non power bi users

Question

how to publish a power bi report so non power bi users can view it in sharepoint

Answer 1

Hello @Kowalsky, Chris (PTC)

Regarding your concern, Power BI reports can be shared in SharePoint Online with users who don’t have Power BI licenses. You can consider the following methods: 

1. Embed a report using the Power BI web part 

You can embed a report directly into a SharePoint page. However, please note:

• Users will still need a Power BI Pro license unless the report is hosted in a workspace assigned to Power BI Premium capacity
• This is the recommended and secure approach for internal sharing

For detailed steps, please refer to: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/power-bi/collaborate-share/service-embed-report-spo

1. Publish to web from Power BI

Using Power BI Publish to Web, you can generate a public link or embed code for the report. However, this option might not be secure, as the report becomes publicly accessible and may be exposed to anyone on the internet. It should only be used for non-sensitive data.

For guidance, you can visit this link: Publish to web from Power BI - Power BI | Microsoft Learn

I hope the information above is helpful. If you have any further questions, please feel free to reach out.

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Answer 2

Non–Power BI users can view a Power BI report in SharePoint if the report is embedded correctly and they have the right type of access. There are two main options: secure internal embedding (recommended) and public access.

1. Securely embed the report in SharePoint Online (internal users)
   This keeps data secured and still lets users view the report directly on a SharePoint page.

Step 1 – Get the SharePoint embed URL from Power BI

1. Open the report in the Power BI service.
2. On the File menu, select Embed report > SharePoint Online.
3. Copy the report URL from the dialog.

Step 2 – Add the report to a SharePoint page

1. In SharePoint Online, open the target page and select Edit, or create a new page (Pages > + New > Site Page).
2. Select the + icon to add a web part and choose the Power BI web part from the Data analysis section.
3. Select Add report.
4. Paste the copied Power BI report link. The report loads automatically.
5. Select Publish to make the page available to users.

Step 3 – Grant access in Power BI
Embedding in SharePoint does not grant report permissions automatically:

• Ensure all intended viewers have view access to the report in Power BI.
• Either:
  • Add users/groups as members/viewers of the Power BI workspace (for Microsoft 365 Group–based sites), or
  • Publish the report in a Power BI app and share that app with users, then use the app’s report URL in the SharePoint web part.

Note: To share with users who only have a free Power BI license, the workspace must be in Premium capacity. Otherwise, viewers need appropriate Power BI licensing even when viewing via SharePoint.

2. Public access via “Publish to web” (anyone on the internet)
   If the requirement is that users have no Power BI account at all, the only option in the provided context is Publish to web, which makes the report publicly accessible:

• In Power BI, use Publish to web to generate a public URL.
• This URL can then be surfaced in SharePoint (for example, via a link or iframe where allowed).

Important security notes:

• Anyone on the internet can view the report and underlying data without authentication.
• Do not use this for confidential or proprietary data.
• Check organizational policies and tenant settings; the Power BI admin must enable Publish to web.

For internal business scenarios with non–Power BI users, the recommended approach is to use a Premium capacity workspace plus the Power BI web part in SharePoint, so users authenticate with Microsoft 365 but do not need individual Pro licenses.

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References:

• Embed a report web part in SharePoint Online
• Publish to web from Power BI