Audit Log for On-Premises Power BI Report Server

Question

Hi&nbsp;We are using On-Premises Power BI Report Server and Desktop client &amp; MS Report Builder &amp; Excel using Citrix Environmetn&nbsp;1. How to get the Audit Logs2. How to track download logs used thru Client Tools3. Users login and connecting DB/Tables information&nbsp;&nbsp;ThanksHashim

v-kpoloju-msft · Answer

Hi&nbsp;hashimkhan4626,&nbsp;Thank you for reaching out to the Microsoft Fabric Community Forum.
In Power BI Report Server, there isn’t a centralized audit log like in Power BI Service. However, you can use the ExecutionLog3 view in the Report Server database to track report usage (user, report name, time, and export format like Excel/PDF). Download actions aren’t explicitly logged only partially inferred via the format and activities from client tools (Power BI Desktop, Excel, Report Builder), especially in Citrix, aren’t fully traceable.For deeper visibility, you will need a combined approach use ExecutionLog3 for report access, enable auditing in Microsoft SQL Server (SQL Server Audit/Extended Events) for login and query/table access, and review Citrix session logs for user-level activity. This combination is the best possible way to achieve auditing in an on-prem setup today.
Refer these links: 1. Use ExecutionLog and the ExecutionLog3 view in Reporting Services - SQL Server Reporting Services (SSRS) | Microsoft Learn2. What Is Power BI Report Server? - Power BI | Microsoft Learn3. SQL Server Audit (Database Engine) - SQL Server | Microsoft Learn
Hope that clarifies. 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.

v-kpoloju-msft · Answer

Hi&nbsp;hashimkhan4626,&nbsp;Just wanted to follow up. If the shared guidance worked for you, that’s wonderful hopefully it also helps others looking for similar answers. If there’s anything else you'd like to explore or clarify, don’t hesitate to reach out.
Thank you.

v-kpoloju-msft · Answer

Hi&nbsp;hashimkhan4626,&nbsp;Just wanted to follow up. If the shared guidance worked for you, that’s wonderful hopefully it also helps others looking for similar answers. If there’s anything else you'd like to explore or clarify, don’t hesitate to reach out.
Thank you.

hashimkhan4626 · Answer

Hi&nbsp;Thanks for follow up. Actualy With May 2025 Power BI Report Server, we are able to capture User Download activity using "Generating DataShape".&nbsp;&nbsp;Please note that we are not getting information what we need using Execution Logs.&nbsp; We have already extensively explored these pre defined exectution logs1,2,3. If you are able to extend and get the download data by the user who is using Power BI Desktop, Excel Add in or MS Report Builder using Citrix&nbsp;&nbsp;With the new&nbsp;version Jan 2026 Power BI Report Server, we lost the feature.&nbsp;1. What is the alternative to monitor the download log user activity&nbsp; using&nbsp;"Generating DataShape".&nbsp;&nbsp;Requirement1. We should be able to monitor which user used which report and downloaded/exported data from the .pbix or .rdl&nbsp;&nbsp;2. Which tables being used by the .Pbix and .rdl to check the sensitive columns and information3. Microsoft will be able to release customized version with old feature&nbsp;"Generating DataShape".&nbsp; If this is possible then can you please let me know the process to work?&nbsp;It is possible to have teams meeting and explain our issues with the new version.ThanksHashim

v-kpoloju-msft · Answer

Hi&nbsp;hashimkhan4626,&nbsp;Thanks for the detailed follow-up.
The behaviour you were using earlier (“Generating DataShape”) is not a documented or supported auditing feature in Power BI Report Server, so it isn’t guaranteed across versions and currently has no direct replacement in the Jan 2026 release. Now, PBIRS does not natively support tracking detailed data export activity (who downloaded what data), or table/column level usage from PBIX or RDL reports. The existing ExecutionLog tables can still help you understand who accessed which report and in what format (like Excel/CSV), but they won’t capture the actual data or dataset-level details you’re looking for.As an alternative, you can partially monitor export behaviour using Execution Logs (based on render format) and combine that with backend SQL Server auditing (like Extended Events) to get visibility into query activity. For stricter governance, you may also consider limiting export options or applying row-level security. If full auditing (including export tracking and lineage) is a critical requirement, this is currently only available in Power BI Service (via audit logs and Purview). Regarding your request for restoring the old behaviour or a custom build, that isn’t something supported however, you can submit this as a feature request through the official feedback channel for product team consideration.&nbsp;Fabric Ideas - Microsoft Fabric Community
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Audit Log for On-Premises Power BI Report Server

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