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Configure "Talk to Your Data" for Power BI Cloud External Reports (Beta)

BETA FEATURE: "Talk to Your Data" for Microsoft Power BI Cloud External Reports is a beta feature introduced in v7.2.1. Functionality, configuration steps, and supported options are subject to change as the feature evolves.

NOTES:

  • The Tenant.Read.All permission is required to collect Power BI metadata. Metadata collection enables the LLM to learn how the semantic model(s) are structred and to extract measure and dimension metadata for generating DAX statements. Without metadata, the LLM cannot answer questions about the semantic model or build DAX for KPIs. For more information, see Why Tenant.Read.All Permission Is Required.
  • This feature sends report data to Concierge and, by extension, to the configured LLM. Ensure that data sharing with the LLM is acceptable for the reports used with this feature before proceeding.

Talk to Your Data, introduced in v7.2.1, lets users ask plain-language questions about a Power BI Cloud External Report and receive answers, charts, and trend lines drawn directly from the Report's Semantic Model, including questions that filters and slicers cannot answer, such as comparisons, anomalies, or metric breakdowns across Dimensions. Responses appear inline, next to the Report.

Concierge powers the experience, it answers questions natively from the Power BI Semantic Model or routes them to a third-party agent registered as a Domain: any MCP-compatible tool, such as a CRM, ticketing system, or data warehouse. When Use User Token is enabled on the Element (see Step7: Enable the 'Use User Token' Option), queries run under the asking user's Power BI identity, so users see only data they are already permitted to see in Power BI.

The same capability is available wherever Metric Insights content is embedded, including Custom Apps: KPIs and ad-hoc analysis sit alongside the application users already work in, with no separate BI portal required.

To enable this functionality, ensure ALL of the prerequisites are met, then follow the steps below.

PREREQUISITES:

TABLE OF CONTENTS:

  1. Grant Tenant.Read.All Permission
  2. Enable ENABLE_TALK_TO_YOUR_DATA System Variable
  3. Check the MI Data Source Configuration
    1. Refresh Object List (Required for New MI Data Sources or Tokens)
  4. Sync Metadata
  5. Verify External Report Profile
  6. Enable Talk to Your Data for the External Report
  7. Enable the 'Use User Token' Option
  8. Talk to Your Data

1. Grant Tenant.Read.All Permission

Access Microsoft Azure > App registrations > open the Azure application for Power BI

NOTE: Credentials of this Azure application will be used for the Data Source connection in Metric Insights.

  1. Under Manage, click on API Permissions.
  2. [ + Add a permission]
  3. Scroll to and select Power BI Service.
  4. Click on Delegated permissions.
  5. Under "Tenant", find and check Tenant.Read.All
  6. [Add permissions]

2. Enable ENABLE_TALK_TO_YOUR_DATA System Variable

Access Admin > System > System Variables

  1. Enter ENABLE_TALK_TO_YOUR_DATA in the search box.
  2. Locate the ENABLE_TALK_TO_YOUR_DATA System Variable, select the gear icon, assign the value to Y, then [Save]
  3. [Commit Changes]

3. Check the MI Data Source Configuration

NOTE: See Configure Microsoft Power BI OAuth in Azure AD for details on creating a new Metric Insights Data Source that uses OAuth.

  1. Ensure that OAuth Auth Type is selected.
  2. Verify that the Token has been generated for the User, who has access to the corresponding Power BI objects.

3.1. Refresh Object List (Required for New MI Data Sources or Tokens)

NOTE: If the MI Data Source is new, or if the Token has been generated for a new user, refresh the Power BI Object list prior to syncing metadata. Otherwise, proceed to sync metadata.

  1. Access Power BI Objects tab
  2. Scroll to the bottom of the page, click [Refresh list]

4. Sync Metadata

Access the Metadata tab

  1. [Sync Metadata] at the bottom of the page to update the learnings for the External Report and improve Concierge answer speed.

5. Verify External Report Profile

  1. Open the External Report.
  2. Verify that the External Report's Profile is set to Microsoft Power BI OAuth.
  3. [View] to open the external report in the viewer for the next step.

6. Enable Talk to Your Data for the External Report

  1. Open Concierge.
  2. Enable "Talk to your data" for the External Report by entering the following slash command: /enable
    • NOTE: On first use, several popups appear prompting authorization of Talk to Your Data on the Azure App side. Complete each authorization step before proceeding.
  3. Update learnings: /ul
  4. Verify the status of learnings: /status
  5. Access the generated learnings.

Talk to Your Data slash commands:

  • /enable: Enables Talk to Your Data feature in the External Report.
  • /ul or /updatelearning: Updates learnings.
  • /status: Shows whether Talk to Your Data feature is enabled or disabled and shows a link for learnings that have been collected.
  • /llm_log: Shows a detailed log of the current session.
  • /disable: Disables Talk to Your Data feature and lets the user to query regular Concierge.

7. Enable the 'Use User Token' Option

NOTE: To access the Element's Learnings configuration directly, navigate to: https://<MI_hostname>/editor/llm/element/<Element_id>#info

NOTES:

  • The Info tab displays the External Report information fetched from the Power BI metadata.
  • Enabling the Use User Token option is highly recommended. This option limits the scope of accessed metadata to the user's permissions in Power BI, eliminating potential security risks related to service account credential usage.
  1. Access Elements.
  2. Select the External Report.
  3. Ensure the Use User Token option is enabled.
  4. [Save] if the configuration has been changed.

8. Talk to Your Data

After verifying the learning configuration, setup is complete. Navigate back to the External Report viewer and ask questions about this External Report in the Concierge panel.