Microsoft Purview – Unable to capture lineage from Power BI to Azure SQL / Synapse

Question

Hi,

I am using Microsoft Purview** Data Map and Unified Catalog** to scan Power BI, Azure SQL Database, and Azure Synapse Analytics** (Dedicated SQL Pool)**.

The Power BI reports are built on datasets that source data from Azure SQL Database and Synapse Dedicated SQL Pool. I have successfully scanned all sources, and metadata is captured correctly for each asset.

However, I am unable to see end-to-end lineage from Power BI back to Azure SQL and Synapse in Purview.

Current behavior:

• In Purview lineage view, I can only see Power BI Report → Power BI Dataset

Lineage does not extend from the dataset to Azure SQL tables or Synapse DW objects

In Power BI itself, lineage also stops at the dataset level

What I have already confirmed:

All sources are scanned successfully with no scan errors

Metadata for Azure SQL, Synapse, Power BI datasets, and reports is visible

Power BI datasets are using Azure SQL and Synapse as data sources

My questions:

Is full lineage from Power BI → Azure SQL / Synapse Dedicated SQL Pool currently supported in Microsoft Purview?

Are there specific requirements (authentication type, gateways, scan configuration, or dataset mode such as Import vs DirectQuery) needed to enable this lineage?

Are there known limitations or prerequisites for capturing Power BI to SQL/Synapse lineage?

Hi,

I am using Microsoft Purview** Data Map and Unified Catalog** to scan Power BI, Azure SQL Database, and Azure Synapse Analytics** (Dedicated SQL Pool)**.

The Power BI reports are built on datasets that source data from Azure SQL Database and Synapse Dedicated SQL Pool. I have successfully scanned all sources, and metadata is captured correctly for each asset.

However, I am unable to see end-to-end lineage from Power BI back to Azure SQL and Synapse in Purview.

Current behavior:

In Purview lineage view, I can only see Power BI Report → Power BI Dataset

Lineage does not extend from the dataset to Azure SQL tables or Synapse DW objects

• In Power BI itself, lineage also stops at the Power BI dataset level

What I have already confirmed:

All sources are scanned successfully with no scan errors

Metadata for Azure SQL, Synapse, Power BI datasets, and reports is visible

Power BI datasets are using Azure SQL and Synapse as data sources

My questions:

Is full lineage from Power BI → Azure SQL / Synapse Dedicated SQL Pool currently supported in Microsoft Purview?

Are there specific requirements (authentication type, gateways, scan configuration, or dataset mode such as Import vs DirectQuery) needed to enable this lineage?

Are there known limitations or prerequisites for capturing Power BI to SQL/Synapse lineage?

Any guidance or documentation references would be greatly appreciated.

Answer 1

Hi Pratik Pokharel

What you’re seeing is expected with the current Purview behavior.

Today, Purview can capture lineage within Power BI (report → dataset) and it can scan Azure SQL and Synapse as sources, but it does not always stitch the lineage automatically from a Power BI dataset back to Azure SQL or Synapse tables.

So even if:

• scans are successful
• metadata is visible
• datasets are using SQL/Synapse

the lineage can still stop at the dataset level. This is a product limitation, not a configuration issue on your side.

A few points to be aware of:

• End-to-end lineage from Power BI to SQL/Synapse is not fully supported in all scenarios yet
• Dataset mode (Import vs DirectQuery) and gateways can affect lineage, but even with correct setup, stitching may not appear
• Complex queries or transformations in Power Query can also break lineage mapping

For now, there isn’t a setting to “turn on” to force this linkage. The best you can do is ensure scans are up to date and sources are in the same Purview account.

You can check the Microsoft Learn documentation on Power BI lineage and known limitations to track updates, since this area is improving over time.

Hope this clarifies it.