Is it possible to generate permalinks with pre-applied filters in Power BI Report Server?

[DarrenKeady]

Hi all,

I'm currently using Power BI Report Server (not the Power BI Service), and I’m trying to find out if there’s a way to generate permalinks or URLs that open a report with specific filters already applied.

For example, I’d like to create a unique URL for each of our leaders that opens a dashboard filtered to show only their data — such as: L5 Leader = Joe Bloggs, Domain = SupplyChain

In Power BI Service, I know we can use URL query string parameters with filters, but I haven’t found a clear way to do this in Power BI Report Server.

My main questions are:

• Is this feature supported in Power BI Report Server?

• If not natively supported, is there any recommended workaround (e.g., using report parameters or custom filtering logic)?

• Is there a way to pass values via the URL to pre-filter a report (RDL or PBIX) hosted on Report Server?

Any help or suggestions would be greatly appreciated!
Thanks in Advance
Darren

[v-karpurapud]

Hi @DarrenKeady 

I wanted to check if you’ve had a chance to review the information provided. If you have any further questions, please let us know. Has your issue been resolved? If not, please share more details so we can assist you further.

Thank You.

[v-karpurapud]

Hi @DarrenKeady 

Thank you for reaching out to the Microsoft Fabric Community Forum.

Power BI Report Server does not allow the use of URL parameters for PBIX reports. Unlike Power BI Service, it does not support passing filters via query strings to pre-filter PBIX reports. To enable this feature, you would need to recreate your report as a Paginated Report (RDL) using Report Builder or Visual Studio. RDL reports do support URL parameters, so you can pass values like Leader or Domain directly in the query string as suggested by @jaineshp .If converting to an RDL report is not an option, you can use Row-Level Security (RLS) in the PBIX, as suggested by @Shahid12523 . RLS restricts data based on user login, but it does not allow dynamic filtering through URLs. Therefore, if you need to provide leaders with unique URLs that open with specific filters applied, rebuilding the report as an RDL is the only supported and effective method in Power BI Report Server.

For more detailed information please refer to the official Microsoft documentation Pass a report parameter within a URL - SQL Server Reporting Services (SSRS) and Filter a report using query string parameters in the URL - Power BI .

I hope this information is helpful. . If you have any further questions, please let us know. we can assist you further.

Regards,

Microsoft Fabric Community Support Team.
 

[Shahid12523]

RDL reports on Power BI Report Server support URL filtering using query string parameters.
PBIX reports do not support URL filtering natively.
Workarounds for PBIX: Use Row-Level Security (RLS) or rebuild the report as RDL to enable URL-based filters.

[jaineshp]

Hey @DarrenKeady,

I've dealt with this exact scenario before. Here's what actually works:

• RDL Reports:

• Convert your PBIX to RDL using Report Builder
• Add report parameters for Leader and Domain
• URL format: http://yourserver/ReportServer/Pages/ReportViewer.aspx?/YourReport&Leader=Joe%20Bloggs&Domain=Supply...
• Works 100% of the time, just like classic SSRS

• Row-Level Security:
• Set up RLS in Power BI Desktop before publishing
• Users automatically see their data based on login
• No URL tricks needed, just works

Start with Option 1 (RDL) for immediate results. I've used this approach for multiple clients and it's bulletproof.

The PBIX URL filtering is honestly pretty limited compared to Power BI Service - learned that the hard way on a project last year.

Fixed? ✓ Mark it • Share it • Help others!

Best Regards,
Jainesh Poojara | Power BI Developer

[DarrenKeady]

Hey @jaineshp 

First of all, thanks for your quick response on this thread!

In relation to option 1: Convert your PBIX to RDL using Report Builder

Is there any documenation you know off, that shows the steps to convert PBIX to RDL?

I'm mainly a power bi analyst so haven't used RDL before
I created a fully interactive ashboard on my local PowerBi desktop and publish to server when it was completed. 

However, my leadership want to be able view certain filters are selected by default everytime when they access it

Sounds like a great workaround though if I can get this implemented. Not sure moving outside of PBIX will be viable in my company though! 🙂

Kind Regards
Darren