Hi @WizardLizard10 ,
Thank you for reaching out to the Microsoft Community Forum.
It seems that in Power BI, there is currently no direct way to give view or extract access to a dataflow without adding the user to the workspace, even in Premium Capacity. This limitation can be a bit challenging when you want to provide access to specific dataflows without granting broader workspace permissions.
You can approach below steps:
1. Workaround Using Azure Analysis Services or Dataflows in Separate Workspaces
If you don’t want to give full workspace access:
Option A: Create a Separate Workspace for the Dataflow
Move the dataflow to a dedicated workspace. Share access to this workspace only with the users who need it. This limits their access to just the dataflow and its linked datasets, without exposing other reports or dashboards.
Note: Even as a member, you can manage workspaces unless restricted by the workspace admin.
Option B: Use a Linked Dataset in a Report
Create a Power BI report based on the dataflow’s output. Publish this report to a workspace where you can manage permissions more granularly. Share the report directly with users. They can connect to the report via Excel using the “Analyze in Excel” feature, which pulls data from the underlying dataset (but this still requires at least viewer access to the dataset).
2. Use Power BI REST API for Programmatic Access (Advanced)
If you’re open to technical solutions: Use the Power BI REST API to programmatically extract data from the dataflow. This allows you to create custom applications or scripts (in Python, for example) to pull data without granting workspace access.
3. Consider Power BI Data Gateway (If On-Premises Data)
If your dataflow connects to on-premises data sources:
Set up a Power BI Data Gateway and allow users to connect through it. This enables data refreshes and can control who has access to the data source, even outside the Power BI workspace.
Coordinate with an admin to either create a dedicated workspace for the dataflow or adjust permissions. If your team frequently needs this kind of access, consider proposing a dedicated workspace strategy for dataflows in your organization.
Please refer below article.
Configure and consume a dataflow - Power BI | Microsoft Learn
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