Issue Accessing Power BI Semantic Model via Excel

Question

Issue Accessing Power BI Semantic Model via Excel

Ahilan 0

We created a tabular report in Excel using a Power BI semantic dataset. I have Workspace Admin access, and the user has Workspace Viewer access with Read, Build, and Reshare permissions.

However, when the user opens the Excel report, they receive the following message:

"An error occurred while loading the dataset 'Semantic Dataset Name'. To refresh the dataset, you must have permission. Request access and try again. Click here to request access."

When they click "Click here to request access", it redirects them to the dataset in Power BI Service, but then shows another pop-up:

"Sorry, we couldn't find that semantic model. It may have been deleted or you may not have access to view it."

Has anyone else encountered this issue? Any suggestions on how we can resolve it would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance!
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simo-k 10,415 Reputation points Volunteer Moderator

2025-04-11T13:53:50.6266667+00:00

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simo-k 10,415 Reputation points Volunteer Moderator

2025-04-11T13:53:50.6266667+00:00

Microsoft Q&A(en-us) does not support Fabric.
Please ask your question in the community below.
Fabric Community
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　├ Data Engineering
　├ Data Warehouse
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Answer 1

Syed Saleem Peera 13,060 Microsoft External Staff Volunteer Moderator

Hello Ahilan,

Thank you for reaching out on the Microsoft Q&A forum.

This error usually happens when the user doesn’t have direct Build access to the semantic model (dataset), even if they’re a Viewer in the workspace.

Please go to Power BI Service -Dataset - More options (...) - Manage Permissions and explicitly grant the user Build permission. That should fix the access issue in Excel.

If you are still facing any issue, please let us know in the comments and where you are encountering this error along with the screenshot for reference. We are glad to help you.

Please don’t forget to Accept Answer and Yes for "was this answer helpful" wherever the information provided helps you, this can be beneficial to other community members.

Thank you.

Ahilan 0 Reputation points

2025-04-14T12:46:45.72+00:00

Hi Syed Saleem Peera,

Thank you for your help. However, the user has the following permissions under Direct Access in Power BI Service (Dataset > Manage Permissions): Workspace Viewer, Build, Reshare, and Write access.

Thank you
Syed Saleem Peera 13,060 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Volunteer Moderator

2025-04-14T14:38:01.3733333+00:00

Hello Ahilan,

It looks like you do have Build, Reshare, and Write permissions on the dataset, which should normally allow Excel access. Please confirm that you’re logged in to Excel with the same account that has these permissions, and that the dataset hasn’t been renamed or moved. If it’s still not working, try removing and re-adding the user permissions or re-binding the dataset in Excel to ensure everything is in sync.

Also, could you please specify the Learn Path/Module you're going through? It would be helpful if you could provide the error message along with any screenshots for reference.
Syed Saleem Peera 13,060 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Volunteer Moderator

2025-04-15T10:20:37.6033333+00:00

Hello Ahilan,

Just checking in to see if you had a chance to see the previous answer. Please let me know if it was helpful and don't hesitate to reach out to us if you face any issue.

Please don’t forget to Accept Answer and Yes for "was this answer helpful" wherever the information provided helps you, this can be beneficial to other community members.

Thank you
Ahilan 0 Reputation points

2025-04-16T04:09:04.87+00:00

Hello Syed Saleem Peera,

Thanks for your response. The user is using the same account, and the dataset hasn't been deleted or removed. Another user with workspace member access is able to view the Excel file without any issues.

https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/power-bi/collaborate-share/service-connect-power-bi-datasets-excel

After reviewing this blog, I realized that I need to enable access in the tenant settings within the Admin Portal. To use the Admin Portal, I’ll need Power BI admin privileges, which I currently don’t have. Once I get the necessary access, I’ll give it a try and keep you posted.

Thank you!
Syed Saleem Peera 13,060 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Volunteer Moderator

2025-04-16T04:41:43.16+00:00

Hello Ahilan,

Thanks for the update! Once you have Power BI admin access and the tenant settings are updated, the Excel connection should work as expected. Let me know once it’s done, and I’ll help you test everything.

If you still face any issues, feel free to share the details and a screenshot of the error—we’re happy to help troubleshoot further.
Ahilan 0 Reputation points

2025-04-24T04:06:24.8766667+00:00

Hello Syed Saleem Peera,

Thanks for your response. I’ve been granted Power BI admin access and can now access the admin portal in the Power BI service. In the Tenant settings, I provided access to the user, and they are now able to open the Excel report. I’ve attached the updated settings for your reference.

Power BI service > semantic model > settings > Admin Portal > Tenant settings > Export and sharing settings > users can work with semantic models in excel using a live connection
Syed Saleem Peera 13,060 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Volunteer Moderator

2025-04-24T08:40:37.4466667+00:00

Hello Ahilan,

Glad to hear that your issue got resolved. Please don't hesitate to reach out to us if you have any further queries.

If the information is helpful, please Accept Answer & Upvote so that it would be helpful to other community members.

Thank you.

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Issue Accessing Power BI Semantic Model via Excel

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