Specifying URLs dynamically in a PBI report in the cloud

Hi Kevin,

To dynamically show images stored in Google Drive within a Power BI report, you need to transform the Google Drive shareable link into a direct image URL. Power BI only renders images from direct URLs (ending in .jpg, .png, etc.), not HTML viewer pages that Google Drive typically generates.

🔧 Step-by-step Solution

1. Get the Google Drive Shareable Link
   Right-click your image in Google Drive → Click Get Link → Ensure visibility is set to Anyone with the link. You’ll get a URL like:
   https://drive.google.com/file/d/FILE_ID/view?usp=sharing
2. Convert it to a Direct Link
   Replace that with the direct download format:
   https://drive.google.com/uc?export=view&id=FILE_ID
   For example:
   https://drive.google.com/uc?export=view&id=T8166M-IVORY-BLUE-ROYAL-OG-5
   (Use the actual file ID string from the original URL.)
3. Update the Column in Power BI
   In Power BI Desktop, add a new column (in Power Query or DAX) that constructs these URLs. For example, if you have a column with File IDs:
   
   ImageURL = "https://drive.google.com/uc?export=view&id=" & Table[FileID]
4. Display the Image
   Add a table or matrix → place the new ImageURL field → set the column data category to Image URL (Model view → Advanced properties).

⚠️ Important Notes

• Google Drive links must be publicly accessible — if access is restricted, images won't render in Power BI Service.
• Use small images if possible, as loading many images over the cloud may slow down your report.

Try creating a few links this way and test them inside your report visuals.