Power BI Embed Report with Examples

Power BI is a powerful business analytics tool from Microsoft, allowing users to visualize and analyze data in a meaningful way. One of its most remarkable features is the ability to embed reports into websites or applications, enabling users to share interactive and insightful data visuals. In this article, we’ll dive into how you can embed Power BI reports and provide practical examples to guide you through the process.

What is Power BI Embedding?

Power BI embedding refers to the process of integrating Power BI reports and dashboards into external applications, websites, or portals. This allows non-Power BI users to interact with the reports, view data, and even make adjustments without having to open the Power BI platform. Embedding Power BI reports can be particularly useful for businesses that want to share interactive reports with external clients or stakeholders.

There are two main ways to embed Power BI reports:

Embed for your organization (Power BI Pro or Premium): This option is for embedding reports within your organization’s environment.
Embed for customers (Power BI Embedded): This option is for embedding reports in apps or websites for external users who do not have Power BI accounts.

Prerequisites for Power BI Embedding

Before embedding a Power BI report, ensure the following prerequisites are met:

Power BI Service Account: You need a Power BI account to create reports and dashboards.
Power BI Pro or Premium License: Embedding requires a Power BI Pro or Premium license, depending on the method used.
Azure AD Application: For embedding in applications, you need to register your app in Azure Active Directory (Azure AD).
Power BI Embedded Capacity: If embedding for external users, ensure you have the right Power BI Embedded capacity.

Steps to Embed Power BI Reports

1. Publish the Report to Power BI Service

To start, you need to have a report created in Power BI Desktop. Once your report is ready, follow these steps to publish it to the Power BI Service:

Open your report in Power BI Desktop.
Click on the Home tab and then the Publish button.
Choose the workspace in Power BI Service where you want to publish the report.

2. Get the Embed Code

Once your report is published to the Power BI Service, you can generate the embed code.

Go to the Power BI Service (https://app.powerbi.com).
Navigate to your report and click on the File menu.
Select Embed report and then choose the method you prefer. The most common options are:
Embed in SharePoint Online: For embedding in a SharePoint page.
Embed for Web (public): For public embedding without authentication (note: this is available only for public reports).

Choose the embed option based on your needs and copy the generated code.

3. Embed the Report in Your Web Application

Once you have the embed code, you can integrate it into your website or application. Here’s an example of how you can embed a Power BI report using HTML.

<iframe width="800" height="600" src="https://app.powerbi.com/reportEmbed?reportId=yourReportID&groupId=yourGroupID&autoAuth=true&ctid=yourTenantID" frameborder="0" allowFullScreen="true"></iframe>

4. Secure Embedding with Power BI Embedded

For secure embedding, especially when embedding reports for external customers, Power BI Embedded provides a more robust solution. It uses the Power BI REST API and Azure AD for authentication, ensuring that only authorized users can access the reports.

You need to follow these steps:

Register your app in Azure AD: Create an Azure AD app and configure its permissions for Power BI embedding.
Generate an Embed Token: Use the Power BI REST API to generate an embed token, which will authenticate users without requiring them to have a Power BI account.

Example Code for Embedding with Authentication

// Sample code to embed with Power BI Embedded
var embedConfig = {
    type: 'report',
    id: 'yourReportId',
    embedUrl: 'https://app.powerbi.com/reportEmbed?reportId=yourReportId',
    accessToken: 'yourEmbedToken',
    permissions: powerbi.models.Permissions.All,
    settings: {
        filterPaneEnabled: true,
        navContentPaneEnabled: true
    }
};

// Get the Power BI embed container
var embedContainer = document.getElementById('embedContainer');

// Embed the report
var report = powerbi.embed(embedContainer, embedConfig);

Best Practices for Embedding Power BI Reports

When embedding Power BI reports, keep these best practices in mind:

Performance Optimization: Large reports can affect performance. Consider optimizing the data model and using DirectQuery to improve performance.
Security: Ensure that only authorized users can access embedded reports. Implement row-level security (RLS) to restrict data access based on user roles.
Customization: Customize the look and feel of the embedded report to match your app’s design. Power BI allows you to hide the Power BI interface and integrate the report seamlessly into your application.
Interactivity: Allow users to interact with the report, such as filtering data, drilling down, or using slicers. This enhances the user experience and provides more insights.

Conclusion

Embedding Power BI reports can significantly enhance the way you share data and insights with both internal and external users. By following the steps and using the appropriate tools, you can integrate interactive reports into your website or application, ensuring that users have seamless access to valuable information. Whether you’re embedding for your organization or external clients, Power BI offers flexibility, security, and powerful analytics capabilities that can transform how data is shared and consumed.