I was recently asked how to share Power BI reports both internally and externally. Power BI offers several options—each with different levels of security, flexibility, and licensing. In this post, I’ll break down six key sharing methods and when to use them, complete with official Microsoft links and a quick-reference.
Just a quick note: This post focuses on Power BI in general, not specifically on Business Central. While these sharing options also apply when using Business Central as a data source, Business Central offers its own streamlined Power BI embedding features—which I’ll cover in a separate post.
1. 🔓 Publish to Web
🔗 Publish to web from Power BI
Ideal for: Public sharing of non-sensitive data
Publish to Web is the simplest way to share Power BI content publicly. It generates a URL or iframe that anyone can access—no authentication required.
✅ Pros:
- Extremely easy to use
- No viewer license required
- Automatically updates with report changes
⚠️ Cons:
- No security: anyone with the link can access the data
- Not suitable for confidential or proprietary information
- Not supported for reports with Row-Level Security (RLS)
- Must be enabled by a Power BI admin
📌 Verdict: Great for public-facing content like marketing dashboards or open data initiatives. Avoid using it for anything sensitive.
2. 🔐 Secure Embed (Embed for Your Organization)
🔗 Embed securely in an internal portal or website
🔗 Power BI usage scenarios: Embed for your organization
Ideal for: Internal portals and authenticated users within your organization
This method allows you to embed Power BI content in internal websites or portals. Users must authenticate with their organizational (Azure AD) accounts.
✅ Pros:
- Enforces all Power BI permissions and security settings
- No additional licensing if using Premium capacity
- Supports full interactivity and a wide range of content types
⚠️ Cons:
- Requires users to be part of your organization or added as guests
- Each user needs a Power BI Pro license unless using Premium
- Limited customization of the user interface
📌 Verdict: Best for internal use cases where security and user authentication are essential.
3. 🧩 Power BI Embedded (Embed for Your Customers)
🔗 Power BI usage scenarios: Embed for your customers
🔗 Embed sample for your organization (developer guide)
Ideal for: External customer-facing applications
This is the “App owns data” model, where your application authenticates and serves Power BI content to users who don’t have Power BI accounts.
✅ Pros:
- No Power BI account needed for end users
- Fully customizable UI via Power BI JavaScript SDK
- Scalable and secure with row-level security and embed tokens
- Capacity-based licensing (e.g., Azure A SKUs or Fabric capacity)
⚠️ Cons:
- Requires developer effort to implement
- Must use Premium or Embedded capacity (Pro licenses alone won’t work)
- Some Power BI features (e.g., email subscriptions) may not be available
📌 Verdict: Ideal for ISVs and SaaS platforms embedding analytics into customer-facing apps.
4. 🔗 URL Filters
🔗 Filter a report using query string parameters in the URL
Ideal for: Prefiltering reports for convenience
URL filters allow you to append query string parameters to a report URL to prefilter the view.
✅ Pros:
- Easy to implement
- Useful for customizing views for different users
- Works with most sharing methods
⚠️ Cons:
- Not a security feature—users can modify the URL to change filters
- Complex syntax for advanced filtering
- Doesn’t restrict access to data
📌 Verdict: Great for enhancing user experience, but don’t rely on it for data protection.
5. 📦 Power BI Apps
🔗 Create and distribute Power BI apps
Ideal for: Distributing curated collections of reports to internal or guest users
Apps bundle multiple reports and dashboards into a single package that can be shared with specific users or groups.
✅ Pros:
- Centralized distribution and updates
- Supports multiple audiences with tailored content
- Works with internal and external (guest) users
- No Pro license needed for viewers if using Premium capacity
⚠️ Cons:
- Requires managing access for each user or group
- External users must be added as guests
- Read-only by default (unless build permissions are granted)
📌 Verdict: Excellent for internal teams or partners who need access to a suite of reports.
6. 🧱 Template Apps
🔗 What are Power BI template apps?
🔗 Install, share, and update template apps
Ideal for: Power BI partners distributing reusable solutions via AppSource
Template apps are prebuilt Power BI apps that customers can install and connect to their own data.
✅ Pros:
- Scalable distribution model for partners
- Customers retain control over data and customization
- Updates can be pushed via AppSource
⚠️ Cons:
- Requires Power BI Pro license to install
- Setup and certification process for publishers is complex
- Limited to Power BI capabilities and known limitations
📌 Verdict: Best for partners and ISVs delivering standardized analytics solutions to many customers.
🎯 Quick Reference
| Sharing Method | Audience Type | Security Level | License Required | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 🔓 Publish to Web | Public (Anyone) | ❌ None | Creator: Pro/PPU | Public dashboards, blogs, open data |
| 🔐 Secure Embed (Org) | Internal / Guests | ✅ Full (AAD Auth) | Viewer: Pro/PPU or Premium | Intranet portals, internal apps |
| 🧩 Power BI Embedded (Customers) | External (No AAD) | ✅ Token-based | Premium/Embedded Capacity | SaaS apps, customer portals |
| 🔗 URL Filters | Any (with access) | ❌ Not secure | Same as base method | Prefiltered links, navigation between reports |
| 📦 Power BI Apps | Internal / Guests | ✅ Full (AAD Auth) | Viewer: Pro/PPU or Premium | Bundled content for teams or partners |
| 🧱 Template Apps | Power BI Customers | ✅ Tenant-based | Viewer: Pro/PPU | ISVs, reusable solutions via AppSource |
Legend:
✅ = Secure
❌ = Not secure
AAD = Azure Active Directory
🧭 Questions to Help You Choose the Right Sharing Method
Before deciding how to share your Power BI reports, consider these key questions:
- Who will access the reports?
- Internal users
- External customers without Power BI accounts
- Customers with Power BI licenses
- What is the sensitivity of the data?
- Public
- Confidential
- How should users authenticate?
- Through your app
- Via guest accounts
- Expected scale?
- Number of external users
- Expected concurrency
- Customization needs?
- Embedded in your app with branding
- Standard Power BI interface
- Personalization?
- Should each customer see only their own data (Row-Level Security)?
- Budget/licensing preference?
- Willing to use Azure capacity for Power BI Embedded
- Prefer to use existing Power BI licenses
✅ Recommendations
- For external customers without Power BI accounts, Power BI Embedded is the most secure and flexible option.
- For internal users or guest accounts, consider Secure Embed or Power BI Apps.
- Avoid Publish to Web for any sensitive or confidential data.
Power BI gives you plenty of ways to share your reports—each with its own strengths. By choosing the right method for your audience and data, you’ll ensure your insights are both accessible and secure.
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