topic Re: Get 401 Error when try to Get Activity Events (Audit Logs) in Developer

Get 401 Error when try to Get Activity Events (Audit Logs)

VSmart — Wed, 15 Mar 2023 07:55:28 GMT

I'm trying to get Power BI audit logs using service principal.

I follow every step in creating Azure principal Embed Power BI content in an embedded analytics application with service principal and an application secret - Power BI | Microsoft Learn

1.Create app

2.Create secret

3. Add app into group

4. Give all permitions to app

Tenant.Read.All, Tenant.ReadWrite.All;Report.ReadWrite.All, Report.Read.All, Dataset.Read.All;Auditlog.Read.All; Workspace.Read.All;Workspace.ReadWrite.All; and many other permitions.

5. Enable "Allow service principal to use Power BI API's" and "Enable content in apps" in Power BI admin portal.

I can get acces token and run few API calls like :

"https://api.powerbi.com/v1.0/myorg/groups" and

"https://api.powerbi.com/v1.0/myorg/groups/{groupId}/reports"

But when try to get activity events

"https://api.powerbi.com/v1.0/myorg/admin/activityevents?startDateTime='2023-02-13T07:55:00.000Z'&endDateTime='2023-02-13T08:55:00.000Z'&$filter=Activity" and

"https://api.powerbi.com/v1.0/myorg/admin/activityevents?startDateTime='" + activityDate + "T00:00:00'&endDateTime='" + activityDate + "T23:59:59'"

- get 401 error.

Or post this request "https://api.powerbi.com/v1.0/myorg/datasets/{datasetId}/refreshes" get 403 error.

My Python script is follow:

TENANT_ID = '1eb27ef3-976f-4600-a791-*******' CLIENT_ID = 'd5376b05-a655-463b-ae9f-*******' CLIENT_SECRET = '**************************' SCOPE_BASE = ['https://analysis.windows.net/powerbi/api/.default'] AUTHORITY_URL = 'https://login.microsoftonline.com/organizations' try: authority = AUTHORITY_URL.replace('organizations', TENANT_ID) clientapp = msal.ConfidentialClientApplication(CLIENT_ID, client_credential=CLIENT_SECRET, authority=authority) response = clientapp.acquire_token_for_client(scopes=SCOPE_BASE) try: access_token = response['access_token'] activityDate = date.today() - timedelta(days=1) activityDate = activityDate.strftime("%Y-%m-%d") url = "https://api.powerbi.com/v1.0/myorg/admin/activityevents?startDateTime='" + activityDate + "T00:00:00'&endDateTime='" + activityDate + "T23:59:59'" header = {'Content-Type':'application/json', 'Authorization':f'Bearer {access_token}'} api_call = requests.get(url=url, headers=header) print(api_call) print(api_call.json()) except KeyError: raise Exception(response['error_description']) except Exception as ex: raise Exception('Error retrieving Access token\n' + str(ex))

Re: Get 401 Error when try to Get Activity Events (Audit Logs)

Anonymous — Fri, 17 Mar 2023 03:02:09 GMT

Hi VSmart,

Perhaps you can take a look at the following link that mentions about the similar issues:

Solved: Using a Service Principal for the Activity Events ... - Microsoft Power BI Community

Regards,

Xiaoxin Sheng

Re: Get 401 Error when try to Get Activity Events (Audit Logs)

VSmart — Fri, 17 Mar 2023 08:18:14 GMT

Thank you error disappear when i remove Tenant.ReadAll and Tenant.ReadWriteAll. It writted in documentation. https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/rest/api/power-bi/admin/get-activity-events#permissions

Re: Get 401 Error when try to Get Activity Events (Audit Logs)

Anonymous — Wed, 22 Mar 2023 08:13:55 GMT

HI VSmart,

I'm glad to hear you find the root causing and share the resolution here, they will help others who faced the similar issues.
Regards,

Xiaoxin Sheng

Re: Get 401 Error when try to Get Activity Events (Audit Logs)

PravinPCUK — Tue, 02 Sep 2025 14:31:18 GMT

VSmart

I have tried this. Removed all the admin-consent required from API permissions. Still getting 401 error for activity events data.

I have added my Service Principal security group in "Service principals can call Fabric public APIs" & "Service principals can access read-only admin APIs" in PBI Service Admin portal,
Assigned Fabric Admin role to API security group

But still getting 401 error for activity events. I'm able to get the reports/datasets list though.

Let me know if I'm doing anything wrong.