Power BI XMLA endpoint: connect outside tools to semantic models
The XMLA endpoint in Power BI is the connection point that lets client tools reach the semantic models in a workspace. Through it, tools such as SQL Server Management Studio, Tabular Editor and DAX Studio can query, manage and deploy models. This guide explains which workspaces offer the endpoint, the difference between read-only and read-write, and the limits that Microsoft documents.
- Read-only or read-write
- Workspace connection address
- Limits to know first
Last updated
What is the Power BI XMLA endpoint?
Microsoft explains that workspaces on Premium Per User, a Premium capacity, an Embedded capacity or a Fabric capacity use an XMLA endpoint. It supports open-platform connectivity from Microsoft and third-party client applications and tools.
XMLA is the XML for Analysis protocol. Workspaces use it for communication between client applications and the engine that manages the workspace and its semantic models. That engine is the same one that runs Analysis Services, and Microsoft states that data sent over the protocol is fully encrypted.
So a workspace behaves like a server, and each semantic model behaves like a database. As a result, many tools built for Analysis Services can also work with Power BI models.
Read-only and read-write access compared
Microsoft describes two levels of access, and the right one depends on the task.
| Task | Access needed | Documented note |
|---|---|---|
| Query a model from a tool | Read-only | Enabled by default for the workload |
| Trace activity with SQL Server Profiler | Read-only | Listed among the supported tools |
| Deploy a model from Visual Studio | Read-write | An administrator enables it first |
| Edit metadata with Tabular Editor | Read-write | Read-only covers query operations only |
| Refresh through scripts | Read-write | Not subject to the scheduled refresh cap |
Connect a tool to the Power BI XMLA endpoint in four steps
These steps summarize Microsoft's instructions for a workspace that already sits on a suitable capacity.
Open workspace settings
First open the workspace in the Power BI service and select Settings.
Copy the connection
Next go to the Premium tab and copy the address shown under Workspace Connection.
Paste it as the server
Then open your client tool and paste that address as the server name. It starts with the powerbi prefix.
Sign in and choose a model
Finally sign in with your work account and select the semantic model you want to open.
Who can use the endpoint, and with which rights?
Two settings decide whether the endpoint is open. First, a tenant setting allows XMLA endpoints and Analyze in Excel, and Microsoft notes that it is enabled by default. Second, the capacity setting for the XMLA Endpoint is read-only unless an administrator changes it to read-write.
Permissions then apply per person. Read access needs the Build permission on the semantic model. Write access belongs to workspace contributors and the roles above them. Also, row-level security stays in force, so a connected user sees only the permitted rows.
Automation is possible as well. Service principals can connect for unattended tasks. However, Microsoft notes limits for service principals when a model uses row-level or object-level security.
What changes when you write through the Power BI XMLA endpoint?
One caution deserves attention. Once a tool changes a model through a write operation, you may no longer be able to download that model as a Power BI Desktop file. Therefore Microsoft advises that you keep the original file.
Some models are out of reach. According to the article, the endpoint does not support models based on a live connection, push datasets or models from Excel workbooks. Default semantic models cannot be modified through it either.
Credentials follow their own path. You cannot set data source credentials through the endpoint. Instead, you set them in the Power BI service. Microsoft also recommends the large model storage format for write operations. For release flows that move models between workspaces, see Power BI deployment pipelines.
Client tools that Microsoft lists for this connection
The article names these tools among those that work with workspaces over XMLA.
- SQL Server Management Studio for queries and scripts
- Visual Studio with Analysis Services projects
- SQL Server Profiler for tracing and debugging
- Tabular Editor for model metadata
- DAX Studio for writing and testing DAX queries
- ALM Toolkit for comparing and deploying models
Power BI XMLA endpoint: common questions
Which licenses include the Power BI XMLA endpoint?
Microsoft's article names Power BI Premium, Premium Per User and Power BI Embedded workspaces. A workspace outside those capacities does not offer the connection address. Licensing terms change over time, so confirm the current requirements in the Microsoft article before you plan a deployment process around the endpoint.
Is the Power BI XMLA endpoint read-only by default?
Yes. Microsoft states that the workload setting allows read-only access by default. An administrator can change it to read-write in the capacity settings of the Admin portal, under Workloads. For Premium Per User, the matching setting sits under the semantic model workload settings of that license type.
Can I still download the PBIX file after an XMLA change?
Possibly not. Microsoft cautions that a write operation on a model authored in Power BI Desktop can prevent you from downloading it again as a Desktop file. So keep the original file in source control or a safe folder before anyone deploys changes with an outside tool.
Does refresh through the XMLA endpoint count against limits?
Microsoft states that refresh operations through the endpoint are not limited to the daily cap that applies to scheduled refresh. The scheduled refresh timeout does not apply either. However, the capacity still has finite resources, so large refresh jobs need planning and sensible timing.
Can Power BI Agency set up deployment through this endpoint?
Yes. One of our consultants reviews your workspaces, agrees the access level with your administrator and sets up a repeatable deployment process with the tools your team prefers. We work remotely in your own Microsoft tenant and reply within 2 hours. Power BI Agency is a division of Sataware Technologies and is independent of Microsoft.
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