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Use OneLake image and map files in Power BI reports

Applies to: ✅ Power BI Desktop and Power BI service

Store image files and shape map files in Microsoft OneLake when you want to use authenticated files in Power BI reports. Power BI uses each report viewer's Microsoft Entra identity to load OneLake files. The files don't need anonymous access, but each viewer needs permission to read them.

This article shows you how to upload files to a lakehouse, copy a file URL, and use the URL in a report.

Prerequisites

  • A Microsoft Fabric workspace where you can create a lakehouse and upload files.
  • Power BI Desktop or permission to edit a report in the Power BI service.
  • To configure viewer access, a workspace Admin or Member role, or assistance from someone with one of these roles.

Upload images to OneLake

A lakehouse provides a Files area for storing images and other unstructured files in OneLake.

  1. Create a lakehouse in your Fabric workspace.
  2. Open the lakehouse, and then expand Files in the Lakehouse explorer.
  3. Open the context menu for Files or a folder, and then select Upload > Upload files.
  4. Select the image files, and then select Upload.

You can also upload images with OneLake file explorer. Drag files from a local folder into the lakehouse Files folder in Windows File Explorer.

Copy the OneLake file URL

Copy the URL for each image that you want to use in a report.

  1. In the Lakehouse explorer, locate the image under Files.
  2. Open the image file's context menu, and then select Properties.
  3. In the Properties pane, copy the URL value.

The URL uses the OneLake HTTPS format. For example:

https://onelake.dfs.fabric.microsoft.com/<workspace-guid>/<item-guid>/Files/<path>/<file-name>

For more information about OneLake paths, see OneLake URI syntax.

Add the URL to a report

How you add the URL depends on whether the report uses one image or selects images based on data.

Enter a URL in the format pane

Use this method when a visual displays one image.

  1. Select a visual that supports an image URL, such as an image or card visual.
  2. In the Format visual pane, open the settings for the image.
  3. For the image source, select Enter URL.
  4. Paste the OneLake file URL.

The location and name of the image settings vary by visual. For an example, see Create an image visual.

Use an image URL column

Use a column when each row or category can display a different image.

  1. Add the OneLake file URLs to a column in your source data.
  2. In Power BI Desktop, open Table view and select the column.
  3. On the Column tools tab, set Data category to Image URL.
  4. Add the column to a visual that supports images from data.

For more information, see Specify data categories in Power BI Desktop and Display images in a table, matrix, or slicer.

Use an image URL measure

Use a Data Analysis Expressions (DAX) measure when the image URL must respond to the report's filter context. The following example returns one OneLake file URL:

Image URL = "https://onelake.dfs.fabric.microsoft.com/<workspace-guid>/<item-guid>/Files/<path>/<file-name>"
  1. Create a measure that returns the OneLake file URL.
  2. Select the measure, and then open the Measure tools tab.
  3. Set Data category to Image URL.
  4. Add the measure to a visual or use it as the field for an image setting.

For more information about creating measures, see Create measures for data analysis in Power BI Desktop.

Use OneLake images in visuals

You can use OneLake image URLs in these report scenarios:

Other scenarios might exist because visuals continue to add support for image URLs. Check the documentation for the visual that you want to use to confirm whether it accepts an image URL.

Give report viewers access

Report viewers can see a OneLake image only when they have access to the report and read access to the image file in OneLake. Access to the report or semantic model doesn't automatically grant access to the file.

Grant each viewer Read permission on the lakehouse item. Then grant OneLake security Read permission on the folder that contains the image. Alternatively, grant ReadAll permission on the lakehouse item to provide access to all content under Tables and Files. Follow the principle of least privilege and grant access only to the folders that viewers need.

For details, see OneLake security access control model and Best practices for OneLake security.

Considerations

  • Power BI supports BMP, JPG, JPEG, GIF, PNG, and SVG image URLs. Azure Maps marker images require SVG files.
  • Moving or renaming a file changes its path. Update the URL in the report or semantic model after either change.
  • Large images can increase the time required to render a report page. Use image dimensions and file sizes that are appropriate for the visual.
  • OneLake URLs require authentication. Report viewers who don't have permission to read a file don't see its image.
  • Publish to web and other anonymous embed scenarios don't support OneLake file URLs because those scenarios can't authenticate to OneLake.
  • Deployment pipelines don't rewrite OneLake image URLs. A report deployed to a new stage continues to reference files in the original workspace. To point to images in the target stage, use parameters or update the URLs after deployment.

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