Power BI Dynamic Subscriptions - What You Need to Know

In this video, Manuel Quintana from Pragmatic Works walks us through a new feature in Power BI, the Dynamic Per Recipient subscriptions. This feature allows users to set up personalized report subscriptions that dynamically tailor content to each recipient based on data-driven filters.

EW: NEEDS EMBED, will add when uploaded

Introduction to Power BI Subscriptions

Power BI subscriptions have long been a useful feature for delivering reports on a scheduled basis. Users can receive regular notifications and links to reports when they are refreshed. However, with the release of Dynamic Per Recipient subscriptions, organizations can now deliver more personalized content based on individual recipients' data.

What Are Dynamic Per Recipient Subscriptions?

Dynamic Per Recipient subscriptions are a more advanced version of standard Power BI subscriptions. They allow you to customize report deliveries to each recipient based on data from a contact list data set. This new feature, made generally available in August 2024, is especially useful for organizations that need to deliver tailored reports based on specific filters, such as location or department.

Prerequisites

To use Dynamic Per Recipient subscriptions, you need the following:

• A Premium or Fabric Capacity workspace or a Fabric trial capacity.
• A contact list data set that contains recipient emails, filters, and other relevant information.
• Build permissions on the contact list data set.
• Contributor, Member, or Admin access in the workspace where you are setting up the subscription.

Setting Up Dynamic Subscriptions

Here’s a step-by-step guide to setting up Dynamic Per Recipient subscriptions:

1. Prepare a Data Set: Create a data set containing the recipients’ email addresses, subject lines, filters (e.g., countries, departments), and attachment preferences.
2. Deploy the Data Set: Upload this data set to Power BI. Ensure you have build permissions for this data set.
3. Create a Subscription: Go to the Power BI service, select the report, and click Subscribe. Choose the Dynamic Per Recipient option.
4. Map the Data: Select the contact list data set, and map the necessary columns (e.g., email, filters) to the corresponding fields in the subscription wizard.
5. Define Filters: Specify which columns in the report should be filtered based on the values in the contact list.
6. Choose Attachments: Set the format for attachments (e.g., PDF, PowerPoint) and whether they should be included for each recipient.
7. Save and Schedule: Schedule the subscription to run daily or on a custom schedule, or trigger it manually.

Limitations

While Dynamic Per Recipient subscriptions offer significant flexibility, there are a few limitations:

• The contact list is limited to 1,000 recipients.
• Only single value filters are supported.
• Recipients must already have access to the report, as the subscription does not automatically grant access.
• If column names or tables in the report change, it can break the mapping for the subscription.

Conclusion

Power BI Dynamic Per Recipient subscriptions are a powerful tool for delivering personalized content to your users. By leveraging a data-driven approach, organizations can streamline report deliveries and ensure that each recipient receives content relevant to their needs. This feature brings a level of automation and personalization that will save time and improve the efficiency of report distribution.

Don't forget to check out the Pragmatic Works' on-demand learning platform for more insightful content and training sessions on Power BI and other Microsoft applications. Be sure to subscribe to the Pragmatic Works YouTube channel to stay up-to-date on the latest tips and tricks.