Forum Discussion
Power BI / Salesforce Report Connector - Does it even work???
Hello,
We have been trying to connect to a Salesforce Report through Power BI (Power Query) using the Salesforce Reports Connector. We have already submitted a case through Salesforce Support and they have said the account we are using is set up correctly by the Salesforce Admin with the appropriate permissions and they have pushed the issue back to Power BI.
We have followed this documentation: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/power-query/connectors/salesforce-reports
I have verified I can connect with these credentials using the Salesforce Objects connector but I am unable to access a specific report I would like to use in Power BI. I don't want to build an entire data model inside of Power BI, I just want to build visuals/measures from a prebuilt custom report in Salesforce.
This is the error I receive when using the Salesforce Reports connector:
Copilot suggested there is an alternate method of connecting (see below step by step which I haven't tried yet but plan to once I receive more info from our client)
What Copilot Says:
Technical Summary – Power BI + Salesforce Report Integration
Root Cause of Error Salesforce Reports are not standard sObjects and therefore do not support the sObject Describe REST endpoint. Any call to: /services/data/vXX.X/sobjects/Report/describe will return 404 Not Found by design. Power BI surfaces this error when a connector or query assumes Reports behave like objects.
Supported API for Reports Salesforce exposes reports exclusively through the Reports & Dashboards (Analytics) REST API, not the sObject API.
Correct Endpoint Pattern To run and retrieve data from a report: /services/data/vXX.X/analytics/reports/{ReportId}?includeDetails=true
· {ReportId} is the 15- or 18-character Salesforce Report ID (prefix 00O)
· includeDetails=true is required to return row-level data
· Authentication must be OAuth 2.0 using a user with access to the report
Power BI Implementation
· Use Get Data → Web (Advanced)
· Provide the Analytics API URL above
· Authenticate using Salesforce OAuth (Organizational Account)
· Do not use the Salesforce Objects connector
Response Structure (Expected) Salesforce returns JSON containing:
· reportMetadata (column definitions, grouping)
· factMap (actual data)
Row-level values are located at: factMap → <key ending in .T!T> → rows → dataCells
Power BI must expand and flatten these nodes during transformation.
Operational Considerations
· Report changes (column order, filters) can require Power Query step updates
· Reports are subject to Salesforce row and execution limits
· Tabular reports without complex groupings are the most stable for refresh
Why This Approach Is Required
· Reports are not first-class sObjects in Salesforce
· Salesforce intentionally separates reporting APIs from data APIs
· The Analytics REST API is the only supported mechanism for consuming report data externally
This design avoids object-based modeling, aligns with Salesforce API architecture, and prevents Web.Contents describe failures in Power BI.
Has anyone successfully used the Salesforce Reports connector? If so, how did you work around this issue?
Thankyou, lbendlin, for your response.
Hi _megynmc,Based on our understanding, the 404 error on /services/data/v48.0/sobjects/Report/describe indicates that Power BI is authenticating successfully, but Salesforce is not exposing the Report object metadata endpoint via the REST API. This issue is typically related to API accessibility or permissions.
Please request your Salesforce Administrator to verify that REST API access to the Report object is enabled, that the user has API Enabled, Run Reports, Export Reports, and appropriate folder access permissions. It is advisable to test the endpoint via Salesforce Workbench or REST Explorer. You may also perform a test with a simple tabular report located in an accessible folder to isolate configuration issues.Your scenario is supported subject to Salesforce limitations, such as the 2,000 row cap. If API access is confirmed and the issue persists, we kindly request you to raise a support ticket using the link provided:Microsoft Fabric Support and Status | Microsoft Fabric
We hope that the information provided helps to resolve the issue. Should you have any further queries, please feel free to contact the Microsoft Fabric community.
Thank you.
10 Replies
Thankyou, lbendlin, for your response.
Hi _megynmc,Based on our understanding, the 404 error on /services/data/v48.0/sobjects/Report/describe indicates that Power BI is authenticating successfully, but Salesforce is not exposing the Report object metadata endpoint via the REST API. This issue is typically related to API accessibility or permissions.
Please request your Salesforce Administrator to verify that REST API access to the Report object is enabled, that the user has API Enabled, Run Reports, Export Reports, and appropriate folder access permissions. It is advisable to test the endpoint via Salesforce Workbench or REST Explorer. You may also perform a test with a simple tabular report located in an accessible folder to isolate configuration issues.Your scenario is supported subject to Salesforce limitations, such as the 2,000 row cap. If API access is confirmed and the issue persists, we kindly request you to raise a support ticket using the link provided:Microsoft Fabric Support and Status | Microsoft Fabric
We hope that the information provided helps to resolve the issue. Should you have any further queries, please feel free to contact the Microsoft Fabric community.
Thank you.
I have a scheduled call with Microsoft support today.
The Salesforce Admin updated something on their end, which finally allowed the reports to be exposed. I am guessing that it was in, in fact, related to the REST API because now I can see all of the reports including the one I was looking for.
The Salesforce Reports connector works "fine" (if you ignore the infuriating 2000 row limit imposed by Salesforce). Most likely your SFDC AA team has set the API limit higher than 48. Try using 64 or higher.
That Copilot response is despicable, to say it nicely.
Hello! Thank you for your response. Yeah I was kind of grabbing at straws; the Salesforce Support reps weren't of much help either and suggested a ticket with Microsoft lol.
Did you mean 'hasn't set' rather than 'has set'? Just checking since it makes a difference - I will follow up with the Salesforce Admin.
Hi _megynmc,
We are following up to check whether the support ticket raised from your end has given a solution to the issue. If it has, we kindly request you to share the solution with the community, as this will help others who face similar problems and benefit the broader community.
Thank you.
Hi _megynmc,
We are pleased to note that your issue has been resolved. Thank you for sharing your insights and approach in resolving the issue, which will be beneficial to other members of the community. Should you have any further queries, please feel free to contact the Microsoft Fabric community.
Thank you.
Hi _megynmc
Glad to hear the REST API access issue got resolved on the Salesforce Admin side!
Just wanted to drop an alternative worth considering, especially since @lbendlin already flagged the infuriating 2,000-row limit that Salesforce imposes on the Reports API. That cap is a hard ceiling on the native connector and tends to bite hard once your reports grow.
If you ever run into that wall (or want to skip it altogether), there's a tool called Power BI Connector for Salesforce on Salesforce AppExchange that's purpose-built for getting Salesforce data into Power BI without the row limit headaches:
🔗 AppExchange listing: https://appexchange.salesforce.com/appxListingDetail?listingId=31526f0e-abd8-4cb5-bd1a-3bd56b5c0577
A few things that might be relevant to your use case:
- No 2,000-row limit — pulls full report data, not just the first page
- 30-day free trial, no strings attached
- Clear and well-organized docs: https://metricasoftware.com/docs/salesforce/
- Responsive support team if you get stuck: https://metricasoftware.com/docs/salesforce/contact-support/
If it sounds useful, we'd be happy to set up a quick demo - walk you through how it works, answer any questions about your specific reporting scenario, and show how it integrates with Power BI end to end. Just reach out via the support link above.
Hope this helps, and good luck with the build!
Best regards,
Metrica Team.
