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Embedding Paginated Reports in Power BI Service

Posted on by Zubair Shaik

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Embedding Paginated Reports in Power BI Service – Step-by-Step Detailed Guide

Paginated reports in Power BI are ideal for creating printable, pixel-perfect reports with precise formatting. Embedding these reports into Power BI Service allows users to seamlessly integrate detailed reports within their workspace, dashboards, and applications. This guide provides a comprehensive, step-by-step breakdown of how to embed paginated reports into Power BI Service.

1. Understanding Paginated Reports

What are Paginated Reports?

Paginated reports are:

  • Optimized for printing and PDF export.
  • Designed for multi-page layouts.
  • Ideal for scenarios requiring detailed data presentation, such as invoices, receipts, and operational reports.
  • Built using Power BI Report Builder, a tool that allows precise control over report layout and structure.

Why Embed Paginated Reports in Power BI Service?

Embedding paginated reports in Power BI Service helps users:

  • Access detailed, formatted reports in a cloud-based environment.
  • Share reports with other Power BI users or external clients.
  • Integrate reports into dashboards for enhanced data storytelling.
  • Automate scheduled data refresh and delivery.

2. Pre-requisites for Embedding Paginated Reports

Before embedding a paginated report in Power BI Service, ensure you have:

  • A Power BI Premium Per User (PPU) or Premium Capacity license.
  • A published paginated report in Power BI Service.
  • Proper permissions to embed and share the report.
  • Power BI REST API setup (for embedding in external applications).

3. Creating a Paginated Report for Embedding

To embed a paginated report, you must first create and publish it.

Step 1: Open Power BI Report Builder

  1. Download and install Power BI Report Builder from the Microsoft Download Center.
  2. Open the application and select “Blank Report” to start a new report.

Step 2: Connect to a Data Source

  1. In Report Data pane, right-click Data Sources → Click “Add Data Source”.
  2. Choose a connection type:
    • SQL Server (for on-premises databases)
    • Power BI Datasets (for cloud-based reports)
    • Azure SQL Database (for cloud SQL sources)
  3. Enter the connection details and click OK.

Step 3: Create a Dataset

  1. Right-click Datasets → Click “Add Dataset”.
  2. Select your Data Source.
  3. Write a SQL Query or use a stored procedure to retrieve data.
  4. Click OK.

Step 4: Design the Report

  1. Use the Table, Matrix, Chart, or List controls from the toolbar.
  2. Drag and drop fields from the dataset into the report.
  3. Customize formatting, fonts, colors, and alignment.
  4. Use parameters if you want users to filter data dynamically.

Step 5: Preview the Report

  1. Click Run to see how the report looks.
  2. Adjust formatting as needed.
  3. Save the report as .rdl file.

4. Publishing the Paginated Report to Power BI Service

Step 1: Sign in to Power BI Report Builder

  1. Click File → Publish.
  2. Select Power BI Service.
  3. Sign in using your Power BI credentials.

Step 2: Select a Power BI Workspace

  1. Choose a workspace that has Premium capacity.
  2. Click Upload.

Step 3: Verify the Published Report

  1. Open Power BI Service.
  2. Navigate to Workspaces → Select your workspace.
  3. Click on the Paginated Report to ensure it loads correctly.

5. Embedding Paginated Reports in Power BI Service

There are multiple ways to embed paginated reports in Power BI Service.

Method 1: Embedding in a Power BI Dashboard

  1. Open Power BI Service.
  2. Navigate to the workspace where your paginated report is published.
  3. Click on the paginated report.
  4. Click Pin to Dashboard.
  5. Choose an existing dashboard or create a new one.
  6. The report is now embedded in the dashboard.

Method 2: Using Power BI REST API for External Embedding

If you need to embed paginated reports into an external application, follow these steps:

  1. Register an Application in Azure AD
  2. Get Access Token
    • Use OAuth2 authentication to get an access token for Power BI REST API.
  3. Embed Report in an Application
    • Use the reports.generateToken API endpoint to get an embed token.
    • Pass the token to your frontend app to display the report.

Example API Call:

POST https://api.powerbi.com/v1.0/myorg/reports/{reportId}/GenerateToken
Authorization: Bearer {access_token}
Content-Type: application/json
{
   "accessLevel": "View"
}

6. Managing Access and Permissions

Step 1: Assign Roles in Power BI

  1. Navigate to Power BI Service → Select Workspace.
  2. Click Settings → Manage Permissions.
  3. Add users and assign roles:
    • Admin: Full access.
    • Member: Can edit reports.
    • Viewer: Can only view reports.

Step 2: Share the Embedded Report

  1. Click on the Share button.
  2. Enter the email addresses of users who need access.
  3. Select “Allow recipients to share” (optional).
  4. Click Send.

7. Scheduling Data Refresh for Embedded Reports

  1. In Power BI Service, go to Datasets.
  2. Click on the dataset used in the paginated report.
  3. Navigate to Scheduled Refresh.
  4. Enable Refresh and set a schedule (daily, weekly, etc.).
  5. Click Apply.

8. Exporting Embedded Paginated Reports

Users can export embedded paginated reports into different formats:

  • PDF
  • Excel
  • CSV
  • Word
  • PowerPoint
  • XML
  • MHTML

Steps to Export

  1. Open the paginated report in Power BI Service.
  2. Click on the Export dropdown.
  3. Select the desired file format.
  4. The report will be generated and downloaded.

9. Monitoring Embedded Paginated Reports

To track usage and performance:

  1. In Power BI Service, go to Workspace → Paginated Reports.
  2. Click Usage Metrics to see:
    • View counts
    • Export statistics
    • Data refresh logs

10. Troubleshooting Embedding Issues

Issue 1: Report Not Displaying

  • Ensure the report is published to a Premium workspace.
  • Verify user permissions.
  • Clear browser cache and retry.

Issue 2: Slow Performance

  • Optimize SQL queries.
  • Use indexed columns in the database.
  • Reduce the number of data rows.

Issue 3: Embed Token Not Working

  • Ensure the Power BI API permissions are set correctly in Azure AD.
  • Refresh access tokens periodically.

Conclusion

Embedding Paginated Reports in Power BI Service provides users with a rich, detailed, and structured reporting experience. Whether integrating into dashboards, external applications, or shared workspaces, the process ensures data is well-organized, easily accessible, and professionally formatted.

By following these detailed steps, you can successfully embed paginated reports into Power BI Service, enhance reporting capabilities, and share insights seamlessly with stakeholders.

Would you like a hands-on example with Power BI REST API code or Power Automate integration for further automation?

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