"Hide from Navigation" checkbox makes reports inaccessible

[bpaynetrain1]

I know this sounds obvious but hear me out.  It appears that when we select "Hide from Navigation" in the new navigation builder for a report it makes the report completely inaccessible not only from the navigation menu but from a direct URL as well.

Steps to reproduce:

1. Publish an app with multiple reports.

2. Copy the URL of one of the reports.

3. Return to the publish screen and select "Hide from Navigation" for the report.

4. Re-publish the app.

5. Attempt to use the previously copied URL in order to access the report.

6. Observe that the Title Bar and header will load and display the report name but the browser will perpetually spin on the "Building your app..." screen.

7.  If you go back and uncheck "Hide from navigation" and then republish the app, the report will again become accessible.

Although there seems to be limited documentation about how the "Hide from Navigation" selection is supposed to work, I would have thought it's pretty obvious that it should hide a given report from the navigation menu and not to disable it completely.

I had created a similar post in the PBI community (Here).  The only reponse yet received implied this was functioning as designed but I don't buy that (thus creating the issue here).  If the intent of this checkbox was to disable all access to a report, I think it would have been called "Disable all access to this report and leave a spinning icon when someone tries to access it via direct URL".  Calling it "Hide from navigation" implies it just won't appear on the navigation bar but can still be access directly (unless I've completely lost my grip on reality).

[v-qiuyu-msft]

Hi @bpaynetrain1, 

I have reported this issue internally: CRI 140880267. Will update here once I get any information. 

Best Regards,
Qiuyun Yu

[v-qiuyu-msft]

Hi @bpaynetrain1, 

PG team already created a bug item to track this issue. Will update here once I get any information. 

Best Regards,
Qiuyun Yu

[bpaynetrain1]

Hi Qiuyun Yu,

Any updates on this issue?

[MarkSL]

Hi,

We also expect this funcationality.  

We have created Paginated Reports (.rdl files), to allow our users the option do download a fully formatted Excel report from their Power BI Report.  

However we do not want them to be able to run or see these rdl files from the app, just have them called internally.

I thought this is what the 'Hide from Navigation' option in the New Navigation Builder would provide, but when our users click the link to run the rdl file it comes up with "Let's get you permission to access this report".

Such a shame!  Is there an update on this?

Thanks

[molegris]

Looks like it's fixed! 

I was upset at first because it's Jan 2024 and I thought this issue wasn't fixed yet. 

But then I found the allow-access-to-hidden-content option :

Just be aware that this essentially TURNS OFF SECURITY for all Audience.  Any content that is "Hidden in navigation" will still be accessable by all users if they know the url.

--mo