Share workspace with external user, workspace showing up in a new account.

[patrick1996]

Hi, 
My organization works closely with another organization. I wanted to set up a shared workspace, so we can both contribute to this workspace. 

In the Azure Active Directory, I registered the external user as a member of my organization. In the admin portal, I enabled external sharing. Lastly, I gave the external user access to the workspace as a Member. Yet, when he goes to his workspaces, our shared workspace is not visible.

I decided to share one of the reports with him, and then he received an email. When he opened that email, it somehow created a new account. I can see that it is a new account because the trial days remaining is different, but the email address is the same. In this "new" account, he is able to access the workspace and the reports shared in them. 

See images below:  

External user's original accountExternal user's account created after sharing report.

What I don't understand is why it creates a whole new account? How am I able to share a workspace with him, that will show in his regular account? 
I have a paid pro license, and he has a trial version of the pro license. 

Looking forward to hearing from you.

- Patrick

[v-yanjiang-msft · Accepted solution]

Hi @patrick1996 ,

There is another way that doesn't require creating an app, that is after you share the workspace to the guest user, provide them with the Tenant URL.

To find the tenant URL, follow these steps.

1. In the Power BI service, in the header menu, select help (?), then select About Power BI.

2. Look for the value next to Tenant URL. Share the tenant URL with your allowed guest users.

By the Tenant URL, they can sign in to the guest user account and see any content you have shared with them.

More reference: Guest users who can edit and manage content

Share outside your organization

Best Regards,
Community Support Team _ kalyj

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[patrick1996]

Hi @v-yanjiang-msft,
Thanks for your feedback. I highly appreciate it.

I was wondering what the alternative is to share a workspace with someone from outside the organization? The tutorial that I followed created a guest user in the Active Directory. 

Hopefully, you will be able to help me out, again 🙂

Thanks! 

- Patrick 

[v-yanjiang-msft]

Hi @patrick1996 ,

You can create app in the workspace.

Add the user as a guest in AzureAD and then give the user permission in the App.

Then the guest user gets an email indicating that you shared the app with them.

Reference: Publish an app in Power BI - Power BI | Microsoft Docs

Distribute content to external guest users with Azure AD B2B - Power BI | Microsoft Docs

Additionally, there's a point I hope you know, the external user sign in the Power BI account through the email, the account is still not the actual account he used in their company before, he can't view any information of your company through their company's real account, but he can through the email sign in the guest user account.

Best Regards,
Community Support Team _ kalyj

If this post helps, then please considerAccept it as the solution to help the other members find it more quickly.

[patrick1996]

Hi @v-yanjiang-msft,
So it is really not possible for the guest user to have the app integrated into his own environment? He would then always have to log in to the guest account if he wants access to the shared app? 

Thanks

- Patrick

[v-yanjiang-msft]

Hi @patrick1996 ,

Yes, he can only sign in the guest account through email to see the shared contents.

Best Regards,
Community Support Team _ kalyj

If this post helps, then please considerAccept it as the solution to help the other members find it more quickly.

[v-yanjiang-msft]

Hi @patrick1996 ,

When you invite an external user as a guest user in the Azure Active Directory, it's not actually the external account itself that becomes the guest user, instead, allow another account to be created using this email address.

For example, for the user a@abc.com, when he is invited as a guest user in the domain def.com, the complete account of the generated guest user is a_abc.com#EXT#@def.com, when you share content to the guest user, he still get the email in the email address a@abc.com, and sometimes presented in the form of as a@abc.com, in fact, it has nothing to do with the real a@abc.com account. When you share content to the guest user, you will see the complete account in the dialog.

Best Regards,
Community Support Team _ kalyj

If this post helps, then please considerAccept it as the solution to help the other members find it more quickly.