When a colleague shares a data source with you, it shows up in your own Data Sources list — but with a different set of rules. This page explains what you can and can’t do with a shared data source.
Find shared data sources #
On Data Sources, change the Type selector to Shared with me. The list refreshes to show only the rows other users have shared with your account.
Each row shows the owner’s email in the Owner column. Use it to follow up if you need a change to the data source.
Open a shared data source #
Selecting a row opens the same form the owner uses, but with a banner that explains the read-only state. The form is informational only; any attempt to change it is rejected at save time.
What you can do #
- Read everything on the form — services, entities, fields, filter expressions, and the OData URL. This is the configuration the data source uses when Power BI refreshes it.
- Use the OData URL from your own Power BI Desktop. You authenticate with your own personal access token (not the owner’s). See Connect Power BI Desktop.
- Preview — both the per-entity and the selection preview work for shared data sources. The preview uses the owner’s SAP destination credentials but your session.
- Clone — the row’s Actions menu offers Clone. The clone lands under My data sources, owned by you and fully editable. See Clone a data source.
What you cannot do #
- Edit, rename, or change services, fields, filters.
- Re-share to a different user, or change the sharing list.
- Delete the data source or transfer its ownership.
To make any of these changes, ask the owner directly — their email is on the row.
If the data source disappears #
The owner can remove you from the sharing list at any time. When they do, the row vanishes from your Shared with me filter on the next list refresh. Any Power BI report you built on top of it will keep working as long as your access token is valid and you’re still on the sharing list at the moment of the next refresh; once removed, the OData endpoint returns 403 for your token.
Related #
- Share a data source (from the owner’s side)
- Clone a data source
