Guest User Access Restrictions: Semantic Model Settings and Report Editing

[SreeSL12121]

Hi all,

Despite having a Power BI Pro license and admin rights to a workspace as a guest user, I'm unable to access the semantic model settings for dataset configurations and refresh, and I cannot edit reports in the Power BI service.

a) What are the most likely reasons why I am facing these restrictions?

b) What specific Power BI tenant settings or permissions need to be adjusted by the host organization to enable access to semantic model settings for a guest user in my situation?

Thanks

[v-shamiliv]

Hi @SreeSL12121 
As we didnot hear any thing from the last response we are closing this thread.
Feel free to reach us if you need fruther assistance in future.
Thank you.

[Poojara_D12]

Hi @SreeSL12121 

You're a guest user with a Power BI Pro license and admin rights in a workspace, but you can't access dataset settings or edit reports because:

a) Why this happens:
Guest users are restricted by default, even if they have Pro licenses and workspace roles.

b) What needs to be fixed:
The host organization must enable these Power BI tenant settings:

• "Guest users can edit and manage content"

• "Allow external users to edit shared workspaces"

• "Use datasets across workspaces"

These settings are controlled by the Power BI admin in the host tenant.

[v-shamiliv · Accepted solution]

Hi @SreeSL12121 
If you could point out exactly where the issue is still occurring, I’d be happy to take a closer look and help find a solution
Thank you.

[v-shamiliv]

Hi @SreeSL12121 
I wanted to check if you had the opportunity to review the information provided. Please feel free to contact us if you have any further questions. If my response has addressed your query, please accept it as a solution and give a 'Kudos' so other members can easily find it.
Thank you.

[SreeSL12121]

Hi @v-shamiliv 

I am not able to solve this yet.  Thanks for your effort. 

[v-shamiliv]

Hi @SreeSL12121 

May I ask if you have resolved this issue? If so, please mark the helpful reply and accept it as the solution. This will be helpful for other community members who have similar problems to solve it faster.

Thank you.

[v-shamiliv]

Hi @SreeSL12121 

Great questions, and you're absolutely right — the tenant settings UI has been updated, and the exact wording has changed a bit.

To allow guest users to edit and manage content, the setting you’re now looking for is:
Power BI Admin Portal > Tenant settings > “Edit and manage content in the organization”

Under that, check the “Users in external organizations” section. That needs to be enabled (either for the whole org or specific security groups) to let guest users like yourself edit reports, work with datasets, etc.

As for getting Build or Contributor access to the dataset, here’s how the workspace owner or someone with permissions can grant that:

• Go to the workspace in the Power BI service.

• Under the Datasets + dataflows tab, find the dataset in question.

• Click the three dots (⋯) next to it > Manage permissions.

• Use “Add user” to give your guest account access.

• From there, they can assign you the Build permission, which is required to interact with the dataset (e.g., configure settings or create reports).

• If more access is needed, they can add you as a Contributor in the workspace itself.
  
  If this solution helps, please consider giving us Kudos and accepting it as the solution so that it may assist other members in the community
  Thank you.

[v-shamiliv]

Hi @SreeSL12121 
Thank you for reaching out microsoft fabric community forum.

Even with a Power BI Pro license and workspace admin rights, guest users from another tenant can still face restrictions. This is usually due to how the host organization's Power BI tenant settings are configured.

The most likely reasons are that guest users are limited by default, the host tenant hasn't enabled external users to manage content, or you don’t have sufficient permissions on the dataset itself (like Build or Contributor access).

To resolve this, the host organization's Power BI admin should:

• Enable "Allow external guest users to edit and manage content" in the Power BI Admin Portal under Tenant settings.

• Enable "Use datasets across workspaces" if applicable.

• Confirm you’re added as a Member or Admin in a new workspace, not a classic one.

• Grant you Build or Contributor access on the dataset.

You may need to work with the host’s admin team to review and adjust these settings

If this solution helps, please consider giving us Kudos and accepting it as the solution so that it may assist other members in the community
Thank you.

[SreeSL12121]

Hi @v-shamiliv ,

Regarding the options provided, the third point of admin access have already been addressed. Concerning the first point, I previously checked the tenant settings and did not find that specific option : "Allow external guest users to edit and manage content" . It appears this setting may have been updated or replaced, and I am unsure of its current equivalent. Could you please provide guidance on the latest way to achieve this?
Also about the last option - how can this be granted  (  Grant you Build or Contributor access on the dataset.)

Thanks and regards