User data and geolocation

[YoungLearning]

How does any of these steps do anything about configuring displayed data based on user's location? Shouldn't RLS be needed in this case or am I understanding the question wrongly?

[rajendraongole1 · Accepted solution]

Hi @YoungLearning -To configure a Power BI report to display data based on each user's location on a mobile device, the two actions that are most relevant are:

B. In Data Category, set the geographic data category for the relevant column.

This ensures that Power BI understands which columns contain geographic data. 

D. Use the columns of the geography data type in all visuals.

By using the geographic data type columns in your visuals, you ensure that the data displayed can be filtered or interpreted based on the user's location. 

Your understanding is correct: simply setting data categories or creating hierarchies does not directly configure the report to display data based on each user's location. To display data dynamically based on a user's location, you would indeed need to use techniques such as Row-Level Security (RLS) or location-based filtering.

B. In Data Category, set the geographic data category for the relevant column: This action is essential because it helps Power BI recognize and treat the column as geographic data. This can be useful if you are using map visuals or location-based filters.

E. For the relevant columns, set synonyms to match common geographical terms: Setting synonyms can improve the usability of the report by making it easier for users to search and interact with the data using natural language.

Hope it helps