Report Builder doesn't show images from SharePoint (via URL)

[Jan_Trummel]

Hello to the forum,

I want to use the Power BI Report Builder to dynamically import images that are in Microsoft SharePoint Online. Unfortunately, this doesn't work (yet). I'll tell you how I went about it.

Semantic model in Power BI Desktop

I created a report in Power BI Desktop that retrieves images from SharePoint via a URL. The Picture URL column is correctly categorized as Image URL.

My column "Picture URL"

Publication in the Power BI service

I then published the report in a premium workspace. I output the Picture URL column in a table visualization. All images are displayed correctly.

In the Power BI-Service I see my pictures.

Datasource and dataset in the Power BI Report Builder

I created a datasource in the Report Builder based on the published semantic model. I then created a dataset that contains all the columns in my table.

The datasource and dataset in the Report Builder

Table with image element

Now I created a table and inserted the Name field. Then I added another column to the table and dragged in an image element. In the properties of the element, I then set the image source to External and selected the Picture URL field.

I put an image element in my table and configured it

However, if I then switch to the preview view, the report builder unfortunately does not display the images. I also have the same behavior when I publish the report in the Power BI service (in the same workspace in which the semantic model is located). Even then, the images are not displayed.

The Report Builder can't show the images

However, this confuses me, as the images are displayed in the published Power BI report.

Incidentally, I am also correctly logged in to the Report Builder with my Microsoft account.

Does anyone have any idea why it is not working?

Greetings

[Jan_Trummel]

Hello @Anonymous ,

thanks for your answer. I think it just will not work that way as I hoped, so I have to find another solution.

Best Regards

[GS30]

Hi Jan, I am facing the similar type of issue. did you find any solution ?

[Jan_Trummel]

Hi @GS30 , 

sorry for late respond. No, it didn't work with Power BI Report Builder. Instead we used in Power BI Desktop the solution to convert images to Base64 (like @Rhayes_10  said).

[Rhayes_10]

See other comment. Not ideal but you can convert the image to Base64 binary string and Report Builder will render it for paginated reports. Image size needs to be 30kb or less to avoid truncation. You can get fancier and combine strings for images larger than 30kb, but starting out easy enough to keep under 30

[Rhayes_10]

Not ideal but you can convert the image to Base64 binary string and Report Builder will render it for paginated reports. Image size needs to be 30kb or less to avoid truncation 

[Anonymous · Accepted solution]

Hi, @Jan_Trummel 

When you run a report in Report Builder or Report Designer, the preview uses the user's credentials to display the image. When you run a report on a report server, you may not be able to display the images in the report if the server credentials are insufficient to access the images in the report. You can check the following link:

Images in paginated reports - Microsoft Report Builder & Power BI Report Builder | Microsoft Learn

Due to access restrictions, images stored in locations that require authentication, such as SharePoint Online, may not appear directly in Power BI dashboards or reports. Make sure that images in SharePoint Online are accessible without authentication, or consider hosting them in a publicly accessible location.

How to Get Your Question Answered Quickly 

Best Regards

Yongkang Hua

If this post helps, then please consider Accept it as the solution to help the other members find it more quickly.

[Jan_Trummel]

Thank you @Anonymous , for yout detailed answer (and sorry for late respond).

As I just said above, I didn't pursue this approach in Power BI Report Builder. Thanks for the links anyway.