Not all semantic models available in Excel

[BGarrigus]

Problem: Users are trying to connect to PowerBI semantic model from Excel but are not seeing all the models they have access to

Symptoms:

• Users have View permissions to the Workspace and Build permissions to three semantic models. 
• Users can go into PowerBI and select "Analyze in Excel" on all three models successfully. 
• Users go into Get Data -> From Fabric and Power Platform - From PowerBI and cannot find any of the semantic models that they have access to.
• The "Analyze in Excel" option only seems to give them the option to use pivot tables, not regular tables. 

They have the correct permissions, otherwise they wouldn't be able to "Analyze in Excel" from PowerBI.  Excel just seems to be refusing to show those semantic models. 

[BGarrigus · Accepted solution]

Following  up on this: Giving Build permissions was the key.  The people that couldn't see the models were simply not hitting enter when searching for the name so it was just showing models they were already using. Sometimes it's the simple things. 

[v-sshirivolu]

Hi @BGarrigus ,

Thanks for sharing the update and the root cause. Good to know it was just a search behavior issue in Excel and not a permissions or setup problem.

Appreciate you coming back and confirming, this will help others with the same confusion.

Thank you.

[v-sshirivolu]

Hi @BGarrigus ,

Based on your scenario, the main point is that Analyze in Excel and the Excel From Power BI Fabric connector work in different ways and follow different requirements. Since Analyze in Excel is working, it means users already have Build permission and access to the semantic models.

But when connecting from Excel using live connection, there are some extra things that must be enabled. These include the tenant setting Users can work with Power BI semantic models in Excel using a live connection, having the correct Power BI license like Pro PPU or Premium access, and in some cases enabling XMLA endpoint or Analyze in Excel related settings.

If any of these are not set properly, users may still be able to use Analyze in Excel from Power BI service but will face issues while accessing models directly from Excel. I suggest checking these settings in Admin portal and also verifying license and capacity for those users and workspaces.

Refer these docs - 
https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/power-bi/collaborate-share/office-integration/service-analyze-in-e...
https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/power-bi/admin/service-admin-portal
https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/power-bi/enterprise/service-premium-connect-tools

[cengizhanarslan]

Have you checked the following Prerequisites. I guess one of these three could be missing.

• Your organization’s tenant administrator must enable the Users can work with Power BI semantic models in Excel using a live connection tenant setting. Learn more about the Excel live connection tenant setting in the admin portal documentation.
• For on-premises semantic models, your organization's tenant administrator also must enable the Allow XMLA endpoints and Analyze in Excel with on-premises datasets tenant setting. Learn more about the Allow XMLA endpoints tenant setting in the admin portal documentation.
• You must have a Power BI license: Fabric Free, Pro, or Premium Per User (PPU). Fabric Free license users can only work with semantic models in My workspace or a Power BI Premium capacity or Fabric F64 or greater capacity. Learn more about Power BI licenses.

[Juan-Power-bi]

The "From Power BI" connector in Excel shows models differently than "Analyze in Excel" — it only shows models that have been explicitly marked as featured or that are in workspaces the user has at least Contributor access to, not just View + Build. That's likely why they're not appearing.

make sure the semantic models have "Featured" , and verify the workspace role — View permission

[BGarrigus]

I looked at the users again and one of them has Member permisisons to the workspace and All permissions to the semantic model.  He still can't see all the semantic models.  Odd stuff.