Power BI can load protected OneLake files in reports
Reviewed by Helen Jones
Power BI’s August update lets report authors use OneLake file URLs for images and shape-map files. Chris Webb shows the practical pattern: store files in a Fabric lakehouse, use the file URL in the report, and let Power BI load it under each viewer’s Microsoft Entra identity.
Report builders previously had to choose between public image links, personal embed workarounds, or bulky image data inside a semantic model. Keeping report assets beside governed data removes some of that friction without making the files anonymous. Access becomes a reporting dependency: opening the report or semantic model does not automatically grant access to the OneLake file. A visual can fail for a viewer if its file or folder permissions were not included in the rollout.
Analysis
Pick one low-risk report visual that currently depends on a public or embedded image. Test a OneLake file URL with a normal report viewer, then document the exact lakehouse and folder Read permissions needed before replacing the existing asset path.
Source note
Pulse published by Collab365 Spaces, reviewed by Helen Jones on . Cite as "Power BI reports can use protected OneLake images", Collab365 Spaces.