Forum Discussion
Displaying images from a SharePoint library image column
Hello,
I’ve been trying to display images stored in an Image column in a SharePoint library by composing the final image URL using the serverUrl and serverRelativeUrl fields.
When pasting the final image URL in the browser, it loads correctly. However, the images do not appear in the report.
I’m aware that many people face a similar issue where images initially show as broken in Power BI Desktop but start working once the report is published online. In my case, though, the behavior is different: after setting the data category of the URL column to Image URL, not even a broken image icon appears in the table - only a blank cell.
For comparison, test images from public URLs load correctly.
Has anyone experienced this same issue or found a possible fix?
Thanks in advance.
Hello jlbam
I faced same as you. But as i explored, some computer load the pictures and some dont if the link is coming from sharepoint.
The reliable way is using public url as you mentioned and base64 format.
Those two surely load the image. However, converted into base64 has character limit limitation in column so you need you need to split column then rejoin in measure.
Hope this will help.
Thank you.
Thank you, Irwan.
Upon further research into the topic you mentioned, this is what worked for me: using the SharePoint.Contents connector in Power Query to retrieve the content of the image files and convert them to base64.
For anyone interested, a detailed tutorial can be found here: Embedding Images Without URL | Base64 Encoding Method in Power BI
4 Replies
IrwanSuper User
Hello jlbam
I faced same as you. But as i explored, some computer load the pictures and some dont if the link is coming from sharepoint.
The reliable way is using public url as you mentioned and base64 format.
Those two surely load the image. However, converted into base64 has character limit limitation in column so you need you need to split column then rejoin in measure.
Hope this will help.
Thank you.
Thank you, Irwan.
Upon further research into the topic you mentioned, this is what worked for me: using the SharePoint.Contents connector in Power Query to retrieve the content of the image files and convert them to base64.
For anyone interested, a detailed tutorial can be found here: Embedding Images Without URL | Base64 Encoding Method in Power BI
- cengizhanarslan
When you paste the URL in a browser, it may work because you’re already authenticated to SharePoint.
But the Power BI visual renderer doesn’t always carry your SharePoint auth/cookies the same way, so the image request returns a 401/403 (or a redirect). Many visuals will show this as a blank cell.So, you need to tse a URL format that works for embedded rendering in SharePoint/Power BI.
v-sgandrathiCommunity Support
Hi jlbam,
Thank you for using Microoft Fabric Community Forum and thank you to Irwan and cengizhanarslan as well for providing useful answers.Another important aspect to keep in mind is authentication. Power BI visuals can only display images that are accessible without requiring interactive authentication. Even if the URL works in your browser because you’re already signed in to SharePoint, Power BI visuals do not use that same session or cookie. If the image link requires SharePoint authentication, the visual will show a blank cell instead of a broken image icon.
Here are some steps to check and possible solutions:
Make sure the dataset uses a SharePoint-native connector like SharePoint.Contents or SharePoint.Files, and that credentials are set the same way (Organizational account) in both Desktop and Service. Using different privacy levels, such as Private, can prevent images from loading.
Check that the URL you’re using is accessible without signing in. If the site or library isn’t shared publicly, Power BI visuals won’t be able to display the image.
In Power BI Service, verify that Allow external images is enabled for your tenant or workspace.
If you can’t make the image public, consider copying it to a location that allows anonymous links, like Azure Blob with SAS, a CDN, or a public SharePoint link created using Power Automate.
When creating the URL, avoid query strings that require authentication tokens. Use direct file paths that can be accessed anonymously.
Test the URL in an incognito window while signed out-if it doesn’t load there, it won’t load in Power BI visuals either.
These limitations are why public URLs work, but SharePoint-authenticated URLs often result in blank visuals.
Thank you,
Sahasra.
