Connecting Microsoft Power BI to Axiamatic lets the platform securely access and analyze your Power BI data, based on the access your Microsoft 365 administrator grants. Once connected, Axiamatic reads your workspaces, datasets, reports, and dashboards to turn them into actionable insights.

This article walks you through connecting Power BI from start to finish. You don't need any prior experience with Axiamatic to follow it.

Important: make sure your Axiamatic role is either Program Admin or Integration Admin. You'll need one of these roles to set up the connection.

Step-by-Step Instructions

Step 1: Open Program Settings

Log in to your Axiamatic account. In the bottom-right corner of the screen, click your profile menu, then select Program Settings.

Step 2: Open the Integrations Page and Find Power BI

In Program Settings, look at the left navigation and click the Integrations tab. On the Integrations page, scroll to the Data & Analytics section. You'll find the Power BI integration card there.

Step 3: Choose a Shared or Private Connection

On the Power BI card, click Connect. A pop-up will open asking how you want to scope this connection. Choose one of the two options:

Shared Connection: Makes this Power BI connection available to all current and future projects or business units in your Axiamatic workspace. This is the recommended option for most organizations that want broad integration.
Private Connection: Limits this Power BI connection to the current project or account only. Each new project will need its own separate Power BI connection.

Once you've chosen the option that best fits how your organization manages projects and data, click Proceed.

Step 4: Choose an Authentication Method

Power BI supports two ways to connect. Pick one.

OAuth or Default Authentication(recommended): Sign in with your Microsoft account. You get the same Power BI access that your account has.
Client Credentials: Connect with a Microsoft Entra app instead of a personal sign-in. Use this for automated or organization-managed setups.

Select the method you want. OAuth is selected by default.

Option 1: OAuth or Default Authentication

Select OAuth.
Enter your Azure Tenant ID. If you don't have it, follow the steps below.
Click Connect.

How to get your Azure Tenant ID

Follow these steps to retrieve the ID for a Microsoft Entra tenant in the Azure portal:

Sign in to the Azure portal.
Confirm you are signed in to the tenant whose ID you want to retrieve. If not, switch directories to the correct tenant.
Under the Azure services heading, select Microsoft Entra ID. If you don't see it, use the search box to find it.
In the Overview screen, find the Tenant ID in the Basic information section.
Copy the Tenant ID by clicking the Copy to clipboard icon next to it. You can paste this value wherever you need it.

Option 2: Client Credentials

Select Client Credentials.
Enter these details:
- Azure Tenant ID: The ID of the Microsoft Entra tenant where you registered your app.
- Client ID: The Application (client) ID of your app.
- Client Secret: The secret you created for your app.
Click Connect.

Set up your app in Microsoft

If you don't have an app yet, create one and get the Client ID and Client Secret. Microsoft explains how in these guides:

Important: Copy the client secret when you create it and store it somewhere safe. Microsoft shows the secret only once.

Your app also needs access to Power BI. A Power BI admin must turn on service principal access in the Power BI tenant settings. The service principal must also have access to each workspace you want to connect. For details, see Microsoft's guide: Use a service principal with Power BI.

Note: Microsoft handles this authentication securely. Axiamatic does not store your credentials.

Step 5: Confirm the Connection

That's the last step. Return to the Integrations page in Axiamatic. You'll see a Connected status next to Power BI, confirming the integration is set up and ready.

How Axiamatic Uses Your Power BI Data

Axiamatic accesses your Power BI data through delegated permissions, meaning it can only reach data you already have permission to view.

What Axiamatic accesses:

Workspaces: Reads the workspaces you can access to locate the datasets, reports, and dashboards inside them.

Semantic Models (Datasets): Reads the tables, columns, and data within your datasets. This is where the underlying data lives, and it is the primary source Axiamatic analyzes.

Reports: Reads report structure and content, and can export reports to PDF, PPTX, or PNG for analysis.

Dashboards: Reads dashboard tiles and maps them back to their source reports and datasets.

Need help?

For pricing information, demo requests, or assistance, contact us at [email protected]