Embedded reporting puts analytics directly inside a business application — no separate BI tool, no tab switching. Power BI Embedded is Microsoft's primary service for this pattern. EPC Group architects embedded reporting solutions for enterprises using Power BI, Dynamics 365, SharePoint, Teams, and custom web applications.
Key Facts
- Power BI Embedded runs on Azure A-series or Fabric F-series capacity SKUs.
- Two embedding patterns: "User Owns Data" (each user logs in) and "App Owns Data" (app authenticates).
- Embedded reports support cross-filtering, drill-down, natural language Q&A, and real-time refresh.
- 1,500+ Power BI deployments completed by EPC Group.
- 29 years of Microsoft consulting. Core Microsoft Solutions Partner designations.
What Is Embedded Reporting?
What Is Embedded Reporting? Power BI Embedded Guide
Embedded reporting puts analytics directly inside a business application — no separate BI tool, no tab switching. Power BI Embedded is Microsoft's primary service for this pattern. EPC Group architects embedded reporting solutions for enterprises using Power BI, Dynamics 365, SharePoint, Teams, and custom web applications.
Key facts
- Power BI Embedded runs on Azure A-series or Fabric F-series capacity SKUs.
- Two embedding patterns: "User Owns Data" (each user logs in) and "App Owns Data" (app authenticates).
- Embedded reports support cross-filtering, drill-down, natural language Q&A, and real-time refresh.
- 1,500+ Power BI deployments completed by EPC Group.
- 29 years of Microsoft consulting. Core Microsoft Solutions Partner designations.
What is embedded reporting?
Embedded reporting means analytics live inside another application. Users see charts, dashboards, and drill-down reports without opening a separate BI tool.
Examples include a CRM that shows sales trends on every account page, a patient portal that shows test results as interactive charts, or a logistics app that shows live shipment status on every order record.
Modern Power BI embedded reports support:
- Cross-filtering between visuals.
- Drill-down into underlying data.
- Tooltips and contextual detail.
- Natural language Q&A queries.
- Real-time data refresh.
Power BI Embedded vs. embedding Power BI
These terms are often confused. They refer to different things.
Power BI Embedded is a specific Azure service. It uses A-series or F-series capacity SKUs. It is designed for the "App Owns Data" pattern where your application authenticates on behalf of all users. ISVs and custom web apps use this model.
Embedding Power BI is a broader concept. It includes embedding in Teams, SharePoint, PowerApps, and custom applications. It covers both "App Owns Data" and "User Owns Data" patterns.
| | Power BI Embedded (Azure) | Embedding Power BI (general) | |---|---|---| | Auth pattern | App Owns Data | User Owns Data or App Owns Data | | Licensing model | A-SKU or F-SKU capacity | Power BI Pro or Premium Per User | | Best for | ISVs, custom web apps | Internal enterprise apps | | Typical embedding targets | Custom applications | Teams, SharePoint, Power Apps, Dynamics 365 |Embedding patterns by platform
EPC Group configures Power BI embedding across the full Microsoft application stack. The right approach depends on your platform and user base.
- Dynamics 365 / model-driven apps — Power BI component in the form editor. Filters by current record ID. Requires Power BI Pro or F-SKU capacity.
- SharePoint Online — Power BI web part on any modern page. Uses User Owns Data. Reports filter by page context.
- Microsoft Teams — Power BI tab in any channel or chat. Native Teams integration. Reports shared via Teams permissions.
- Custom web applications — Power BI JavaScript SDK. App Owns Data pattern. Full UI control using iframes or React components.
- PowerApps canvas apps — Power BI tile control. Passes filter context from app variables.
Licensing for embedded reporting
Licensing is the most common source of confusion in embedded Power BI projects. The rule is simple: viewers need either a Power BI Pro license or access to capacity (Premium Per Capacity or Fabric F-SKU).
- Power BI Pro ($10/user/mo) — needed by report authors and viewers in User Owns Data scenarios.
- Premium Per User ($20/user/mo) — includes Fabric features and paginated report access.
- Fabric F-SKU capacity — covers all viewers in the capacity. F2 ($263/mo), F4 ($526/mo), F64 ($5,257/mo).
- Azure A-SKU — for App Owns Data (ISV) scenarios. Billed per hour, not per month.
Row-level security in embedded reports
RLS enforces data access rules at the semantic model layer. It applies regardless of how the report is accessed — embedded or not.
In App Owns Data scenarios, your application passes a role name to Power BI during the embed token request. Power BI applies the matching RLS role. Users never see rows outside their permitted scope.
- Define RLS roles in Power BI Desktop using DAX filter expressions.
- Map roles to Azure AD groups in the Power BI Service.
- Pass role names in embed token requests (App Owns Data).
- Test with non-admin accounts before deployment.
Frequently asked questions
What is embedded reporting?
Embedded reporting places interactive analytics inside a business application. Users see charts and dashboards without opening a separate BI tool. Power BI Embedded is the Microsoft service that powers this capability for enterprise and ISV scenarios.
What is the difference between Power BI Embedded and Power BI Premium?
Power BI Embedded (Azure A-SKU) is for ISV and custom app scenarios using the App Owns Data pattern. Power BI Premium (P-SKU) or Fabric F-SKU is for enterprise internal use. Both provide capacity-based licensing so viewers don't need individual Pro licenses.
Do embedded Power BI reports work offline?
No. Power BI is a cloud service. Embedded reports require internet connectivity to the Power BI service. For offline or disconnected scenarios, consider caching report snapshots using Fabric pipelines or exporting to PDF/Excel on a schedule.
Can I customize the look of an embedded Power BI report?
Yes. The Power BI JavaScript SDK gives full control over toolbar visibility, navigation pane, filter pane, and visual-level interactions. You can hide the Power BI chrome entirely and match your application's design system.
How long does a Power BI embedded implementation take?
A single report embedded in one application takes 3–6 weeks including environment setup, RLS configuration, and user testing. A full multi-app embedded analytics platform with custom branding and governance documentation runs 2–4 months.
Which industries use Power BI Embedded most?
Healthcare (patient portals, clinical dashboards), financial services (risk and portfolio analytics inside CRM), manufacturing (OEE dashboards inside ERP), logistics (shipment tracking inside order management), and SaaS ISVs embedding analytics in their products.
Build your embedded reporting solution
Talk to an EPC Group Power BI architect about your embedding requirements. Call (888) 381-9725 or request a 30-minute discovery call.
Microsoft Strategy: 2026 Considerations for Embedded Reports What Is Embedded Reporting
EPC Group 29-year Microsoft consulting heritage matters specifically because Microsoft platform decisions today are layered on top of 25 years of architectural choices: Active Directory schema decisions from 2005 affect Microsoft Entra ID Conditional Access policy design in 2026; SharePoint 2003 information architecture decisions affect Copilot grounding quality in 2026. The firms that can navigate that depth (fewer than a dozen Microsoft Solutions Partners in North America) have a structural advantage on enterprise Microsoft migrations.
Microsoft Solutions Partner status (six designations: Data and AI, Modern Work, Infrastructure, Security, Digital and App Innovation, Business Applications) replaced the legacy Microsoft Gold Partner program in 2022. EPC Group held Gold Partner status from 2003 to 2022 (the oldest continuous Gold Partner in North America) and currently holds all six Solutions Partner designations; a credentialing footprint shared by fewer than 50 firms globally and typically used by Microsoft field teams as a vetting gate for enterprise Customer 0 nominations and named-account engagements.
Decision factors EPC Group evaluates
- Microsoft platform capability assessment
- Vendor consolidation analysis
- Compliance and governance posture review
- Enterprise architecture roadmap
- Cost optimization and licensing audit
EPC Group covers this topic across the relevant engagement portfolio. Reach the firm at contact@epcgroup.net for a 30-minute architect conversation.