If external users genuinely need the insights, share the report with them directly from the Power BI service instead, or publish a separate page with non-confidential content for them.
How do I make an embedded Power BI report look like part of the intranet page?
Hide the chrome. Turning off the navigation and filter panes in the web part settings removes most of the report-tool look, and the Display setting controls how the report fits the page. Matching the report’s colors to the site theme does the rest – the dashboards on LookBook 365 pair this exact web part with a custom theme, the only way Greg Zelfond builds.