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RichFlorida's avatar
RichFlorida
Icon for Helper V rankHelper V
2 months ago
Solved

Power BI Desktop Bridge (June 2026 Preview)

 

The June 2026 release included a new feature called Power BI Desktop Bridge.  It is enabled by default.

Was anyone able to use it? 

 

What needs to be done to get started?

Need Help

4 Replies

  • tharunkumarRTK's avatar
    tharunkumarRTK
    Icon for Super User rankSuper User
    2 months ago

    I tried it and it is working for me. Below are the documents and steps I followed

    https://community.fabric.microsoft.com/t5/Power-BI-Updates-Blog/Power-BI-Desktop-Bridge-Preview/ba-p/5227769
    https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/power-bi/developer/agentic/power-bi-desktop-bridge-overview

    1. Make sure you installed June version of Power BI desktop and "Enable external tool access to Power BI Desktop through secure local APIs" is enabled.
    2. Install Node.js if you don't already have it (this CLI needs Node, not Python).
    3. Install the Desktop Bridge CLI globally via npm

      npm install -g Microsoft/powerbi-desktop-bridge-cli

      1. Once installed, you get the powerbi-desktop command

        You will be able to run the below commands

        powerbi-desktop manifest, to see what the bridge supports
        powerbi-desktop status, to check running Desktop instances
        powerbi-desktop reload, to reload on-disk changes into Desktop
        powerbi-desktop screenshot-all, to screenshot every report page

        Note: to use these commands make sure you opened a report in PBIP format in your Power BI Desktop.

         

         

         

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  • v-sathmakuri's avatar
    v-sathmakuri
    Icon for Community Support rankCommunity Support
    2 months ago

    Hi RichFlorida  ,

     

    Thanks for reaching out to fabric community.

     

    Thanks tharunkumarRTK  for the prompt response.

     

    Could you please confirm whether the provided solution helped in resolving the issue. If you have any further questions please feel free to reach out to us.

     

    Thanks!!

  • v-sathmakuri's avatar
    v-sathmakuri
    Icon for Community Support rankCommunity Support
    2 months ago

    Hi RichFlorida ,

     

    Could you review the suggestion provided above and let us know if you have any additional questions, we are happy to address. 

     

    Thanks!!

  • Prince0011's avatar
    Prince0011
    Icon for Solution Sage rankSolution Sage
    2 months ago

    Hi,

    Power BI Desktop Bridge is still in Preview, so documentation and guidance are somewhat limited at the moment.

    A few things to check to get started:

    • Make sure you're using the June 2026 (or later) Power BI Desktop Preview release.

    • Verify that the feature is enabled under File → Options and settings → Options → Preview features (it's enabled by default in the June release, but it's worth confirming).

    • Restart Power BI Desktop after enabling or changing any preview settings.

    • Ensure you're signed in with the same account you use for the Power BI Service/Fabric, as some preview features require authentication.

    If you're expecting a new menu or button, it's possible that the feature is being rolled out gradually or is only activated for specific scenarios or tenants. Microsoft often enables preview capabilities through feature flags, so not all users will see the same experience immediately.

    You may also find these resources helpful:

    Has anyone in the community been able to use Desktop Bridge yet? It would be great to hear:

    • What scenarios you've tested.

    • Whether any tenant or Fabric settings were required.

    • Any documentation or walkthroughs you've found.

    If you found this reply helpful, please consider giving it a Kudos. If it answers your question, marking it as the Accepted Solution will help others looking for information about this new preview feature.