Power BI Embedded: Complete Guide to Integrating Dashboards into Apps

Data is the new oil, but it only has value if it is accessible. Power BI Embedded allows you to take data analysis directly to where users work: their applications and portals.

What is Power BI Embedded?

It is an Azure service that allows developers to embed Power BI reports, dashboards, and tiles into web applications, without end-users needing Power BI Pro or Premium licenses.

Use Cases

• Customer Portals: Share performance metrics or project status with external clients securely.
• SaaS Applications: Offer analytics as a premium feature of your software product.
• SharePoint Intranets: Although SharePoint has native integration, Embedded offers full control over the experience and navigation.

How It Works?

Implementation involves three main components:

1. Azure AD App: For authentication (Service Principal).
2. Power BI Workspace: Where reports are published.
3. Power BI SDK: JavaScript libraries to control rendering and interaction (filters, navigation, events).

Row-Level Security (RLS)

One of the most powerful features is the ability to dynamically filter data based on the logged-in user in your application, ensuring that each person sees only the data they have access to, all managed through a single master report.