Internal User unable to connect to a Semantic Model

[darentengmfs]

Hi,

A user in my organization is trying to connect to a Semantic Model through Power BI Desktop, but they are unable to find it. The user has Build Permission to the report, and is also added to the RLS.

What other permissions am I missing to allow the user to connect to the Semantic Model?

Thanks in advance!

[v-pnaroju-msft · Accepted solution]

Thankyou @Shai_Karmani and @cengizhanarslan for your responses.

Hi @darentengmfs,

Based on our understanding, the App (Build) permission alone may not make the semantic model discoverable in Power BI Desktop.

Kindly verify that the user has direct Build permission assigned on the semantic model itself, as permissions inherited only through the App may not always surface the model correctly in Desktop discovery scenarios.

Ensure that the user is signing into Power BI Desktop with the same organizational account that received the permission. Additionally, ask them to sign out, sign back in, and clear cached permissions before retrying the connection.

Please also check whether the semantic model appears for the user in the Power BI Service first. If the model is not discoverable there, it may not appear in Desktop either. Kindly request your Power BI or Fabric Administrator to verify the relevant tenant settings, such as "Use semantic models across workspaces" in the Admin Portal.

If the issue persists after validating the above points, we kindly request you to open a Microsoft Support ticket for further backend investigation using the link:Microsoft Fabric Support and Status | Microsoft Fabric

Additionally, please refer to the following resources:
Semantic model permissions - Power BI | Microsoft Learn
Build Permission for Shared Semantic Models - Power BI | Microsoft Learn
Manage Semantic Model Access Permissions in Power BI - Power BI | Microsoft Learn

We hope the information provided helps to resolve the issue. Should you have any further queries, please feel free to contact the Microsoft Fabric community.

Thank you.

[cengizhanarslan]

Build permission on the report is not the same as Build permission on the semantic model. These are two separate items in Power BI and each requires its own permission grant. Go to the workspace → find the semantic model → click the three dots → Manage permissions → Add user → enter their email → select Build → Save.

[darentengmfs]

Hello,

The user does have access to the Semantic Model with App(Build) permissions, however, the model still isn't appearing. Do you know if there are other settings that have to be enabled for this to work?

[cengizhanarslan]

App and semantic model are different layers. If the user has view permisson to the app, it does not mean that the user can also access to the semantic model. You specifically need to give permisson throught the semantic model settings for that.

[darentengmfs]

Hi,

I went into the Semantic Model and granted the user Build Access through this option, but they are still not able to connect.

Currently, they are only able to see Semantic Models from Workspaces they have access to. However, they are not able to see Semantic Models from Reports that are shared to them which they also have Build access.

[Shai_Karmani]

Build permission alone is usually not enough. To use a semantic model from Power BI Desktop, the user has to be able to discover it, which means having access to the workspace it lives in or having the model itself shared with them. Build permission inherited from the report's permissions does not always cascade the way people expect.

Quick checks I would do, in order:

1. In the Service, open the workspace that holds the semantic model, click the more menu next to the model (not the report) and choose Manage permissions. Confirm the user is listed there directly with Build, not only via a group they think they belong to.

2. Give the user at least Viewer on the workspace, or share the semantic model directly with them with Build. Build on the report alone does not let them connect to the model from Desktop.

3. In Desktop, they should then connect via Get data, Power BI semantic models. The list only shows models the signed-in user can actually see.

4. If the user is on a different region or guest account, also check the tenant setting Allow XMLA endpoints and analyze in Excel with on-premises datasets, and Use semantic models across workspaces, in the admin portal.

Once Build is set on the model itself and the user can see the workspace, the connection from Desktop should work.

If this helped, a thumbs up and accepting the solution would be appreciated.

Thanks,
Shai Karmani

[darentengmfs]

Hi Shai,

Thanks for responding. Does the user need access to the Workspace for this to work? This could not work if there are reports in the Workspace that the user should not be able to view.