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New_User_777's avatar
New_User_777
New Member
8 months ago
Solved

Block access to power query

Hi All!   I need your help, I currently need to deliver a Power BI Desktop file to some company users, but I'd like to know how I can prevent them from seeing the Power Query without hindering thei...
Need Help
  • mohit_sakhare's avatar
    mohit_sakhare
    8 months ago

    Hi RP,

    This is a common requirement, but unfortunately it’s not possible to fully hide or block access to Power Query if you share a Power BI Desktop (.pbix) file.

    Any user who opens a PBIX in Power BI Desktop will always be able to access Transform data and view the Power Query (M) code. Power BI Desktop is a development tool, and there is no supported setting to disable or secure the Power Query editor within a PBIX.

    Recommended approaches:

    • Publish the report to Power BI Service and give users Viewer access or share it via a Power BI App. In this case, users can interact with the report but cannot see Power Query or the underlying transformations.

    • If users need to build visuals but not see queries, use a thin report connected to a published semantic model. This allows report creation without exposing Power Query logic.

    In short, if protecting Power Query logic is required, the PBIX should not be distributed. The Power BI Service is the correct and supported way to achieve this.

    Regards,
    Mohit

cengizhanarslan's avatar
cengizhanarslan
Super User
8 months ago

You cannot block access to Power Query in Power BI Desktop. Power BI Desktop is an authoring tool. Anyone who opens a PBIX in Desktop can access Transform data.

 

1) Use Power BI Service 
Publish the report and share it (App or Viewer access).
Users can use the report but cannot see Power Query, DAX, or the model.

 

2) Use a thin report (Live connection)
Build the dataset separately and connect the report via Live connection.
The PBIX will contain no Power Query queries (editor opens empty).