Power BI Rest API

What is Power BI REST API?

The Power BI REST API is a web service that allows developers to programmatically integrate and interact with Microsoft Power BI, a powerful business analytics tool. It enables you to perform various operations, such as managing reports, dashboards, datasets, users, and more in the Power BI service. This API is typically used for automating tasks, embedding reports into custom applications, and creating dynamic data-driven solutions.

Key Takeaways
  • The Power BI REST API allows for programmatic interactions with Power BI services.
  • Integration involves Power BI REST API authentication, obtaining access tokens, and making API requests.
  • You can automate tasks, embed reports, and create data-driven solutions.
  • Be mindful of security, permissions, and rate limits when working with the API.

How To Integrate Power BI REST API?

There are two methods using which you can integrate Power BI REST API. They include

  • Method 1: Using Power BI Developer Portal for REST API Power BI Integration
  • Method 2: Using Hevo for REST API for Power BI Integration

Now, let’s look at each of these methods in detail to get started with the integration.

Method #1: Using Power BI Developer Portal for REST API Power BI Integration

This method utilizes the Power BI Developer Portal for REST API Power BI Integration. The detailed steps involved in this method are highlighted below:

Step 1: Register an Application for Power BI

The first step is to register it with Azure Active Directory, i.e., Azure AD, so that your app establishes permission for Power BI REST resources and provides access to the Power BI REST APIs. Before you start the process, as a pre-requisite, ensure that you have access to Azure AD tenant and a Power BI Pro account.

Registration of your application is a two-step process, as highlighted below.

Step 1: Navigate to App Registration Tool (Onboarding Embed Tool (powerbi.com)) and then sign in to your Power BI account to register your application.

Power BI API Rest - Method 1 - Step 1.jpg

Enter your login credentials to complete the sign-in. Once the login is successful, the next step is to register your application.

Step 2: Register your application

To register your application, provide the required information such as Application Name, Type, Home Page URL, Redirect URL, etc.

Power BI API Rest - Method 1 - Step 2.jpg

Provide additional details such as API access requirements for your application and then click on the Register button.

Power BI API Rest - Method 1 - Step 2 - Provide details

Once the registration is successful, you will have an Application ID and Application secret generated.

Power BI API Rest - Method 1 - Step 2 - Application.jpg
Step 2: Authorize User

The next step involves authorizing the user to the application.

  • Post-app registration, note down the Application ID and Application secret values.
  • Under the “Redirect URLs” section, add the actual redirect URL where you want users to be redirected after they grant permissions and Save the changes.
  • Under “API Permissions,” you can grant the necessary permissions to access Power BI resources and then save the permissions.
Step 3: Generate Access Token
  • To generate an access token, you’ll need to use the OAuth 2.0 authorization code flow. Start by sending a GET request to the authorization endpoint to get an authorization code.
  • Users will be redirected to the provided redirect URL with the authorization code.
  • Use the authorization code to request an access token using a POST request to the token endpoint. Include the following parameters in the request: client_id, redirect_uri, client_secret, code, and grant_type.
  • The response will include an access token that you can use to authenticate API requests.
Step 4: List of Reports
  • With the access token, you can make GET requests to the Power BI REST API to retrieve a list of reports. Use the following endpoint: https://api.powerbi.com/v1.0/myorg/reports
  • Include the access token in the request headers for authentication.
Step 5: List of Datasets

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Method #2 – Using Hevo for REST API Power BI Integration

Hevo is a third-party data integration platform that can simplify the process of integrating Power BI with other Power BI REST API data sources via the REST API. The steps would include:

  • Sign up and log in to Hevo.
  • Configure a new data pipeline for Power BI integration.
  • Provide the necessary Power BI API credentials or Power BI REST API authentication information in Hevo’s interface.
  • Define the data sources or data you want to integrate with Power BI.
  • Set up data transformation and mapping rules within Hevo, if required.
  • Schedule or trigger the data integration process to run at desired intervals.
  • Monitor the integration and manage any errors or issues through Hevo’s dashboard.
  • The specific steps may vary based on the features and interface provided by Hevo or any other third-party integration platform you choose. Be sure to follow the Power BI REST API Documentation or guides provided by Hevo for the most accurate and up-to-date instructions.

In the next section, we will go through the various examples of Power BI REST API.

Examples

Now, let’s look at some of the examples on the Power BI REST API to understand it a bit better.

Example #1 – Calling the API from .NET

Calling the Power BI REST API from a .NET application allows you to interact with Power BI services programmatically. Below is an example of how to call the Power BI REST API from a .NET application.

As a pre-requisite, ensure that you have set up your .NET project and installed the required packages. Consider using NuGet Package Manager if you wish to install any packages.

The steps associated with these processes include:

Step 1: Create a new .NET project

Step 2: Install the below packages for your projects

  • Microsoft.Identity.Client – Required for authentication
  • System.Net.Http – Required for making HTTP requests
  • System.Configuration.ConfigurationManager – Required for accessing application configs

Step 3: Register your application using Azure AD. Once the registration is completed, you can obtain the Application ID, and Application secret, and also redirect URI. Grant the necessary permissions in your Azure AD app.

Step 4: Once the above setups are complete, you can write a basic code to call Power BI REST API from a .NET application using C# script.

Example #2 – Embedding into a custom application

In this example, we will see how you can embed Power BI Paginated reports into a custom application in your organization.

To perform this activity, ensure that you have a Power BI Pro or Premium per user (PPU) license and the Azure AD tenant set up.

To embed a Power BI paginated report into the custom app, follow the steps highlighted below:

Step 1: Create a workspace in Power BI Service for your paginated report.

Power BI API Rest - Example 2 - Step 1.jpg

Step 2: Create a capacity for your paginated report with an EM or P capacity using Power BI Premium. You can use the below table to define the capacity for your report.

Power BI API Rest - Example 2 - Step 2.jpg

Step 3: Post capacity creation, assign your workspace to that capacity. Navigate to Power BI Service, expand workspace, choose More, and then select the Workspace settings option.

Power BI API Rest - Example 2 - Step 3.jpg

Choose Premium, the license mode as per the capacity you have created and select the Save option. Post save, you will notice a diamond icon next to the workspace name.

Power BI API Rest - Example 2 - Step 3 - Dynamic.jpg

Step 4: Create your paginated Power BI report by using the Power BI report builder and then upload it to the Power BI service

Step 5: Embed the content using the sample application

Example #3

In this example, we will use the Power BI REST API to retrieve a list of workspaces in your Power BI environment using a Python script and the requests library.

import requests

# Define your Power BI API endpoint and access token

api_endpoint = “https://api.powerbi.com/v1.0/myorg/groups”

access_token = “YOUR_ACCESS_TOKEN_HERE” //replace the token with your Power BI token that you can obtain by registering your app in the Azure AD environment

# Define headers with the access token

headers = {

    “Authorization”: f”Bearer {access_token}”

}

# Make a GET request to the Power BI API to list workspaces

response = requests.get(api_endpoint, headers=headers)

if response.status_code == 200:

    # Successfully retrieved the list of workspaces

    workspaces = response.json()

    for workspace in workspaces[“value”]:

        print(f”Workspace ID: {workspace[‘id’]}”)

        print(f”Workspace Name: {workspace[‘name’]}”)

else:

    # Failed to retrieve workspaces

    print(f”Failed to retrieve workspaces. Status code: {response.status_code}”)

    print(response.text)

Important Things to Note

The important things to note while using Power BI REST API include:

  • Always handle access tokens and secrets securely.
  • Ensure that your application has the necessary permissions to access Power BI resources.
  • Be aware of API rate limits and handle them gracefully in your applications.
  • Implement proper error handling and logging for robust integration.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1. How can I schedule data refreshes with the Power BI REST API?

To schedule data refreshes with the Power BI REST API, follow the instructions below:
• Authenticate your application with Power BI Service using Azure AD
• Get the dataset details you want to schedule using the Power BI REST API
• Create a refresh schedule by using the POST method with /datasets/{datasetId}/refreshSchedule endpoint. You also need to specify the dataset ID, time zone, days of the week, and time when you want to schedule the refresh.
• Update or delete a refresh schedule using the PUT or DELETE method with the /datasets/{datasetId}/refreshSchedule endpoint.
• Monitor the status of data refreshes using the Power BI REST API.

2. What are the 4 main benefits of using Power BI REST API?

The four main benefits include:

• Automation
• Customization
• Integration
• Control

3. What are the limitations of using Power BI REST API?

The limitations include:

• Working with the API can be complex, especially for those without prior experience with REST APIs and Azure AD authentication.
• There are rate limits in place, and excessive API requests can result in throttling.
• Not all features of Power BI are available through the API, so some tasks may still require manual interaction with the Power BI service.
• Handling client secrets and tokens should be done with care to avoid security breaches.

4. Is the Power BI REST API available for all Power BI service plans?

The availability depends on the specific service plan or licensing level:

Power BI Pro: The API is available for users with a Power BI Pro license.
Power BI Premium: The API is available for users with a Power BI Premium license. Premium capacity allows for better scalability and performance.
Power BI Embedded: This is a dedicated capacity for embedding reports and dashboards in custom applications. It also includes access to the API.

The availability of specific API features may vary between these service plans, so you should review the Power BI REST API Documentation and licensing details to ensure you have the necessary access.

This has been a guide to Power BI REST API. We learn how to integrate Rest API in Power BI with steps, examples and points to remember. You can learn more from the following articles –

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