Forum Discussion
Dataflow (Gen 1) - Additional contacts box for refresh failure
I've just noticed that in the refresh section of a dataflow you used to be able to list additional contacts in case of dataflow failure yet when I look now all I get is a tickbox for the dataflow owner, basically giving me the option of "telling nobody" or "one person". Is this a glitch or a planned change? Why was the option removed, it makes managing failures much more difficult in a team environment.
9 Replies
Hi Warren_Owen
It looks like Microsoft recently updated the dataflow (Gen 1) settings for refresh failure notifications. Previously, as you mentioned you could add multiple additional contacts to get notified on failures. Now, as shown in the current interface, you’re limited to just notifying the dataflow owner, with no box for adding more contacts.
This isn’t a glitch, it appears to be a planned change, possibly related to simplification or an upcoming platform shift. Many teams relied on the old feature to keep groups in the loop, so losing this makes broader team monitoring harder.
Possible Workarounds you can try:
- Use a shared mailbox or service account as the dataflow owner if you need group notification.
- Set up a Power Automate flow to send custom notifications based on refresh events for more flexibility.
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A bigger issue is that existing notifications to designated users or groups are still running and now we have no way to change or disable them even if they were set up in error previously. At least if it is a deliberate step to remove the functionality , disable the existing notifications first?!?!! Madness!
Did anyone find any communication from Microsoft about this change? Where can we vote to have something rolled back?
Hi Warren_Owen ,
Thank you for reaching out to the Microsoft Community Forum.
Hi grazitti_sapna , Thank you for your prompt response.
Hi Warren_Owen , In addition to grazitti_sapna response, I have added some points.
Please try below options.
1. Assign multiple admins to the workspace so they can monitor refresh history.
2. Use Power BI REST API to check refresh status and send alerts to a distribution list.
I hope this information helps. Please do let us know if you have any further queries.
Regards,
Dinesh
Hi Warren_Owen ,
We haven’t heard from you on the last response and was just checking back to see if you have a resolution yet. And, if you have any further query do let us know.
Regards,
Dinesh
I wasn't looking for a workaround solution for the removal of a core feature, so I don't think having additional admins having to manually check the workspace for failures, or creating additional technical debt into my processes by adding some additional complexity through Power Automate and/or REST API calls when the solution was already there, in place, and removed.
I may have to create a solution using REST API and/or Power Automate and build that additional complexity, but I'm still kind of hoping Microsoft reverse the change as it is a really bad change.
I’ve noticed this as well, and frankly, it’s a puzzling decision on Microsoft’s part.
In our setup, dataflows are owned by service accounts to ensure continuity and control, while business users are intentionally granted view-only access to workspaces to maintain strict governance and security boundaries.
What’s particularly confusing is that semantic models still retain the ownership transfer capability, yet this feature has been removed from both Gen1 and Gen2 dataflows.
It’s unclear what Microsoft’s long-term strategy is here. The inconsistency suggests a shift in how they envision data governance within Fabric, but without clearer communication, it’s difficult to assess the impact or plan accordingly
