.svg){kind=small}
How to Publish and Share a Power BI Report
Introduction
Building a Power BI report in Power BI Desktop is only half the job. The real value comes when other people can view it, interact with it, and trust the numbers. That means you need to publish the report to the Power BI service (online), set up access, and make sure the data refreshes properly.
In this guide you will learn how to:
- Publish a report from Power BI Desktop to the Power BI service
- Choose the right workspace
- Share a report safely with the right people
- Control what viewers can do (view, edit, build, reshare)
- Set up refresh so the report stays up to date
- Use apps, links, Teams, SharePoint, and PDF exports to distribute reports
- Avoid common problems like “I can’t access it” or “the refresh failed”
This guide uses plain language but covers the key details you need in real workplaces.
Key idea: Power BI Desktop vs Power BI service
- Power BI Desktop is where you build the report (.pbix): import data, model it, write measures, design pages.
- Power BI service (powerbi.com) is where you publish, share, schedule refresh, and manage access.
Think of Desktop as your “workbench” and the service as your “delivery platform”.
Before you publish: quick checks that save headaches
1) Confirm your data source and refresh plan
Ask:
- Is the data in a file (Excel/CSV), a database, SharePoint, or an online system?
- Do you need it refreshed daily, hourly, or weekly?
- Will you use an on-premises gateway (for local databases)?
2) Make sure the report is tidy
- Page titles and visuals make sense
- Filters and slicers behave as expected
- Navigation buttons work (if you have them)
- You’ve removed test pages and “scratch” visuals
3) Check sensitive data
If the report includes personal data or confidential information:
- Confirm who is allowed to see it
- Consider row-level security (RLS) if different users should see different rows
- Avoid sharing widely until permissions are correct
Step 1: Publish from Power BI Desktop
- Open your report in Power BI Desktop.
- Click Home > Publish.
- Sign in (if prompted).
- Choose a workspace in the list.
- Click Select (or Publish).
Power BI Desktop uploads your report to the Power BI service.
When it finishes, you’ll see a message with a link: Open ‘your report’ in Power BI. Click it to go straight to the online version.
Tip: Publish to a workspace, not “My workspace”, when the report is for a team. It’s easier to manage access and ownership.
Step 2: Understand what gets created online
When you publish a PBIX, Power BI usually creates:
- A Report (the pages and visuals people view)
- A Semantic model (formerly called a dataset) which holds the data model, measures, and refresh settings
The report uses the semantic model. Many reports can share one semantic model (advanced setup), but for most small projects one report = one model.
Step 3: Choose the right workspace
Workspaces are like team folders. They store:
- reports
- semantic models
- dashboards
- dataflows (if used)
Common setup
- Team workspace for a department (e.g., Finance Reports)
- Separate workspace for development/test (optional)
- Workspace access controlled by roles (Admin/Member/Contributor/Viewer)
Why “My workspace” is risky
If you publish to My workspace:
- It’s tied more closely to your personal account
- Sharing and ownership can get messy when people change roles or leave
Step 4: Set up sharing the right way
There are a few ways to share. The “best” way depends on whether you’re sharing with a few people or a wider audience.
Option A: Share a report directly (good for small audiences)
- Open the report in the Power BI service.
- Click Share.
- Add people or groups (email addresses).
- Choose permissions (if available):
- Allow recipients to share (use carefully)
- Allow recipients to build content with the data (more advanced; use only when appropriate)
- Click Send.
They get an email and a link.
Good for: small teams, quick sharing
Be careful: reshare settings can spread access wider than you intended
Option B: Use a Power BI App (best for broader distribution)
An App is a packaged version of a workspace for viewers.
Typical approach:
- Builders work in the workspace
- Viewers consume through an App
Benefits:
- Cleaner experience for users
- Central place to manage who can access
- Reduces accidental edits
- Works well for multiple reports
High level steps:
- In the workspace, click Create app (or Update app if it already exists).
- Choose which content to include.
- Set the audience (groups/users).
- Publish the app.
Good for: departments, large groups, formal reporting
Option C: Share in Microsoft Teams
You can add a Power BI report as a Teams tab.
- In Teams, go to the channel.
- Click + (add a tab)
- Choose Power BI
- Select the report and save.
Good for: teams that live in Teams
Important: they still need Power BI permissions.
Option D: Embed in SharePoint Online
You can embed a report on a SharePoint page using the Power BI web part.
Good for: intranet pages and portals
Important: viewers still need permission and usually a Power BI licence that allows viewing.
Option E: Export (PDF, PowerPoint) or subscribe
If someone wants a static copy:
- Export to PDF
- Export to PowerPoint
- Subscribe (email snapshots on a schedule, depending on licence and settings)
Static exports are useful, but they lose interactivity.
Step 5: Understand licences in plain English
Power BI sharing often depends on licensing.
Common concepts:
- Power BI Free: can create in Desktop, limited sharing and service features
- Power BI Pro: common for sharing and collaboration in workspaces
- Power BI Premium capacity / Fabric capacity (organisation-level): allows broader viewing without each viewer needing Pro, depending on setup
Licensing rules can be confusing because they depend on how your organisation is set up. If sharing fails, licensing is one of the first things to check with IT.
Step 6: Control access and permissions properly
Power BI has multiple permission layers:
Workspace role
- Admin/Member/Contributor: can manage and publish content (varies)
- Viewer: can view content in the workspace (if allowed)
For most users, Viewer is enough.
Report permissions
- Viewers can see the report if they have access (direct share, App, or workspace permission)
- “Build” permission allows creating new reports using the semantic model (use carefully)
Resharing
If you allow resharing, users may pass access on. This might be fine inside a department, but you should make a conscious decision.
Step 7: Row-Level Security (RLS) for “same report, different views”
Sometimes one report is shared with many people, but they should only see their own rows. Example:
- Salespeople should only see their own sales
- Regional managers should only see their region
That’s what Row-Level Security is for.
High level steps:
- In Power BI Desktop, create roles with filter rules.
- Publish the report.
- In the service, go to the semantic model’s Security settings.
- Assign users/groups to roles.
- Test using “View as role”.
RLS is powerful, but it needs careful testing.
Step 8: Configure scheduled refresh (so numbers stay current)
After publishing, you usually need to set up refresh.
- In the workspace, find the semantic model (dataset).
- Open Settings.
- Go to Data source credentials and sign in for each source.
- Go to Scheduled refresh and turn it on.
- Choose frequency and time.
Common refresh scenarios
Data stored in SharePoint/OneDrive
Often straightforward, but still requires credentials.
Data stored in SQL Server (on-premises)
Usually needs an On-premises data gateway installed and configured by IT.
Data stored in cloud systems
May require OAuth sign-in, API permissions, and sometimes privacy settings.
Tip: Refresh failures are often credential problems. Update credentials first before troubleshooting anything else.
Step 9: Set refresh expectations (and communicate them)
People will ask “Is this live?”
Be clear:
- “Refreshes daily at 7am.”
- “Refreshes every hour from 9am to 5pm.”
- “Refreshes on demand when the data owner updates the file.”
If the report shows “as of” time, include a small card:
- “Last refresh: [date/time]”
This builds trust fast.
Step 10: Common sharing problems (and how to fix them)
“I can’t access this report”
Likely causes:
- User not added to the report/App/workspace permissions
- Wrong tenant/account signed in
- Licence issues (needs Pro, or report not in Premium capacity)
Fix:
- Share through the App or add user/group properly
- Confirm they’re signed in with the right work account
- Check licensing rules
“I can see it, but I can’t click anything”
Likely cause:
- Viewing on a locked export or screenshot instead of the live report
- Browser restrictions or embedded context issues
Fix:
- Share the direct report link
- Test in a browser (Edge/Chrome)
“Data won’t refresh”
Likely causes:
- Credentials missing/expired
- Gateway offline (on-premises sources)
- Source file moved or renamed
- Data source privacy/permissions changed
Fix:
- Update credentials in dataset settings
- Check gateway status
- Confirm file path and access
- Review error message details
“People can see too much data”
Likely causes:
- Report shared too broadly
- RLS not set up or not assigned correctly
- Underlying list/table permissions too open
Fix:
- Remove access and share via App with the right group
- Set up RLS and assign roles
- Review source permissions
Step 11: Good practices for professional publishing
- Use clear naming: “Sales Dashboard (Monthly)”
- Keep one “Production” workspace and separate “Development” if needed
- Use groups rather than individual emails (easier to manage)
- Avoid giving edit access unless someone truly needs it
- Prefer Apps for large audiences
- Add a “Help” page in the report with:
- what the report is for
- who owns the data
- refresh schedule
- contact for questions
- Keep versions of PBIX files with dates or version numbers
Conclusion
Publishing and sharing a Power BI report is where the report becomes useful. Publish from Desktop to the Power BI service, store reports in the right workspace, and share in a controlled way using direct sharing or (better for wider audiences) a Power BI App. Then set up refresh and make sure people understand when the data updates. With the right permissions and a few best practices, your reports will be easy to access, easy to trust, and easy to maintain.
If you’d like hands-on support building and publishing reports properly, explore our Power BI Desktop courses:
.png){kind=small}
