Cross workspace semantic model access

Hi sanjoli,

I think the key point here is that there are two different permission layers involved:

1. Access to the semantic model in Workspace B
2. Access to the underlying Warehouse data in Workspace A

Being a Member in Workspace B gives the user broad access to the semantic model workspace, but it does not automatically guarantee that Copilot / cowork can resolve and query the underlying Warehouse data from Workspace A.

A few things I would check :

• On the semantic model in Workspace B, make sure the business user or group has at least Read permission, and ideally Build permission if they need to discover/reuse the model outside a report experience.
• On the Warehouse in Workspace A, make sure the user has the required item permissions, not only SQL object permissions.
• Read on the Warehouse only allows connection to the SQL endpoint. To actually query tables/views, the user needs ReadData or equivalent SQL permissions.
• If the semantic model is Direct Lake / DirectQuery over the Warehouse, validate the experience with the exact same business user account, not an admin account, because admin permissions can hide missing downstream permissions.
• Also check whether RLS/OLS is enabled on the semantic model, as this can affect what the user can access even if the base permissions look correct.

One thing to keep in mind: Approved for Copilot makes the semantic model eligible for Copilot, but it does not replace normal Fabric / Power BI permissions. The user still needs proper access to the semantic model and, depending on the connection mode and authentication behavior, to the underlying data source as well.

So I would first validate this path step by step :

User can open Workspace B semantic model

• user has Read/Build on the semantic model
• user can query the Warehouse tables in Workspace A directly
• user can consume the semantic model in Power BI then test cowork / Copilot

That usually helps identify whether the missing permission is on the semantic model side or on the Warehouse side.

Some references : 

• https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/power-bi/connect-data/service-datasets-permissions 
• https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/power-bi/connect-data/service-datasets-build-permissions 
• https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/fabric/data-warehouse/share-warehouse-manage-permissions 
• https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/power-bi/create-reports/copilot-introduction