Forum Discussion
Image display in Power bi report
- 1 year ago
Hi joeanish_0523 ,
I can help you resolve this image display issue. The problem is likely with the URL format and permissions. Here's a reliable solution:Method 1: SharePoint Image Column (Recommended)
- In your SharePoint list, make sure the image column is set to "Picture" type (not hyperlink)
- Upload images directly to SharePoint (not linking to OneDrive)
- In Power BI, the image column should automatically display in table visuals
Method 2: OneDrive Sharing Links (If you must use OneDrive)
- Right-click your image in OneDrive → Share → Copy Link
- Important: Change the sharing link format:
- Use this converted URL in SharePoint
Method 3: SharePoint Document Library Approach
- Create a document library in SharePoint for images
- Upload images there and get the direct file URL: https://yourtenant.sharepoint.com/sites/sitename/Shared%20Documents/image.jpg
- Reference this URL in your list
Power BI Settings:
- In Power BI Desktop: Format → Column formatting → Set to "Image URL"
- Ensure the column data category is set to "Image URL"
Troubleshooting:
- Test the URL in a browser first - it should directly display the image
- Check sharing permissions (images must be accessible to report viewers)
Best Regards,
Jainesh Poojara | Power BI Developer - 1 year ago
hI joeanish_0523 ,
1. Always Use a Direct Image Link Make sure your image link ends in .jpg, .png, etc. if there’s a long string of parameters or it opens a SharePoint/OneDrive page (instead of the image itself), Power BI won’t display it. For SharePoint: Right-click the image in your document library and choose “Copy Link.” It should look clean sometimes you’ll need to trim everything after the file extension. For OneDrive: Use “Share” → “Copy Link” and, if needed, convert it to the download format: https://onedrive.live.com/download?cid=YOUR_CID&resid=YOUR_RESID
2. Paste These Links into Your Table You can keep these in Excel, SharePoint list, or wherever your data lives—just make sure every row gets its matching image URL.
3. Tell Power BI It’s an Image Click your image URL column in Power BI Desktop. On the ribbon, go to Column tools > Data Category > set it to Image URL. Drop that field into a table or matrix visual and boom, you should see images, not hyperlinks.
4. Double-Check Permissions Open your image link in a private/incognito browser window. If you can see it without logging in, you’re good. If not, change the permissions/sharing settings on the file or folder. The most common issue: the link works for you but not for viewers of your report (especially if your org is strict about access).
5. Bonus: Troubleshooting Tips Try uploading an image to the SharePoint “Site Assets” library, which is sometimes less picky about permissions. If you see a broken image icon, it almost always means the link is private or isn’t a direct image file. For tons of images, keep file sizes small Power BI loads everything each time.
Hi joeanish_0523 ,
I can help you resolve this image display issue. The problem is likely with the URL format and permissions. Here's a reliable solution:
Method 1: SharePoint Image Column (Recommended)
- In your SharePoint list, make sure the image column is set to "Picture" type (not hyperlink)
- Upload images directly to SharePoint (not linking to OneDrive)
- In Power BI, the image column should automatically display in table visuals
Method 2: OneDrive Sharing Links (If you must use OneDrive)
- Right-click your image in OneDrive → Share → Copy Link
- Important: Change the sharing link format:
- Use this converted URL in SharePoint
Method 3: SharePoint Document Library Approach
- Create a document library in SharePoint for images
- Upload images there and get the direct file URL: https://yourtenant.sharepoint.com/sites/sitename/Shared%20Documents/image.jpg
- Reference this URL in your list
Power BI Settings:
- In Power BI Desktop: Format → Column formatting → Set to "Image URL"
- Ensure the column data category is set to "Image URL"
Troubleshooting:
- Test the URL in a browser first - it should directly display the image
- Check sharing permissions (images must be accessible to report viewers)
Best Regards,
Jainesh Poojara | Power BI Developer
- LimpingWolf684 months agoFrequent Visitor
Hello, I've tried Method 3 but still don't get an image. Probably because of sharing permissions. However, thr SharePoint site is my own, I have full permision to this site. I don't understand why I still don't see anuthing. Even an image from a public site is not visible. I asked AI but the answers produced didn't solve the problem.
What am I missing?
- Ashishma1 month agoFrequent Visitor
great