Forum Discussion
Take over ownership of Dataflow Gen1 with REST API?
We have a lot of PBI Gen1 dataflows in our Fabric workspace which are owned by a colleague who will soon be leaving the company.
We are looking for a way to use the Power BI API to transfer ownership of our dataflows to another user, similar to how the semantic models have a Take Over in Group API.
We have resaved other artifacts through using an Update Definition API but this doesn't work for dataflows, as one must already be an owner to run it (Dataflows - Update Dataflow - REST API (Power BI Power BI REST APIs) | Microsoft Learn).
Of course we can manually take over the dataflows through UI settings but would prefer doing it some other way that is not so time consuming. Does anyone know of a workaround?
Hi bekkac579
Thanks for raising this you've analysed it correctly. Power BI Dataflows Gen1 does not currently expose a public "Take Over" REST API like semantic models do, and Update Dataflow can't be used since it requires existing ownership.The supported workaround we usually recommend is Export -> Import as the new owner:
- Export the dataflow definition (as admin or current owner):
GET https://api.powerbi.com/v1.0/myorg/groups/{workspaceId}/dataflows/{dataflowId}This returns the model.json.
- Import it while authenticated as the new owner (user or service principal):
POST https://api.powerbi.com/v1.0/myorg/groups/{workspaceId}/imports?datasetDisplayName=model.jsonThe identity making this call becomes the new owner.
-
Reconfigure credentials and refresh schedule, then delete the original dataflow.
A few practical tips:
- The new dataflow will have a new ID, so update any linked dataflows or semantic models that reference it.
- We strongly recommend transferring ownership to a service principal or shared service account to avoid this situation recurring when team members change.
- For bulk migration, this can be scripted in PowerShell or Python by iterating over GET /groups/{workspaceId}/dataflows.
Best Regards,
Cheri Srikanth
CST Team.- Export the dataflow definition (as admin or current owner):
3 Replies
Thanks this is helpful. We have just done it through UI but good to know this is an option.
Hi bekkac579
Thanks for raising this you've analysed it correctly. Power BI Dataflows Gen1 does not currently expose a public "Take Over" REST API like semantic models do, and Update Dataflow can't be used since it requires existing ownership.The supported workaround we usually recommend is Export -> Import as the new owner:
- Export the dataflow definition (as admin or current owner):
GET https://api.powerbi.com/v1.0/myorg/groups/{workspaceId}/dataflows/{dataflowId}This returns the model.json.
- Import it while authenticated as the new owner (user or service principal):
POST https://api.powerbi.com/v1.0/myorg/groups/{workspaceId}/imports?datasetDisplayName=model.jsonThe identity making this call becomes the new owner.
-
Reconfigure credentials and refresh schedule, then delete the original dataflow.
A few practical tips:
- The new dataflow will have a new ID, so update any linked dataflows or semantic models that reference it.
- We strongly recommend transferring ownership to a service principal or shared service account to avoid this situation recurring when team members change.
- For bulk migration, this can be scripted in PowerShell or Python by iterating over GET /groups/{workspaceId}/dataflows.
Best Regards,
Cheri Srikanth
CST Team.- Export the dataflow definition (as admin or current owner):
Hi bekkac579
We would like to inquire whether have you got the chance to check the solutions provided above in commiunity to resolve the issue. We hope the information provided helps to clear the query. Should you have any further queries, kindly feel free to contact the Microsoft Fabric community.
Thank you.
