Salesforce + Power Bi Connector Not Working

Hey, If your Salesforce + Power BI connector isn't working, here's a practical guide to troubleshoot and fix the issue:

1. Verify Credentials and Permissions:

   • Double-check that you’re using the correct login credentials for your Salesforce account.
   • Ensure the Salesforce account has API access and the necessary permissions to access the data you're trying to import into Power BI.

2. Update Software:

   • Make sure you have the latest version of Power BI Desktop installed.
   • Update the Salesforce connector within Power BI to the latest version available.

3. Check Salesforce API Limits:

   • Salesforce has a limit on the number of API calls you can make. Go to Salesforce Setup -> System Overview to check if you’ve hit your API call limit.

4. Salesforce Settings:

   • Confirm that the Salesforce user profile has the required permissions for data access.
   • If IP restrictions are enabled in Salesforce, make sure the IP addresses used by Power BI are allowed.
   • Verify the settings of any Connected App you’re using in Salesforce to ensure it permits API access.

5. Network and Firewall:

   • Ensure there are no firewall settings blocking the connection between Power BI and Salesforce.
   • Check your network settings to confirm that there are no issues preventing connectivity.

6. Clear Cache and Refresh:

   • In Power BI Desktop, go to File -> Options and Settings -> Options -> Data Load -> Clear cache to remove any outdated cached data.
   • Try refreshing the data source to see if the connection re-establishes.

7. Inspect Error Messages:

   • Read the specific error messages you get when the connection fails. These often contain clues about what might be wrong, such as authentication failures or permission issues.

8. Power BI Service Configuration:

   • If you’re using Power BI Service, ensure that the scheduled refresh settings are properly configured.
   • Make sure any required gateways are online and correctly configured if you’re connecting to on-premises data.

9. Recreate the Connection:

   • Sometimes, simply removing the existing Salesforce connection and setting it up again in Power BI can resolve connectivity issues.

10. Seek Help from Documentation and Support:

    • Review the official documentation for the Salesforce connector in Power BI for any specific setup details you might have missed.
    • Visit the Power BI Community forums or Salesforce Community forums to see if others have encountered and solved similar issues.
    • If none of the above steps work, contacting Microsoft or Salesforce support might be necessary to get specialized help.

I hope this will work. 

Hi MIKEGCBS 

I see from your screenshot that the recommendation is to delete your current credentials and reconnect, have you tried doing this?

You can clear the premission by File -> Options and setting -> Data source settings

The following document has a list of known issues and limitations about Salesforce Objects/Reports for your reference.

https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/power-query/connectors/salesforce-objects#known-issues-and-limitations 

https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/power-query/connectors/salesforce-reports#known-issues-and-limitations 

Best Regards,
Yulia Xu

If this post helps, then please consider Accept it as the solution to help the other members find it more quickly.

Hi MIKEGCBS were you able to find a solution? As a workaround, maybe you can try to test your connection with a 3rd party connector, which pulls data directly from the SF objects API. I've tried windsor.ai, supermetrics and funnel.io. I stayed with windsor because it is much cheaper so just to let you know other options. In case you wonder, to make the connection first search for the Salesforce connector in the data sources list:

After that, just grant access to your Salesforce account using your credentials, then on preview and destination page you will see a preview of your Salesforce fields:

 There just select the fields you need. It is also compatible with custom fields and custom objects, so you'll be able to export them through windsor.  Finally, just select PBI as your data destination and finally just copy and paste the url on PBI --> Get Data --> Web --> Paste the url. 

Hi MIKEGCBS,

That popup-crash on auth is one of the most annoying failure modes of the native connector.

If you keep hitting the same wall (or just want to stop fighting the connector every few months), worth knowing there's a Salesforce AppExchange app called Power BI Connector for Salesforce that runs the auth on the Salesforce side instead of through Power BI's embedded browser, so it sidesteps this whole class of popup/crash issues - https://appexchange.salesforce.com/appxListingDetail?listingId=31526f0e-abd8-4cb5-bd1a-3bd56b5c0577. Free 30-day trial, docs at https://metricasoftware.com/docs/salesforce/.

Happy to help if you want to test it.

Cheers,

Metrica Team.