How to Share Power BI Reports Securely in SharePoint Online
Question details
The user needs to securely share and embed a Power BI report within SharePoint Online so that intended viewers can access it without encountering license upgrade errors.
- Product
- Power BI, SharePoint Online
- Device & OS
- not provided
- Scenario
- Embedding and sharing a Power BI report within a SharePoint Online portal for other team members to view.
- Observed behavior
- Viewers without a Power BI Pro license receive an 'Upgrade the current Power BI license to view this report' error, as simply embedding the report does not automatically grant viewing permissions.
Verify your Microsoft 365 licensing status and Power BI workspace settings. Viewers will need either a Power BI Pro license or the report must be hosted in a workspace assigned to Power BI Premium capacity.
Publish and Share the Power BI Report with Premium Capacity
Use this method to correctly configure permissions and capacities so users with basic Microsoft 365 licenses can view the embedded report.
Embedding a report in SharePoint Online merely places the visual element on the page; it does not automatically grant viewing permissions. You must explicitly share the report or workspace. Furthermore, to bypass individual Pro license requirements for your viewers, the workspace must be assigned to Power BI Premium capacity.
Open your Power BI Desktop file and publish the report to a designated workspace within the Power BI service.
If your target audience only has free or basic Microsoft 365 licenses, navigate to your Workspace Settings and ensure the workspace is assigned to Power BI Premium capacity (indicated by a diamond icon).
Add the required users or Microsoft 365 groups as members or viewers of the workspace. Alternatively, package the report into a Power BI app and share the app directly with the intended users.
Once permissions are granted, generate the SharePoint Online embedding link from Power BI, open your SharePoint page in edit mode, and add the Power BI web part using the generated link.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Can I share a Power BI report in SharePoint with users who only have a free Microsoft 365 license?
Yes, but only if the report is published to a workspace assigned to Power BI Premium capacity. If it is in a shared capacity workspace, viewers will be prompted to upgrade to a Power BI Pro license regardless of SharePoint permissions.
Why does embedding a Power BI report in SharePoint not automatically give users permission to view it?
Embedding a report in SharePoint only provides the framework to display the content. It does not bypass Power BI's underlying security and licensing checks. You must explicitly grant access to the users within the Power BI service.
How do I securely share a read-only Power BI report?
You can publish the report to a Power BI app or add specific users as 'Viewers' to a Power BI workspace. Once access is configured in Power BI, you can safely share the direct link or embed the report in a secure portal like SharePoint.
