Semantic Model Write permission and visibility in PowerBI Service

Hi liuytrewrst,

Thank you for reaching out to the Microsoft Fabric Community Forum. Also, thanks to lbendlin, for those inputs on this thread.

I understand you would like to give a BI Developer Write access to a specific semantic model without granting them full workspace permissions and want to know how they can access that model in Power BI Service.

You can grant direct Write permission on a semantic model (dataset) without assigning workspace roles like Contributor or Member. However, please note that users without workspace access won’t see the workspace or model in their list so they will need a direct link to the semantic model or minimal workspace visibility (e.g., Viewer role).

In the workspace, select the semantic model → More options (…) → Manage permissions → + Add user → assign the BI Developer Write access.
https://learn.microsoft.com/en-gb/power-bi/connect-data/service-datasets-manage-access-permissions 

If the developer does not have workspace permissions, share the direct link to the semantic model, or temporarily assign them the Viewer role so they can locate it in the workspace.

For editing via XMLA endpoint or Power BI Desktop, ensure the workspace is Premium or Premium Per User (PPU) and XMLA endpoint is enabled.
https://learn.microsoft.com/en-gb/power-bi/connect-data/service-datasets-permissions 

For easier management, consider moving that specific semantic model to a dedicated workspace and assign the developer Contributor access there. This way, you can isolate the model while keeping the main workspace secure.

Refer these links:
1. https://learn.microsoft.com/en-gb/power-bi/connect-data/service-datasets-build-permissions 
2. https://learn.microsoft.com/en-gb/power-bi/connect-data/service-datasets-permissions 

Hope this clears it up. Let us know if you have any doubts regarding this. We will be happy to help.

Thank you for using the Microsoft Fabric Community Forum.