Reports Filtered At the User Level

[KyleTheGirl]

I work for a company that has a large sandbox with many users and shared reports.  I have a user that no matter what report she opens, it is filtered to one location (the same location).  We have checked bookmarks and there are none.  Even if she tries to create a new report and pull in the global semantic model, it is still filtered to that one location.  What am I missing here?

[v-nmadadi-msft]

Hi @KyleTheGirl ,

May I ask if you have resolved this issue with the solutions provided by @rohit1991 , @Idrissshatila , @nilendraFabric  ? If so, please mark the helpful reply and accept it as the solution. This will be helpful for other community members who have similar problems to solve it faster.

Thank you.

[rohit1991 · Accepted solution]

Hi @KyleTheGirl ,

The issue where a user's Power BI reports are consistently filtered to a single location despite no bookmarks being present suggests that Row-Level Security (RLS), Persistent Filters, or Default Filters in the Semantic Model might be affecting her access. Row-Level Security (RLS) is the most likely cause if security roles are applied at the dataset or semantic model level, restricting her view to only one location. To check this, go to Modeling → Manage Roles in Power BI Desktop or check security settings in the Power BI Service (Dataset → Security Tab) and verify if she is assigned an RLS role.

Another possibility is Persistent Filters, which store the last applied filters per user session. The user should try clearing filters manually or selecting "Reset to Default" in the report view. Additionally, in the Power BI Service, verify if there are Personalized Visuals or Default Filters applied at the Semantic Model level, as these can override report-level filters. If she experiences this issue even when creating a new report from the Global Semantic Model, this strongly indicates that RLS is enforced on the dataset level or that her access permissions are limiting her to one location. If needed, an admin can test by logging in with her credentials in an incognito session or assigning a different role to bypass RLS for troubleshooting.

Troubleshooting Steps:

1. Check Row-Level Security (RLS) – Go to Dataset → Security and verify if a location-based role is applied to the user.
2. Clear Persistent Filters – In Power BI Service, select "Reset to Default" on the affected reports.
3. Check Default Filters in the Semantic Model – Ensure the dataset does not enforce location-based filtering.
4. Test in a Different Browser/Device – Try signing in from an incognito session or different machine to rule out session-based issues.
5. Validate User Permissions – Verify that she has full access to the dataset and is not restricted via role-based security.

By checking these settings, you should be able to identify whether RLS, persistent filters, or dataset-level security rules are causing the filtering issue.

 Passionate about leveraging data analytics to drive strategic decision-making and foster business growth.
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[Idrissshatila]

Hello @KyleTheGirl ,

maybe something related to row level security ? 

[nilendraFabric]

Hello @KyleTheGirl 

Check if persistent filters are enabled. In Power BI Desktop, go to File > Options and Settings > Options > Current File > Report Settings, and disable persistent filters if necessary