Managing Power BI reports across teams can quickly become complex without the right tools.
By integrating OneDrive or SharePoint with Power BI, you streamline version control, collaboration, and report deployment — all without repetitive manual publishing.
Session Objectives
- Understand the integration between Power BI and OneDrive/SharePoint.
- Learn how to manage and update Power BI reports without manual publishing.
- Explore best practices for collaborative report development.
Introduction to Power BI and Cloud Storage Integration
Power BI allows seamless integration with OneDrive and SharePoint for report storage. This means any updates made to the reports are automatically synced with Power BI Service, supporting collaborative editing and versioning.
Setting Up the Environment
• In Power BI Desktop:
– Enable Preview Features: File > Options > Preview Features > Enable:
* Save to OneDrive and SharePoint
* Share to OneDrive and SharePoint
* Show the new file saving and open experience
• In Power BI Service (Admin Portal):
– Under Tenant Settings, enable:
* Allow users to view files in OneDrive and SharePoint
* Allow users to share Power BI files via links
* Automatically update reports and semantic models from OneDrive and SharePoint
Saving and Managing Reports
Save your .pbix files directly to a designated OneDrive or SharePoint folder. This acts as the single source of truth, keeping everyone aligned with the latest version.
Create a Cloud Folder for Reports
Set up a dedicated folder in OneDrive or SharePoint — for example, “Power BI Reports”.
Organize by creating subfolders per team, project, or business unit to maintain clarity and ownership.
Save Reports to the Cloud
- In Power BI Desktop, once your report is ready, go to:
File > Save As > OneDrive – Business / SharePoint – Team Site
Navigate to the folder you created, name the file meaningfully, and save.
Share and Collaborate
- Share the folder or specific report files with stakeholders using SharePoint/OneDrive permissions.
- Define whether they need view, edit, or co-authoring access depending on their role.
Preview Reports in Browser
Users can open .pbix files stored in the cloud directly in the Power BI web service (when uploaded), or preview file details in the browser before downloading or editing.
Importing Reports into Power BI Service
1. In Power BI Service > Navigate to your workspace.
2. Import > Report/Paginated Report/Workbook > OneDrive/SharePoint.
3. Select the .pbix file from the cloud folder.
4. Result: Imports report and semantic model into workspace.
5. The report, semantic model, and dashboard are now loaded into Power BI.
Updating Reports Without Manual Publishing
When you save the .pbix file back to OneDrive/SharePoint, the Power BI service detects changes (Edit visuals, measures, model settings in Power BI Desktop):
• If hourly sync is enabled, it pulls in those changes automatically (every hour).
• If disabled: manual refresh from Power BI will fetch the changes.
This removes the need to click Publish again.
Configuring Data Refresh and Credentials
• Go to Dataset Settings in Power BI Service.
• Provide credentials for your data sources.
• Set up a refresh schedule to ensure the data remains updated.
When Will Report Changes Reflect in Power BI Service?
If hourly sync is enabled, → Power BI Service will automatically check your OneDrive/SharePoint file every hour and pull in those report changes (like new visuals, measures, layout changes).
If hourly sync is disabled (which is what the admin setting does — enforce restricted updates):
• The report changes will NOT reflect automatically.
BUT — you can still do a manual dataset refresh from Power BI Service (click “Refresh now” on the dataset), and then the service will:
- Pull the latest .pbix file from OneDrive/SharePoint.
- Update the semantic model and report definition in the service with those changes you saved in your file.
No need to re-publish or use the Import button.
As long as your file is still connected via OneDrive/SharePoint, the manual refresh will sync it.
Supports Multi-User Collaboration
Multiple team members can work on the same Power BI report saved in OneDrive or SharePoint.
• Only one person should edit at a time to prevent version conflicts.
• Version history in SharePoint/OneDrive allows rollback and auditing.
• Ideal for teams across departments and locations.
Can Multiple Users Work on the Same Report?
Yes — but with important precautions.
Tips To Work Smarter
1. Assign a single report owner at a time.
- Use SharePoint’s Check-In/Check-Out to lock the file while editing.
- Track changes via changelogs or Microsoft Teams comments.
- Split the workload: use shared datasets with multiple thin reports if needed.
Ideal Setup for Medium Teams: 1 owner + 2 contributors + version tracking
Ideal Setup for Large Teams: Shared semantic model + deployment pipelines
(Dev → Test → Prod)
Best Practices and Considerations
• Use version control: SharePoint maintains edit history.
- Monitor refreshes: Watch refresh logs in Power BI Service for errors.
• Use folders and naming conventions for report organization.
• Manage access: Ensure only trusted users have edit permissions.
Note:
If multiple users need to work on the same report at the same time, consider:
- Leveraging Azure DevOps with Git for structured version control
- Allowing each team member to work in separate branches
- Managing updates through pull requests and code reviews
- Using deployment pipelines for controlled promotion of changes
- Ensuring clear ownership and task division to avoid conflicts
- Handling merge conflicts efficiently, since Git tracks changes line-by-line and flags discrepancies for resolution
Conclusion
- Using Power BI with OneDrive or SharePoint simplifies report management, improves collaboration, and eliminates the need for manual publishing.
- This approach supports version control, secure access, and smoother teamwork. For larger teams, combining it with DevOps tools ensures structured, conflict-free development.
- Embrace this integrated strategy to streamline your Power BI lifecycle — from authoring to sharing — with efficiency and confidence.