topic Re: Testing as an external user in Developer

Testing as an external user

Ix_Jr — Wed, 23 Apr 2025 17:43:38 GMT

Hi All!

We have a Power BI application that we are trying to publish to users outside of our company via the Marketplace, but we are havinng problems with external users running the application.

When anyone in our company runs the application, they see no issue. When anyone outside of our company tries to run it, they either get an error message saying "contact the admin" (me), or it just hangs.

Previously, we would test the application using personal emails (e.g. Gmail) to select the application and run it. Microsoft is now blocking those requiring either "a work or school email" address to download the application.

Is there a best practice - or any practice that allows one to test an application as a true external user? Is suspect the issue with this app is security/access, but it's not reasonable to ask our potential users to help us test this.

Thanks in advance for your assistance,

Re: Testing as an external user

v-echaithra — Thu, 24 Apr 2025 10:46:08 GMT

Hi @Ix_Jr ,

Thank you for posting in Microsoft Community.
Enable guest access in the tenant settings and ensure that external users are added to your Azure AD. You might need to re-invite them to reset any stale authentication tokens.
Can you share a screenshot or exact wording of the error message you see?

Regards,
Chaithra E.

Re: Testing as an external user

Ix_Jr — Thu, 24 Apr 2025 15:29:28 GMT

Hi Chaithra,

Thanks for responding. This is what one user shared with us:

Thanks,

Eric

Re: Testing as an external user

v-echaithra — Tue, 29 Apr 2025 18:36:04 GMT

Hi @Ix_Jr @Ix_Jr ,

To install, customize, and share a template app in Power BI, you need the following:

An active Power BI Pro license
Tenant-level permissions to install template apps
A valid installation link—available via AppSource or directly from the app creator
A good familiarity with the basic concepts of Power BI.

For reference: https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/power-bi/connect-data/service-template-apps-install-distribute

Regards,
Chaithra E.

Re: Testing as an external user

Ix_Jr — Tue, 29 Apr 2025 18:51:10 GMT

Hi @v-echaithra ,

So does that mean that the error messages mean that the customer is lacking either:

An active Power BI Pro license or
Tenant-level permissions to install template apps?

The installation link is valid for everyone inside of the company, so it's probably safe to assume that it's good for everyone outside? I can include the link if that would be helpful.

But this brings me back to the original question - how do I test this as a completely external entity so as to expose issues with security/permissions prior to publishing?

Thanks again,

Re: Testing as an external user

v-echaithra — Tue, 13 May 2025 13:24:13 GMT

Hi @Ix_Jr ,

Yes in order to install and use a template app, external users must have Power BI Pro or Premium Per User, Free accounts can’t install template apps, Azure AD-backed account like work or school email, one's Power BI tenant must allow template app installs these are controlled in tenant settings and also should have Access to any external resources used in the app like underlying datasets, APIs, connectors.

In order Test as an External User Add an external user as a Guest in your AAD and test it.

If this post helps, please give us Kudos and consider marking it Accept as solution to assist other members in finding it more easily.
Thank you for being a part of Microsoft Fabric Community Forum!

Thanks and regards,
Chaithra.

Re: Testing as an external user

v-echaithra — Fri, 23 May 2025 06:18:59 GMT

Hi @Ix_Jr ,

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?
If our response addressed, please mark it as Accept as solution and click Yes if you found it helpful.

Regards,
Chaithra.

Re: Testing as an external user

v-echaithra — Wed, 28 May 2025 13:33:25 GMT

Hi @Ix_Jr ,

May I ask if you have gotten this issue resolved?

If it is solved, please mark the helpful reply or share your solution and accept it as solution, it will be helpful for other members of the community who have similar problems as yours to solve it faster.

Regards,
Chaithra.

Re: Testing as an external user

Ix_Jr — Wed, 28 May 2025 21:36:30 GMT

Hello All,

The solutions presented did not address the issue sufficiently, but I will add what I have discovered in the hopes that it will aid someone else who finds themselves in the same/similar situation in the future.

In order to test an offering, it is absolutely necessary to create an account which is external to your organization. Adding guest users to your tenant is insufficient, as is testing with internal users. The account must be truly external to fully test the end-user experience and to find issues with your offering.

Microsoft seems averse to allowing the creation of user accounts for this purpose (note the elimination of the ability to use "personal" accounts for this purpose); there seems to be an effort to eliminate the methods for setting up these accounts as they are discovered, so there is little point in adding links here to show how to do it. The tester will need to use their favorite search engine to find the latest method as things evolve.

Once I created a truly external user to my organization, I have found it possible to set that account up with a trial version of PowerBI to download/test my sample application. Further verification was provided from an acquaintance with student account access.

Thank you for your time and consideration,

Ix Jr.