Row-Level Security (RLS) in Power BI – A Beginner’s Guide
Anurodh Kumar
Power BI Consultant + Helping Brands to Grow on LinkedIn | Expert in Power BI, Looker & Modern BI Tools
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In today’s data-driven world, organizations want to share insights widely—but not always equally. Some users should see everything, while others should only see what’s relevant to them. This is where Row-Level Security (RLS) in Power BI comes into play.
RLS helps you restrict data access for different users at the row level, ensuring that people only see the data they are authorized to view. It’s one of the most important features for secure and scalable Power BI solutions.
🔍 What is Row-Level Security (RLS)?
Row-Level Security allows you to define rules that filter data dynamically based on the user’s identity. Instead of creating multiple reports for different groups, you can create one report and apply RLS to control what each group or individual can see.
For example:
A sales manager for North India should only see data for their region.
An HR team member may only access records for employees in their department.
🛠 Types of RLS in Power BI
Static RLS The rules are fixed. Example: Users in Group A can see only “North Zone” data, while Group B sees only “South Zone.”
Dynamic RLS Rules are based on the logged-in user. Example: If Ankit logs in, he sees only his region’s sales. If Priya logs in, she sees hers. Requires a mapping table with users and their assigned data.
🚀 How to Implement RLS in Power BI
Step 1: Create Roles
Open your Power BI Desktop report.
Go to Modeling > Manage Roles.
Define a role with a DAX filter. Example:
Step 2: Assign Roles in Power BI Service
Publish the report to Power BI Service.
Go to the dataset > Security.
Add users or groups to the roles you created.
Step 3: Test the Roles
Use “View as Role” in Power BI Desktop to simulate how your report looks for different users.
✅ Best Practices for RLS
Use dynamic RLS whenever possible—it scales better.
Store user-to-role mappings in a separate security table.
Combine RLS with object-level security (OLS) if you also need to hide entire tables or columns.
Keep RLS rules simple for performance reasons.
📌 Why RLS Matters
Without RLS, you may end up duplicating reports for every region or department. That not only increases maintenance but also risks data leaks. RLS ensures:
Data security
One version of truth
Simplified governance
🎯 Final Thoughts
Row-Level Security in Power BI is a powerful feature that every developer should master. Whether you’re working with small teams or large enterprises, RLS helps deliver personalized, secure, and efficient reports—without compromising on scalability.
If you’re new to Power BI, start by experimenting with static RLS. Once you’re comfortable, move on to dynamic RLS for real-world business scenarios.
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