Setting Up Dynamic Subscriptions for Power BI Reports

Angelica Choo Quan introduces a powerful preview feature in the Power BI service: Dynamic Subscriptions. This feature enables users to send personalized versions of Power BI reports to different recipients, each filtered according to user-specific data. Previously only available through paginated reports, this functionality is now accessible directly in Power BI.

What Are Dynamic Subscriptions?

Dynamic subscriptions allow users to distribute customized PDF versions of a Power BI report to multiple recipients. Each recipient receives a version of the report filtered specifically for them, based on predefined criteria.

Requirements

• A Power BI report published to a Premium Capacity Workspace (including Microsoft Fabric trial workspaces).
• Build permissions on the semantic model (formerly known as the Power BI dataset).

Using a Security Table

Angelica demonstrates the setup using a pre-existing security table that includes:

• First and last names of sales managers
• Email addresses (User Principal Name - UPN)
• Sales territory IDs
• Custom subscription subjects

Implementing Dynamic Row-Level Security (RLS)

1. Create a security role using the Manage Roles feature in Power BI Desktop.
2. Apply a DAX filter using the UPN column to restrict data visibility per user.
3. Test the role using the “View As” feature to simulate different users.
4. Deploy the report to the Power BI service and verify security settings.

Setting Up the Subscription

1. In the Power BI service, open the report and click Subscribe to report.
2. Select New Subscription and choose Dynamic per recipient.
3. Choose the semantic model and select fields from the security table:
   • UPN for email addresses
   • Subscription subject
4. Customize the email message and choose the report page to include.
5. Select the output format (PDF or PowerPoint).
6. Set up dynamic filters using the UPN column to ensure each user sees only their data.
7. Configure the schedule (e.g., daily delivery at a specific time).
8. Review and save the subscription. Optionally, test it using the “Send Now” feature.

Key Takeaways

• Dynamic subscriptions streamline personalized report delivery.
• Row-level security ensures data privacy and relevance.
• Using a centralized security table simplifies management and scalability.
• Testing in both Power BI Desktop and Service is crucial for validation.

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