Forum Discussion
Receiving emails to access report
I am managing premium workspace in my organization and ocasinally I would received request for access for the report. I am curious how are users seeing this report and therefore requesting this access. I am assuming since their have access to workspace they see this liast of the report and from there they request access?
Subject of the email is "John Smith has requested access to Power BI Report MyReport" and then from the email I can either approve or decline the access.
What is best way to manage this?
Those emails are automatically generated by Power BI Service when a user attempts to access a report without having the required permissions.
This usually happens when:
A report link has been shared (intentionally or unintentionally), or
The report is embedded in Teams/SharePoint, or
Someone with access shared the report and allowed re-sharing.
Even if the user cannot open the report, Power BI will still show the “Request access” option, which triggers the email.
To reduce or prevent this:
Review Manage permissions on the report and dataset
Make sure users who can share content do not have “Reshare” permission if that’s not intended
Prefer distributing content via Power BI Apps and security groups rather than sharing individual report links
This helps avoid unexpected access requests and keeps permissions easier to manage.
7 Replies
Hi stribor45
When they click the link, Power BI shows an “Request Access” option. This triggers the email you receive.Could you try as well:- Disable “Request Access” Option (Optional)
- In the workspace settings, you can disable the ability for users to request access if you prefer a controlled process.
- Monitor Access Requests
- Use the Power BI Admin Portal to review and audit access requests and permissions.
Official Documentation:Request or grant access to dashboards or reports - Power BI | Microsoft Learn
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Please mark it as the correct solution. It helps other community members find their way faster (and saves them from another endless loop 🌀.
Hi stribor45,
Users don't need access to the workspace to request access to a report.
Most common entry points are:
- Shared links (most common)
Someone shared the report URL (email, Teams, SharePoint, Wiki, etc.).
When a user opens the link without permission:
Power BI shows “You don’t have access”
A Request access button appears
Clicking it sends you the email
This is the primary reason access requests happen.
- Power BI App (if published)
If the workspace is published as an App:
Users may see the App in Power BI Service
Clicking a report they don’t have permission for triggers an access request
You receive the email because:
You are workspace Admin / Member
Or report owner
Power BI automatically routes access requests to:
Report owners
Workspace admins
Best Way to Manage This :
Option 1 : Use Power BI Apps (Best Practice)
Instead of sharing reports individually:
- Publish a Power BI App
- Grant access at the App level
- Control who sees what via:App audiences
Dataset permissions
Benefits:
No ad-hoc access requests
Clean governance
Better user experience
Strongly recommended for Premium / Fabric workspaces
Option 2 : Use Security Groups (Scalable)
Assign access via:
Azure AD security groups
Not individual users
- Easier to manage
- Auditable
- Enterprise-readyCombine with Apps for best results.
References :
Request access behavior
https://learn.microsoft.com/power-bi/collaborate-share/service-request-accessPower BI Apps (recommended distribution)
https://learn.microsoft.com/power-bi/collaborate-share/service-create-distribute-appsWorkspace roles and permissions
https://learn.microsoft.com/power-bi/collaborate-share/service-roles-new-workspaces
Hope it can help you !
Best regards,
Antoine
Those emails are automatically generated by Power BI Service when a user attempts to access a report without having the required permissions.
This usually happens when:
A report link has been shared (intentionally or unintentionally), or
The report is embedded in Teams/SharePoint, or
Someone with access shared the report and allowed re-sharing.
Even if the user cannot open the report, Power BI will still show the “Request access” option, which triggers the email.
To reduce or prevent this:
Review Manage permissions on the report and dataset
Make sure users who can share content do not have “Reshare” permission if that’s not intended
Prefer distributing content via Power BI Apps and security groups rather than sharing individual report links
This helps avoid unexpected access requests and keeps permissions easier to manage.
Hi stribor45
Those access request emails are expected behavior. Users are seeing the report because they either have workspace-level access (Viewer or higher), received a direct link, or the report is discoverable via the workspace/app. When they click the report without permission to the underlying semantic model, Power BI automatically triggers an access request email. The clean way to manage this is to stop granting direct report access and instead control access at the semantic model level using security groups, then distribute content via a Power BI App. Also disable ad-hoc access requests where possible and rely on group-based access only — this eliminates random approval emails and keeps access predictable and auditable.
Hi stribor45,
Have you had a chance to review the solution we shared by Zanqueta AntoineW cengizhanarslan Poojara_D12 ? If the issue persists, feel free to reply so we can help further.
Thank you.
Hi stribor45,
Checking in to see if your issue has been resolved. let us know if you still need any assistance.
Thank you.
cengizhanarslan - can you mention where I may add/change email addresses that receive the permission request? I receive them as the Fabric administrator. I didn't find where to alter the contact list in Fabric admin settings.
Thanks in advance.
