Power BI
Enables AI assistants to programmatically manage Power BI workspaces, reports, and dashboards while executing DAX queries and triggering dataset refreshes. It supports secure OAuth2 authentication for operations like report exporting, workspace manag
What is Power BI?
Power BI is a Model Context Protocol (MCP) server that allows AI assistants like Claude, Cursor, and VS Code to enables ai assistants to programmatically manage power bi workspaces, reports, and dashboards while executing dax queries and triggering dataset refreshes. it supports secure oauth2 authentication for...
Enables AI assistants to programmatically manage Power BI workspaces, reports, and dashboards while executing DAX queries and triggering dataset refreshes. It supports secure OAuth2 authentication for operations like report exporting, workspace manag
This server falls under the Analytics category on MCPgee, the world's largest MCP server directory with 33,000+ servers.
Features
- Enables AI assistants to programmatically manage Power BI wo
Use Cases
Maintainer
Works with
Installation
Manual Installation
npx power-bi-mcp-serverConfiguration
Configuration Details
claude_desktop_config.json
Performance
Response Metrics
Resource Usage
How to Set Up and Use Power BI
The Power BI MCP Server is an enterprise-grade Model Context Protocol server that bridges AI assistants with both Power BI Desktop (local .pbix files) and Power BI Service (cloud-hosted datasets). It exposes 34 tools covering DAX query execution, semantic model introspection, bulk rename operations via PBIP file editing, Row-Level Security testing, and built-in PII detection with audit logging. Developers and data analysts use it to query and manage Power BI models through natural language without leaving their AI assistant.
Prerequisites
- Windows 10 or 11 (required for ADOMD.NET and Power BI Desktop connectivity)
- Python 3.10 or higher installed
- Power BI Desktop installed (for local .pbix file connectivity)
- Azure AD App Registration with Dataset.Read.All and Workspace.Read.All permissions for cloud/Service connectivity (requires Premium Per User or Premium Capacity workspace)
- An MCP-compatible client such as Claude Desktop
Clone the repository
Clone the Power BI MCP Server repository from GitHub and change into the project directory.
git clone https://github.com/sulaiman013/powerbi-mcp.git
cd powerbi-mcpInstall Python dependencies
Install all required Python packages listed in requirements.txt. This includes ADOMD.NET bindings, the MCP SDK, and security utilities.
pip install -r requirements.txtConfigure optional cloud credentials
If you want to connect to Power BI Service (cloud), copy the example environment file and add your Azure AD client credentials. Desktop-only users can skip this step.
cp .env.example .env
# Edit .env with your Azure AD app credentials:
# AZURE_CLIENT_ID=your-client-id
# AZURE_CLIENT_SECRET=your-client-secret
# AZURE_TENANT_ID=your-tenant-idAdd the server to Claude Desktop
Open %APPDATA%\Claude\claude_desktop_config.json and add the powerbi server block. Adjust the path to match where you cloned the repository.
{
"mcpServers": {
"powerbi": {
"command": "python",
"args": ["C:/path/to/powerbi-mcp/src/server.py"],
"env": {
"PYTHONPATH": "C:/path/to/powerbi-mcp/src"
}
}
}
}Restart Claude Desktop
Fully quit and relaunch Claude Desktop so it picks up the new MCP server configuration. You should see the Power BI tools become available in the tool list.
Discover and connect to Power BI Desktop
With Power BI Desktop open and a .pbix file loaded, ask Claude to discover running instances and connect. Then you can query tables, run DAX, and inspect model metadata.
Power BI Examples
Client configuration
Add this block to your claude_desktop_config.json to register the Power BI MCP server. Update the path to match your installation.
{
"mcpServers": {
"powerbi": {
"command": "python",
"args": ["C:/path/to/powerbi-mcp/src/server.py"],
"env": {
"PYTHONPATH": "C:/path/to/powerbi-mcp/src"
}
}
}
}Prompts to try
These prompts exercise the main capabilities of the server once it is connected.
- "Discover running Power BI Desktop instances and connect to the first one"
- "What tables and measures are in my Power BI model?"
- "Execute this DAX query: EVALUATE TOPN(10, Sales, Sales[Revenue], DESC)"
- "Load my PBIP project from C:/Projects/SalesReport and rename the table 'Salesforce_Data' to 'Leads'"
- "List all RLS roles in my model and set the role to 'Sales_East'"
- "Scan the PBIP project for broken visual references"Troubleshooting Power BI
Claude Desktop shows 'server failed to start' or Python is not found
Ensure Python 3.10+ is on your system PATH and that pip install -r requirements.txt completed without errors. Use the full absolute path to python.exe in the 'command' field of the config if needed.
Renaming tables breaks report visuals
Do not use the TOM-based batch_rename_tables or batch_rename_columns tools — they are deprecated. Instead close Power BI Desktop, use pbip_load_project to load the .pbip file, then call pbip_rename_tables or pbip_rename_columns. Reopen Power BI Desktop afterwards.
Cloud connection fails with 'XMLA endpoint not available'
XMLA endpoints require a Power BI Premium Per User (PPU) or Premium Capacity workspace. Verify your Azure AD app has Dataset.Read.All and Workspace.Read.All API permissions and that the workspace has XMLA read/write enabled in the Admin portal.
Frequently Asked Questions about Power BI
What is Power BI?
Power BI is a Model Context Protocol (MCP) server that enables ai assistants to programmatically manage power bi workspaces, reports, and dashboards while executing dax queries and triggering dataset refreshes. it supports secure oauth2 authentication for operations like report exporting, workspace manag It connects AI assistants to external tools and data sources through a standardized interface.
How do I install Power BI?
Follow the installation instructions on the Power BI GitHub repository. Clone the repo, install dependencies, and add the server config to your AI client.
Which AI clients work with Power BI?
Power BI works with all major MCP-compatible AI clients including Claude Desktop, Claude Code, Cursor, VS Code (GitHub Copilot), Windsurf, and Cline.
Is Power BI free to use?
Yes, Power BI is open source and available under the MIT License license. You can use it freely in both personal and commercial projects.
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Set Up Power BI in Your Editor
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Quick Config Preview
Add this to your claude_desktop_config.json or .cursor/mcp.json
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