Specifying URLs dynamically in a PBI report in the cloud

[KevinSGoff]

Hi, 

I know that I can show images dynamically by stuffing public URL for an image into a PBI dataset/report that we push up to the cloud.

However, in our situation we have a ton of images on a google drive.  

https://drive.google.com/file/d/125yO0bmQxpKAe6asWv_K5wEtZXGI5_Dr/view?usp=sharing

If I type that into a browser I get the image displayed (it's a fashion dress).   The JPG that you'll see in the image is this:

T8166M-IVORY-BLUE-ROYAL-OG-5.jpg 

However, I don't know how to "encode/translate" that into a URL that I can put into a PBI column that I'm using.
Everything I try to push in, using that google drive definition, doesn't seem to work for me.

Thanks!

Kevin 

[v-saisrao-msft]

Hi @KevinSGoff,

We haven’t heard back from you in a while regarding your issue. let us know if your issue has been resolved or if you still require support.

Thank you.

[v-saisrao-msft]

Hi @KevinSGoff,

Checking in to see if your issue has been resolved. let us know if you still need any assistance.

Thank you.

[v-saisrao-msft]

Hi @KevinSGoff,

Have you had a chance to review the solution we shared by @SolomonovAnton @aj1973  If the issue persists, feel free to reply so we can help further.

Thank you.

[SolomonovAnton · Accepted solution]

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. 

✔️ If my message helped solve your issue, please mark it as Resolved!

👍 If it was helpful, consider giving it a Kudos!

[aj1973]

Hi @KevinSGoff 

Not clear what you want to achieve but I think you need to create an excel file with with 2 columns or better Add Table in Power Query, one column contains the name of the images and the other contains the URL of the image. Add the Excel file to your Dataset.