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How to Give External Users Secure Read-Only Access to Power BI
Question details
Organizations need to share published Power BI dashboards with external users while maintaining strict security policies and preventing unauthorized access.
- Product
- Power BI
- Device & OS
- not provided
- Scenario
- Sharing internal corporate dashboards with external stakeholders or clients safely.
- Observed behavior
- External users require secure, authenticated read-only access to view specific dashboards without unrestricted public links.
Ensure you have administrator privileges in Microsoft Entra ID to invite guest users, and member or admin access to the Power BI workspace where the dashboard is published.
Add Guest Users via Microsoft Entra ID and Share Secure Links
Use Microsoft Entra ID B2B collaboration to invite external users, then share dashboards using restricted links to prevent anonymous access.
By managing external users through Microsoft Entra ID, your organization retains full control over security protocols, including multi-factor authentication (MFA) and Row-Level Security (RLS) enforcement.
Go to the Microsoft Entra ID admin center, navigate to Users, and select 'New guest user' to send invitations to the external stakeholders.
Open your Power BI workspace and ensure any required Row-Level Security (RLS) rules and report permissions are appropriately configured for the dataset.
Navigate to the published dashboard, click the 'Share' button, and choose 'Specific people' or 'People with existing access'. Avoid using the unrestricted 'Anyone with the link' option.
Enter the guest users' email addresses and send the link. They must sign in with their authenticated guest credentials to view the dashboard in read-only mode.
Manage Your Data Securely with WPS Office
While Microsoft Power BI is ideal for advanced enterprise BI dashboards, WPS Office provides a lightweight, highly secure, and completely free alternative for everyday data analysis and spreadsheet reporting. Perfect for managing and sharing sensitive datasets seamlessly without costly subscriptions.
- 1. Download WPS Office: Visit the official WPS Office website and download the free version for your operating system.
- 2. Install the Software: Run the installer and follow the on-screen instructions to complete the setup.
- 3. Secure Your Spreadsheets: Open WPS Spreadsheet, prepare your data, and use the 'Encrypt' feature under the 'Menu' or 'Review' tab to set read-only passwords before sharing.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why shouldn't I use the 'Publish to web' feature to share my Power BI dashboard?
The 'Publish to web' feature generates an unsecured public link that anyone on the internet can view. It bypasses all authentication and Row-Level Security (RLS), making it completely unsuitable for confidential business data.
Do external guest users need a Power BI Pro license?
Yes. Unless your workspace is hosted in a Power BI Premium capacity, both the user sharing the dashboard and the external guest user must have a Power BI Pro or Premium Per User (PPU) license.
How does Row-Level Security (RLS) apply to external users?
RLS works exactly the same for external guest users as it does for internal employees. Once an external user is added via Entra ID, you can assign them to specific RLS roles in your dataset to restrict the data they are permitted to view.
