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Publish Reports

? How to Publish Reports to Power BI Service

? Quick Overview

Publishing a report to Power BI Service means uploading your Power BI Desktop report (.pbix) to the Power BI cloud so it can be viewed, shared, refreshed, and accessed online by others. This is a core step in moving from report creation to real business usage.

? Key Concepts

  • Requires Power BI account (work or school email)
  • Reports are created in Power BI Desktop
  • Publishing sends report + dataset to cloud
  • Workspace decides who can access the report
  • Internet connection is mandatory

? Syntax / Theory

Power BI follows a Desktop-to-Service workflow. Reports are designed locally in Power BI Desktop, then published to the Power BI Service where they become cloud assets. After publishing, dashboards can be created and reports can be shared securely.

? Code Example

?‍? View Code Example
// Conceptual steps to publish a Power BI report
Open Power BI Desktop
Click Home tab
Select Publish
Sign in to Power BI Service
Choose destination Workspace

? Live Output / Explanation

What happens after publish?

  • Report appears in selected workspace
  • Dataset is created automatically
  • Data can be refreshed from service
  • Dashboard can be created from report visuals

? Interactive Flow

? View Publishing Flow
// End-to-end Power BI publishing flow
Power BI Desktop
→ Publish
→ Power BI Service Workspace
→ Report
→ Dashboard
→ Share

? Use Cases

  • Sharing reports with managers
  • Centralized reporting for teams
  • Accessing reports from mobile devices
  • Automated refresh for live data
  • Enterprise-level data governance

?️ Interactive Lab

?
 
☁️
Report is currently on Power BI Desktop.

✅ Tips & Best Practices

  • Check data source credentials before publish
  • Use proper workspace (My Workspace vs Team Workspace)
  • Apply security rules before sharing
  • Rename reports clearly for users
  • Test report visuals after publishing

? Try It Yourself

  1. Create a simple report in Power BI Desktop
  2. Click Publish and sign in
  3. Select My Workspace
  4. Open Power BI Service in browser
  5. Verify report and dataset