Efficient Way to Restrict Page-Level Access in Power BI Reports

[aji549]

Question:
Let's say I have a Power BI report with 9 pages (Page 1 to Page 9), all built using the same data model. I need to control access so that different user groups can view specific sets of pages:

• Group 1 should access only Pages 1-3.
• Group 2 should access Pages 4-6.
• Group 3 should have access to all pages (1-9).

Currently, I achieve this by:

1. Creating multiple PBIX files with different page combinations (e.g., one for Pages 1-3, another for Pages 4-6, etc.).
2. Publishing these as separate reports and adding them to an app.
3. Assigning access to different groups using audiences in the app.

Issues with this approach:

• Not flexible: If I need to change access (e.g., move Page 3 from Group 1 to Group 2), I must recreate and republish multiple PBIX files.
• Time-consuming: Managing multiple versions of the same report increases maintenance effort. Specially when there 10-15 PBIX files that I need to create and rearrange.

Question:
Can someone please help me out. I feel like there should be a better way and I am wasting my time.

Is there a more efficient way to achieve dynamic page-level access control within a single Power BI report without duplicating PBIX files? Any best practices or workarounds that simplify this process? Things I need to be aware of?

[Anonymous]

Hi @aji549 ,

As danextian said, there is currently no way to restrict access to specific pages based on the logged in user. You can refer to the alternatives given by danextian .

You can also submit an idea for it at Home (microsoft.com) and wait for users with the same needs as you to vote for you to help make it happen as soon as possible.

Best Regards,

Neeko Tang

[danextian · Accepted solution]

Hi @aji549 

Currently, it is not possible to restrict access to a specific page based on the logged-in user. Object Level Security can be created using an external tool called Tabular Editor but it only restricts the content, not the page itself.  https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/fabric/security/service-admin-object-level-security?tabs=table.

However, your current approach has some issues. Instead of creating multiple copies of the same model, use a single model and create thin reports. A thin report is a type of Power BI report connected to a shared data model rather than containing its own data model. This allows multiple reports to use a single data model, making management easier and more efficient. Thin reports rely on the central model for data, ensuring consistency and reducing redundancy. They are especially useful in scenarios where multiple reports need to access the same data but present different views or insights.

[MattiaFratello]

Hi @aji549, you can use Row-Level Security with Bookmarks and Buttons. 

RLS will allow you to create user groups.

Then you can create Bookmarks for the different set of pages:

• Group 1 sees Pages 1-3.
• Group 2 sees Pages 4-6.
• Group 3 sees all pages.