Forum Discussion
Data could not be retrieved
Hello everyone,
I am seeking assistance with a data retrieval error occurring only after publishing a report to the web. The visual works perfectly in Power BI Desktop and within the Power BI Service for authenticated users, but fails when accessed via a public Publish to Web link.
The Issue: The visual displays the following error message:
“Couldn't retrieve the data for this visual. Please try again later... Underlying Error: PowerBIAnonymousArbitraryDaxExpressionException. Http Status Code: 403.”
Technical Environment:
File Format: PBIR (Power BI Report)
Underlying Error: PowerBIAnonymousArbitraryDaxExpressionException
Http Status Code: 403
Correlation ID: f07bb830-61d6-cf55-ff32-6ff48f08b5ed
Activity ID: 0a05e0ba-2cdd-4732-8927-fab0c7cbcc04
Request ID: c18e51da-aa2a-2244-ae54-0a1ab7b651ad
Time: Sat Apr 04 2026 15:53:40 GMT+0600 (Bangladesh Standard Time)
Service version: 13.0.28045.45
Client version: 2603.4.28646-train
Cluster URI: https://wabi-east-asia-b-primary-api.analysis.windows.net/
Activity ID: 0a05e0ba-2cdd-4732-8927-fab0c7cbcc04
Request ID: c18e51da-aa2a-2244-ae54-0a1ab7b651ad
Time: Sat Apr 04 2026 15:53:40 GMT+0600 (Bangladesh Standard Time)
Service version: 13.0.28045.45
Client version: 2603.4.28646-train
Cluster URI: https://wabi-east-asia-b-primary-api.analysis.windows.net
Visual Configuration: The visual is a Line Chart (TAT by Month Trend) with the following setup:
X-Axis: EndOfMonth
Y-Axis: TAT(Median)
Visual Elements: * A Visual Calculation used for the Data Label.
DataLabel =
IF( [EndOfMonth] >=[Start Date] && [EndOfMonth]<=[End Date], [TAT(Median)], BLANK())Reference Lines (X-Axis Constant Lines) driven by the following measures: (dummy date is a disconnected table)
Start Date = MIN('dummy date'[EndOfMonth])
End Date = MAX('dummy date'[EndOfMonth])
Troubleshooting Observed: I have isolated the cause through a process of elimination:
If I delete the Visual Calculation (Data Label) and both Reference Lines (Start Date and End Date), the chart renders correctly in Publish to Web.
If any one of these elements (Visual Calculation or Measure-driven Reference Line) is present, the 403 error returns immediately.
It appears the anonymous public engine is unable to process these specific DAX expressions or the PBIR metadata associated with them.
Has anyone encountered this specific exception when using the PBIR format with Visual Calculations or dynamic Reference Lines in a public context? Are there known limitations regarding "Arbitrary DAX" in the anonymous web engine that would cause this 403 block?
Thank you for your help.
Excellent diagnosis on your end — you've already identified exactly what's happening. The PowerBIAnonymousArbitraryDaxExpressionException error is a security restriction in the Publish to Web anonymous engine. Microsoft deliberately blocks certain DAX expressions in the public/anonymous context to prevent arbitrary DAX execution by unauthenticated users.
What gets blocked:Visual Calculations — these are evaluated as "arbitrary DAX" from the anonymous engine's perspective because they're dynamic expressions attached to the visual, not pre-defined measures in the semantic model
Measures used in Reference Lines driven by disconnected tables — the MIN/MAX against your dummy date table apparently also triggers this restriction in anonymous contextWhy it works for authenticated users: Authenticated sessions have a verified identity, so the arbitrary DAX restriction doesn't apply.
Workarounds:
The most practical fix is to move the logic out of Visual Calculations and into regular measures in the semantic model. Replace your DataLabel visual calculation with a standard measure that replicates the same logic — pre-defined semantic model measures are whitelisted for anonymous execution.
For the reference lines, try using static values or date-based measures that don't rely on a disconnected slicer table. If the start/end dates need to be dynamic, you'd need to find a way to express them without MIN/MAX on an unrelated disconnected table in the anonymous context.
Unfortunately this is a known limitation of Publish to Web and there's no workaround that keeps Visual Calculations working in anonymous mode — it's by design.
1 Reply
Excellent diagnosis on your end — you've already identified exactly what's happening. The PowerBIAnonymousArbitraryDaxExpressionException error is a security restriction in the Publish to Web anonymous engine. Microsoft deliberately blocks certain DAX expressions in the public/anonymous context to prevent arbitrary DAX execution by unauthenticated users.
What gets blocked:Visual Calculations — these are evaluated as "arbitrary DAX" from the anonymous engine's perspective because they're dynamic expressions attached to the visual, not pre-defined measures in the semantic model
Measures used in Reference Lines driven by disconnected tables — the MIN/MAX against your dummy date table apparently also triggers this restriction in anonymous contextWhy it works for authenticated users: Authenticated sessions have a verified identity, so the arbitrary DAX restriction doesn't apply.
Workarounds:
The most practical fix is to move the logic out of Visual Calculations and into regular measures in the semantic model. Replace your DataLabel visual calculation with a standard measure that replicates the same logic — pre-defined semantic model measures are whitelisted for anonymous execution.
For the reference lines, try using static values or date-based measures that don't rely on a disconnected slicer table. If the start/end dates need to be dynamic, you'd need to find a way to express them without MIN/MAX on an unrelated disconnected table in the anonymous context.
Unfortunately this is a known limitation of Publish to Web and there's no workaround that keeps Visual Calculations working in anonymous mode — it's by design.