Restrict Edit Access on Semantic Models for Report Developers

Currently, all report developers who build reports from a semantic model in Microsoft Fabric require Edit Access to the model. Without this permission, they cannot create reports, as the option is unavailable.

This approach poses challenges, especially with Direct Lake models, where data resides in Fabric itself. In many scenarios, organizations may have one large semantic model serving multiple developers. Granting edit access to all report developers introduces risks such as accidental changes to the model, governance issues, and lack of isolation between roles.

Proposed Enhancement:

• Introduce role separation:
  • Semantic Model Developer: Full edit access to manage model structure, measures, and relationships.
  • Power BI Report Developer: Ability to create reports from the semantic model without requiring edit permissions on the model itself.

This change will improve security, governance, and collaboration in environments where multiple developers work on shared models.