Copilot Query History + Standalone Copilot

[LeifB]

We are looking into use cases for Copilot in Power BI in our organization and were wondering if the query history is stored anywhere? We are wanting to track common questions that folks are asking, which reports have Copilot used on them the most, etc. If I'm remembering right, there was a way to see question history on the Q&A feature, so hoping there is something similar for Copilot. Can't seem to find an answer for this so hopefully someone on the forum knows.

Additionally, the Standalone Copilot setting says it will be turned on automatically starting Sept 7th - we just turned this on for one security group. On the 7th will this automatically flip to our entire organization? Or will it retain the setting that we currently have selected?

[v-kpoloju-msft]

Hi @LeifB,

Thanks for raising this thoughtful question. Also thanks to @Shahid12523, @GeraldGEmerick, for those inputs on this thread. both parts are important as many organizations are exploring how to monitor Copilot usage in Power BI and manage the rollout of Standalone Copilot.

Currently, Power BI does not provide a dedicated “Copilot query history” log like the Q&A feature did. However, you still have a few options to get visibility into usage patterns. You can enable and customize usage metrics in each workspace to see which reports are being accessed most often. These reports can be copied and extended to build dashboards that highlight high-usage reports.
https://learn.microsoft.com/en-in/power-bi/collaborate-share/service-usage-metrics

As an admin, you can also access the Copilot usage reports in the M365 admin portal. These show adoption trends, and you can export the data (CSV) into Power BI for deeper analysis.https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-365/admin/usage-analytics/usage-analytics?view=o365-worl...

For more advanced tracking, you could also look at audit logs or adoption insights (e.g., Viva Insights) to complement the above.

Standalone Copilot setting (Sept 5–7 rollout): Microsoft has announced that starting on or after Sept 5, 2025, the Standalone Copilot experience in Power BI will be turned on by default for tenants where Copilot is already enabled. If you do nothing, this setting will be enabled tenant wide. https://learn.microsoft.com/en-in/power-bi/create-reports/copilot-enable-power-bi#enable-the-standal...

If you would like to keep it scoped to your chosen security group(s), you need to explicitly opt out before the automatic enablement. You can do this by turning the setting on, then immediately off in the admin portal. That prevents the default rollout from overriding your current configuration.

Hope this clears things up. If you have any doubts regarding this, please feel free to ask here. We will be happy to help.

Thank you for using the Microsoft Community Forum.

[LeifB]

Thanks for the detailed response. We already have reporting on report usage; it sounds like we'll need to work with our M365 admin to get that separate usage report set up.

Regarding Standalone Copilot, if we turn it on, off, and then back on but set to just one security group, will this maintain the setting before the rollout? Or do we need to leave it off until the rollout?

[v-kpoloju-msft · Accepted solution]

Hi @LeifB,
Great follow-up, thanks for clarifying.

The key detail is that the September 5 rollout only flips the setting on by default for the whole tenant if it’s not already explicitly managed. If you turn it on, then off before that date, your tenant is considered “opted out,” so Microsoft will not override your choice.

After that, you are free to turn it back on for specific security groups whenever you are ready. In that case, it will respect the group-scoped configuration you apply it won’t force it tenant-wide just because you toggled it back on.

You do not need to keep it “off” until after rollout. Once you have opted out, you can safely re-enable it for a limited security group, and that setting will stick.

For reference, here’s the Microsoft announcement that explains how the automatic enablement works and how opting out preserves your settings: 
https://powerbi.microsoft.com/en-us/blog/the-standalone-copilot-in-power-bi-will-be-turned-on-by-def...

Hope this clears things up. If you have any doubts regarding this, please feel free to ask here. We will be happy to help.

Thank you for using the Microsoft Community Forum.

[v-kpoloju-msft]

Hi @LeifB,

Just checking in to see if the issue has been resolved on your end. If the earlier suggestions helped, that’s great to hear! And if you’re still facing challenges, feel free to share more details happy to assist further.

Thank you.

[v-kpoloju-msft]

Hi @LeifB,

Hope you had a chance to try out the solution shared earlier. Let us know if anything needs further clarification or if there's an update from your side always here to help.

Thank you.

[Shahid12523]

1. Copilot query history: Not stored or exposed — unlike old Q&A, you can’t see user questions; only capacity/usage metrics are available.
2. Standalone Copilot rollout (Sept 7): Your current security group restriction will stay; it won’t auto-enable for the whole org.

[GeraldGEmerick]

@LeifB If I am reading this correctly, it should retain its setting since they say that if you don't want it to enable it and then disable it, implying that it saves the state if you have specifically set it. Standalone Copilot in Power BI will be turned on by default in September | Microsoft Power BI Blog |...

But, I would double check it on Sept 7th and 8th if it were myself.