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Announcing general availability of Export Power BI report to file API

Headshot of article author Alon Baram

Export Power BI report to file API allows you to export Power BI reports to the following file formats: PDF, PPTX (PowerPoint) and PNG, by using a REST call. Today, I am thrilled to announce the general availability (GA) of this API, based on Premium/Embedded Gen2 capacities.

You can use this API in a variety of ways, such as:

  • Send to print button – In your application, create a button that, when clicked on, triggers an export job. The job can export the viewed report as a .pdf or a .pptx, and when it’s complete, the user can receive the file as a download. Using bookmarks you can export the report in a specific state, including configured filters, slicers, and additional settings. As the API is asynchronous, it may take some time for the file to be available.
  • Email attachment – Send an automated email at set intervals, with an attached .pdf report. This scenario can be useful if you want to automate sending a weekly report to executives. Learn more.

The API is asynchronous. When it is called, it triggers an export job. After triggering an export job, use polling to track the job, until it’s complete. When the export is complete, the polling API call returns a Power BI URL for getting the file. The URL will be available for 24 hours.

The following set of capabilities are provided with this API:

  • Export selected report pages – You can specify which pages you want to export and in what order.
  • Export a single visual – You can specify a single visual to export. Learn more.
  • Export bookmarks – You can use the API to programmatically export a report bookmarkLearn more.
  • Export a filtered report – you can use reportLevelFilters  in PowerBIReportExportConfiguration to export a filtered report. Learn more.
  • Export a report with Row Level Security (RLS) – You can export a report showing data that’s only visible to certain users. Learn more.
  • Export report with a sensitivity label – You can export a report with a sensitivity label to a .pdf or a .pptx, the exported file will display the report with its sensitivity label.
  • Localization – When using the API, you can pass your desired local. The localization settings affect the way the report is displayed, for example by changing formatting according to the selected local.
  • Concurrent requests – The API supports concurrent export job requests. The number of jobs you can run at the same time, depends on the SKU your report resides on. See Maximum concurrent report pages per SKU. A job that exceeds its number of concurrent requests doesn’t terminate. For example, if you export 30 pages in an A2 SKU, the first 25 jobs will run, and the remaining five will wait for the next execution cycle. Learn more.

Please be aware, that customers with Premium/Embedded Gen1 capacities will still be able to use this API in preview (with the specific Gen1 concurrency and other limitations described here) only until the end of April 2022 (in sovereign clouds, until the end of July 2022)

By May 1st 2022, this Export Power BI report to file API, as well as Export paginated report to file will only work for reports residing on a Premium or Embedded Gen2 capacities. For those residing on sovereign clouds – August 1st 2022)

An export API operation load for reports residing on Gen2 capacities, is evaluated as a slow-running background operation, as described in Premium Gen2 capacity load evaluation.

Please use the following resources to learn more about the Export Power BI Report to File API:

Export Power BI report to file API article

Export Power BI report to file API – code examples

Export Power BI report to file API – concurrent requests

Export Power BI report to file API – considerations and limitations

Export paginated report to file