Why image URLs don't work?

Hi TimoRiikonen​,

Yes, this is most likely related to authentication.

The fact that the URL works when you use it as a Web URL doesn't necessarily mean Power BI can use it as an Image URL. In the Web URL case, you're just opening the link in your browser, where you're already authenticated to SharePoint.

For an Image URL, Power BI needs to retrieve the actual image. If the SharePoint URL requires your Microsoft 365 login or redirects through SharePoint authentication, Power BI may not be able to retrieve it, which is why you're seeing the empty box.

I'd try the same visual with a genuinely public image URL first. If that works, then the issue is almost certainly the SharePoint authentication/URL rather than the Power BI model.

Also check whether you're using the actual image URL or a SharePoint sharing/view URL. A URL that opens the image in your browser isn't necessarily a direct URL that Power BI can render.

If the SharePoint files are private, I wouldn't make them public just to get this working. It would be better to look at an authentication-compatible approach or another location for hosting the images.

If you post an example of the URL format (with the site/company details removed), it should be possible to tell whether it's a direct image URL or a SharePoint sharing link.

Hello TimoRiikonen​ 

Power BI can't log into SharePoint to fetch the image it needs a link anyone (no login) can open directly.

Fix in 3 steps:

Don't use the normal SharePoint "share" link that's a login-protected preview page, not the actual image.

Get a direct, public image link instead. Easiest ways:

Add ?download=1 to the end of your SharePoint sharing link, and make sure the link is set to "Anyone with the link" (not restricted to your org).

Or upload the images somewhere made for public hosting instead of SharePoint e.g. Azure Blob Storage (public container), GitHub, or Imgur.

Test it first: paste the URL into an incognito/private browser window. If the image loads with no login prompt, it'll work in Power BI. If it asks you to sign in, it still won't work.

If the images are sensitive and can't be public, the workaround is to embed them as Base64 directly in a calculated column (data:image/png;base64,...) instead of linking no internet fetch needed at all.

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Hi TimoRiikonen​ ,

As we haven’t heard back from you, we wanted to kindly follow up to check if the solution provided for the issue worked? or Let us know if you need any further assistance?

Regards,

Chaithanya