Avoid Broken Maps: Validating ArcGIS for Power BI Before Embed and Publish to Web

[NaZhang_Esri]

In the ArcGIS for Power BI version 2025.3, we’ve enhanced the entire Embed and Publish to web validation experience to make it more useful and reduce confusion. In this blog, we’ll cover the following topics:

• What are Embed and Publish to web?
• Understand embed and publish workflows with ArcGIS for Power BI
• Complete this checklist of considerations when using Embed or Publish to web as a report designer
• Experience the new embed and publish to web validation tool
• Troubleshoot blocking pages that appear after embedding or publishing to the web

 

What are Embed and Publish to web?

Embed and Publish to web are workflows in Microsoft Power BI that provide different ways to share Power BI reports. ArcGIS for Power BI does not control how reports are embedded or published to the web. Instead, you must follow the standard Power BI workflows provided by Microsoft.

To learn more about Embed and Publish to web, see the following articles from Microsoft:

• Embed a report web part in SharePoint Online
• Embed a report in a secure portal or website
• Publish to web from Power BI

 

Understand embed and publish workflows with ArcGIS for Power BI

As a Power BI report designer, you may want to make maps available to your end user by embedding them inside internal sites or publishing them to the web. To accomplish this, you may complete the following workflow: first, you would add Power BI data to ArcGIS for Power BI, design your map, and publish the report to the Power BI service. From the Power BI service, you can then either embed the report or publish it to the web, depending on your Power BI license.

 

Complete this checklist of considerations when using Embed or Publish to web as a report designer

To successfully complete this workflow, below is a helpful checklist to support your Power BI report validation process.

1. Sign in to an ArcGIS account

Guest users are not allowed to embed or publish to web using ArcGIS for Power BI. You must sign in with an ArcGIS Online or ArcGIS Enterprise account that has both user role and user type with creator or higher.

2. Check Embed and publish validation before publishing

For ArcGIS users, go to the Embed tool and check the Embed and publish validation before you publish to Power BI Online or embed or publish to web. For Guest users, the Embed tool is grayed out. If you do not see the Embed tool, make sure Power BI data has been added to ArcGIS for Power BI and that the Embed tool is toggled on in the Format your visual pane.

3. Supported Power BI data type

If you want to embed or publish to web with ArcGIS for Power BI in your Power BI report, please keep in mind that only XY coordinates, GeoJSON and EsriJSON are supported, which means that if you add Location data, e.g. address, cities, states…, the map will fail when embedded or published to the web.

To fix this, you will need to remove the unsupported data from the location field well, which will reset your map, requiring you to re‑create it. To avoid losing your map edits, add the supported Power BI data when you first create the map.

Tip: Do not add Power BI data to both the Location and XY field wells. Doing so will cause the map to fail when embedded or published to the web.

4. What else does ArcGIS for Power BI check to embed or publish to web

In addition to the limitations on Power BI data, Publish to web requires all content to be public. ArcGIS for Power BI checks whether any private content has been added to the map, including ArcGIS layer sharing levels, basemaps, and information card content.

For Embed, only the Power BI data is validated.

Experience the new embed and publish to web validation tool

In the ArcGIS for Power BI version 2025.3, we introduced a new tool called Embed, which includes two components: Embed and publish validation and Theme JSON. In the latest update, the Embed and publish to web check and Extract theme JSON as options are no longer available under the Settings tool.

You can toggle on or off from the Format your visual pane.

 

Embed tool tips:

1. The Embed tool appears only after Power BI data has been added to ArcGIS for Power BI. If no Power BI data is added, the tool will not be visible and the Embed toggle in the Format your visual pane will not function correctly.
2. The Embed tool is available only in Edit mode.
3. The Embed tool is available only to ArcGIS users who have both the required user role and user type Creator or higher. ArcGIS users without the appropriate user type and role will not see this tool.

 

      4. The Embed tool is grayed out for guest users.

 

 

Validation check information icon: Under the Embed and publish validation tab, clicking the Validation check information icon displays a tooltip to indicate what this tool is used for. The tooltip also includes hyperlinks where you can learn more about Embed and Publish to web.

 

There are two toggles for Validation. One is Embed and the other is Publish.

Ready to embed/publish

 

Under Embed, if the map meets the requirements, it will display “Ready to embed”

Under Publish, if the map meets the requirements, it will display “Ready to publish”

 

Embedding/publishing to web requirements not met

The following is an example of a map that does not meet the requirements for Publish to web.

 

Hovering over the red cross will show information about what is supported or explain why the issue occurred.

The example below shows hovering over the red cross on the Power BI data layer location.

 

The error type is displayed in the center.

On the right side, you can click the icons to resolve issues. For example, if there is a Layer sharing level error, click Open Layers. This will take you to the Layers panel, where you can delete the problematic layer or add a supported ArcGIS layer.

 

Troubleshoot blocking pages that appear after embedding or publishing to the web

After embedding or publishing to the web, you may encounter three different blocking pages.

1. Please contact the report designer to check the embed and publish validation.

 

If a Power BI report viewer sees this blocking page, it could be due to the following:

For Embed:

a. The report designer was not signed in to ArcGIS when embedding the report, or the credentials have expired.

b. Unsupported location data has been added.

For Publish to web:

a. The user was not signed in to ArcGIS when publishing to web, or the credentials have expired.

b. Unsupported location data has been added.

c. Issues with layer sharing level, basemap, or information card content.

Note: Always make sure you are signed in to ArcGIS when embedding or publishing to the web, even if you previously signed in through Power BI Desktop and need to continue editing in Power BI Online.

2. Access to this content requires permission. Sign in below, or contact the content’s owner for access.

 

This blocking page appears only when ArcGIS for Power BI is embedded with private content. Once you sign in to ArcGIS, the map will become visible. This blocking page does not appear when publishing to the web.

3. The basemap is unavailable or has been deleted from the server. Sign in to reset the map.

 

This blocking page appears only when ArcGIS for Power BI is embedded with a custom basemap. Click Sign in to view the map. This blocking page does not appear when publishing to the web.

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Learn more about Sharing reports in Power BI using ArcGIS for Power BI.

Feel free to explore the new experience and try troubleshooting any issues based on what you’ve learned from this blog. We’d love to hear your questions or feedback!