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Embedding Power BI Reports in Catalyst

Tom S
Updated

After publishing your Power BI report to the EBM workspace, the final step is embedding it into Catalyst so users can access it directly within the platform. This integration makes your dashboards available through Catalyst's Visualizations menu, automatically applies security permissions, and ensures seamless access without requiring separate Power BI logins. 

 

Overview

Once your Power BI report is published to your EBM workspace, embedding it into Catalyst makes it accessible to your users through a familiar interface. Embedded reports inherit Catalyst's security settings, respect row-level permissions, and require no additional Power BI licenses for viewers. This guide covers the embedding process, access control, and user experience considerations.

Embedding Workflow

┌─────────────────────────────────────┐
│   Power BI Service                  │
│   (Published Report)                │
└──────────────┬──────────────────────┘
               │
               │ Log into Catalyst
               ▼
┌─────────────────────────────────────┐
│   Catalyst → Visualizations         │
│   Click ➕ Add                       │
└──────────────┬──────────────────────┘
               │
               │ Configure Settings
               ▼
┌─────────────────────────────────────┐
│   Select "Embedded Power BI         │
│   Report" Type                      │
└──────────────┬──────────────────────┘
               │
               │ Choose Report
               ▼
┌─────────────────────────────────────┐
│   Set Access Permissions            │
│   (Navigation & Data Security)      │
└──────────────┬──────────────────────┘
               │
               │ Save
               ▼
┌─────────────────────────────────────┐
│   Report Available to Users         │
│   in Catalyst                       │
└─────────────────────────────────────┘

Step-by-Step: Embedding Your Report

1

Log Into Catalyst

Sign in to your Catalyst website using your standard credentials.

2

Navigate to Visualizations

In the left navigation bar, click Visualizations.

3

Click Add New Visualization

Click the ➕ Add button to create a new visualization entry.

4

Enter a Name

Provide a descriptive name for your visualization. Best practice: Match the name to your Power BI report title for consistency (e.g., "Q4 Sales Dashboard" or "Executive Financial Summary").

5

Select Visualization Type

From the dropdown menu, choose Embedded Power BI Report.

Catalyst visualization configuration screen showing dropdown
6

Choose Your Report

A dropdown will populate with all available reports from your EBM workspace. Select the report you just published.

✓

Save

Click Save to complete the embedding process. Your report now appears in the Visualizations menu.

💡 Tip: After saving, click on the visualization to preview it immediately and confirm it loads correctly before granting broader access to users.

Understanding User Access

Embedded Power BI reports in Catalyst are controlled by two complementary security layers:

Security Layer What It Controls Where to Configure
Navigation Access Who can see the visualization in the menu Administration → User Groups → Navigation Access
Data Security (Row-Level) What data each user can view within the report Administration → Manage Hierarchies + User Groups

Key Principle: Power BI reports embedded in Catalyst automatically inherit your existing Catalyst security rules. You don't need to configure separate permissions in Power BI—everything is managed through Catalyst's security settings.

Configuring Navigation Access

Navigation Access determines which users can see the visualization link in Catalyst's menu. This is the first level of access control.

Setting Up Navigation Access

  1. Navigate to Administration → User or Groups
  2. Select the user or create the user group that should have access
  3. Click the Navigation Access tab
  4. Find your newly embedded visualization in the list
  5. Check the box to grant access to this group
  6. Click Save
Navigation Access configuration screen in Catalyst

✅ Common Scenarios

  • Executive dashboards: Grant access only to "Executives" group
  • Department reports: Grant access to "Finance" or "Sales" groups
  • Company-wide dashboards: Grant access to "All Users" group
  • Regional reports: Create region-specific groups for access

⚠️ Important Notes

  • Users must be added to a group before they can see the visualization
  • Multiple groups can have access to the same visualization
  • Removing access hides the visualization but doesn't delete it
  • Changes take effect immediately upon saving

Learn more about Navigation Access in the Catalyst Security and Permissions guide.

Configuring Data Security (Row-Level Security)

Row-Level Security (RLS) controls what data users see within the report. Even if two users can access the same dashboard, they may see different data based on their security assignments.

How Row-Level Security Works

Catalyst's hierarchy-based security automatically filters Power BI data. For example:

User Security Assignment What They See in Reports
Regional Manager (East) East Region access only Sales data for East Region customers only
CFO All company access Complete financial data across all regions
Sales Rep Assigned customer list only Data for their assigned customers only

Setting Up Row-Level Security

1

Enable Security on Hierarchies

Go to Administration → Manage Hierarchies

  • Locate the hierarchy you want to secure (e.g., Customer, Company, Region)
  • Enable the Security checkbox for that hierarchy
  • Save changes
2

Create Security Groups

Go to Administration → User Groups

  • Create groups for each security level (e.g., "East Region Users", "West Region Users")
  • Assign the appropriate hierarchy mebers to each group
3

Add Users to Groups

Within each user group, add the users who should have that level of data access.

4

Refresh Cubes

After configuring security, refresh your Catalyst cubes to apply the permission changes. Security rules will then automatically flow to embedded Power BI reports.

Hierarchy security configuration showing enabled security checkbox

Testing Security: Use Catalyst's Impersonate User feature to preview exactly what a specific user will see. This is the best way to verify your security settings are working correctly before rolling out to users.

Learn more about Row-Level Security in the Setting Row-Level Security guide.

User Experience: Viewing Embedded Reports

Once embedded and configured, users access Power BI reports seamlessly through Catalyst.

Example of embedded Power BI report displayed in Catalyst

What Users Experience

✅ Users Can

  • View reports directly in Catalyst without separate Power BI login
  • Interact with filters, slicers, and tabs
  • Drill down into data within the report
  • Export data to Excel (if enabled)
  • Subscribe to scheduled report snapshots
  • See only data they're authorized to view

❌ Users Cannot

  • Edit the report layout or visuals
  • Create new reports or dashboards
  • Access Power BI Service directly
  • Modify data or change security settings
  • See data outside their security scope
  • Publish or share reports externally

No License Required: End users viewing embedded reports in Catalyst do not need Power BI licenses. The embed capability is included with your Catalyst subscription.

Report Distribution via Subscriptions

Catalyst supports automated report distribution through subscriptions. Users can receive dashboards as PDFs, PowerPoints, or images on a recurring schedule.

How to Subscribe to a Visualization

  1. Open the embedded visualization in Catalyst
  2. Click the Subscribe button in the top toolbar
  3. Configure delivery preferences:
    • Format: PDF, PowerPoint, or Image
    • Frequency: Daily, Weekly, or Monthly
    • Recipients: Add email addresses
    • Filter state: Include current filters or use defaults
  4. Click Save Subscription
Subscription configuration dialog showing delivery options

Learn more in the How to Subscribe to Visualizations guide.

Managing Embedded Reports

Updating an Embedded Report

When you republish a Power BI report with the same name (overwriting), the embedded version in Catalyst updates automatically. No action is required in Catalyst.

Update Workflow:

  1. Make changes in Power BI Desktop
  2. Publish to EBM workspace (overwrite existing)
  3. Changes appear automatically in Catalyst
  4. No re-embedding or configuration changes needed

Renaming an Embedded Visualization

Catalyst does not support renaming visualizations directly. To change the name of an embedded report:

  1. Go to Visualizations in Catalyst
  2. Click the visualization you want to rename
  3. Click Delete to remove the current entry
  4. Click ➕ Add to create a new visualization
  5. Enter the new name
  6. Select Embedded Power BI Report from the dropdown
  7. Choose the same report from your workspace
  8. Click Save
  9. Reconfigure Navigation Access permissions for the new entry

⚠️ Note: When you delete and re-add a visualization, you must reconfigure Navigation Access permissions. User subscriptions to the old visualization will also need to be recreated.

Removing an Embedded Report

⚠️ Caution: Removing Reports

To remove a report from Catalyst:

  1. Go to Visualizations
  2. Click the visualization
  3. Click Delete
  4. Confirm deletion

Note: This removes the visualization from Catalyst's menu but does not delete the report from Power BI Service. The Power BI report remains in your EBM workspace and can be re-embedded later if needed.

Troubleshooting Embedded Reports

❌ Report Not Appearing in Visualizations Menu

Possible Causes

  • User lacks Navigation Access
  • Visualization not saved properly
  • User not assigned to correct group
  • Browser cache issue

Solutions

  1. Verify Navigation Access is granted to user's group
  2. Confirm the visualization was saved successfully
  3. Check user group membership in Administration
  4. Clear browser cache and refresh Catalyst
  5. Try accessing from a different browser

❌ Report Shows "No Data" or Wrong Data

Possible Causes & Solutions:

  • Row-level security too restrictive: Use Impersonate User to verify what the user should see
  • User not assigned to security groups: Check user group membership
  • Hierarchy security not refreshed: Refresh Catalyst cubes to apply security changes
  • Data refresh pending: Verify Catalyst data is current via System Status page
  • Filters applied in report: Check if default filters are limiting data visibility

❌ Report Loads Slowly or Times Out

Solutions:

  • Verify the report performs well in Power BI Service first
  • Reduce the number of visuals on report pages
  • Apply page-level filters to limit data scope
  • Optimize DAX measures for performance
  • Check network connectivity and bandwidth
  • Contact EBM Support if issues persist

❌ Report Shows Error Message When Opened

Common Errors & Solutions:

Error Message Solution
"Report not found" Report was deleted from Power BI workspace. Verify it still exists in Power BI Service or re-publish it.
"Authentication failed" Sign out and back into Catalyst. Contact EBM Support if issue persists.
"Dataset connection failed" EBM semantic model may be offline. Contact EBM Support to verify dataset health.
"Access denied" User lacks proper security permissions. Check Navigation Access and Row-Level Security settings.

Best Practices for Embedded Reports

✅ Do This

  • Match visualization names to Power BI report titles
  • Test with Impersonate User before granting access
  • Start with restrictive access, then expand gradually
  • Document which groups have access to which reports
  • Set appropriate default filters in Power BI reports
  • Test performance with realistic user scenarios
  • Provide clear report titles and instructions

❌ Avoid This

  • Granting "All Users" access without testing first
  • Using vague names like "Dashboard 1"
  • Forgetting to configure row-level security
  • Embedding reports with performance issues
  • Deleting Power BI reports that are embedded
  • Changing hierarchy structures without testing impact
  • Leaving reports without clear documentation

Next Steps

Your Power BI report is now fully embedded in Catalyst with appropriate security controls. Users can access interactive dashboards directly through Catalyst's familiar interface, with all permissions automatically enforced.

✅ Report embedded successfully → Users can now access it in Catalyst
🔒 Need to adjust access? → Configure Navigation Access and Row-Level Security
📧 Questions or issues? → Contact EBM Support

Embed Power BI reports in Catalyst by navigating to Visualizations, clicking Add, selecting "Embedded Power BI Report," choosing your report, and saving. Control access via Navigation Access (menu visibility) and Row-Level Security (data visibility). Embedded reports inherit Catalyst security automatically and require no viewer licenses. Published report updates appear in Catalyst immediately. To rename a visualization, delete and re-add it. Test security with Impersonate User before rolling out, and contact EBM Support for issues.

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