PL-300 Manage and secure Power BI Practice Question
Which TWO methods can you use to share a Power BI report with external users who do not have a Power BI Pro license? (Choose two.)
⚠ Common exam trap
PL-300 often tests the misconception that any sharing method works for external users without licenses, but only 'Embed for your customers' and 'Publish to web' are designed for that; direct sharing and exports do not provide interactive report access without a license.
Answer choices
Why each option matters
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Embed the report in a secure portal using 'Embed for your customers'.
Option A is correct because the 'Embed for your customers' (app-owns-data) scenario uses an embed token and a service principal or master account to render the report inside your own application or secure portal, so the external viewers authenticate to your app and never need a Power BI Pro license. Option B is correct because 'Publish to web' generates an anonymous public embed code/URL that anyone can view in a browser without any Power BI license, Pro or otherwise. Option C is not correct because exporting to PDF produces a static file, not a shared interactive Power BI report, and it is not a Power BI sharing method. Option D is not correct because direct sharing via email in the Power BI service requires the recipient to have a Power BI Pro (or PPU) license to open the report. Option E is not correct because exporting to Excel yields a static data extract, not a live report, and likewise is not a Power BI sharing mechanism.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✓
Embed the report in a secure portal using 'Embed for your customers'.
Why this is correct
'Embed for your customers' uses an app-owns-data model, issuing an embed token so external users authenticate against your application rather than Microsoft Entra ID. This satisfies the stem's constraint that recipients lack a Power BI Pro licence, since consuming embedded analytics requires no per-user Power BI licence.
- ✓
Publish to a public website (Publish to web).
Why this is correct
Publish to web renders the report as an anonymous, publicly accessible iframe, so recipients need no Microsoft Entra ID identity or Power BI Pro licence. It satisfies the stem's constraint that external users lack Pro licensing, though the report becomes visible to anyone with the link, making it unsuitable for confidential data.
- ✗
Export the report to PDF and share the file.
Why it's wrong here
PDF export yields a static, non-interactive snapshot with no data refresh, filtering or drill-through, so it cannot deliver a live report. It suits one-off distribution of a fixed view, not ongoing external sharing of an interactive report.
- ✗
Share directly via Power BI using the user's email address.
Why it's wrong here
Direct sharing requires the recipient to hold a Power BI Pro or Premium Per User licence to open the report, which the stem explicitly excludes. It is the standard route for internal colleagues already licensed, so it tempts when the external-user licensing constraint is overlooked.
- ✗
Export the report to Excel and attach it to an email.
Why it's wrong here
Exporting to Excel produces a static snapshot that strips interactivity, refresh and row-level security, and still requires recipients to hold a licence to open the underlying dataset. Excel export serves offline analysis by existing licensed users, not licence-free external report consumption.
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Same concept, more angles
1 more way this is tested on PL-300
These questions test the same concept from different angles. Work through them to make sure you can recognise it however the exam phrases it.
Variation 1. Which TWO of the following are valid methods to share a Power BI report with external users (outside your organization)? (Choose two.)
medium- A.Export the report to PDF and email it to the external user.
- B.Send the external user a direct link to the report via email; they can view it without any additional setup.
- ✓ C.Invite the external user as a guest in your Microsoft Entra ID (Azure AD) and share the report directly with them.
- D.Embed the report in a SharePoint Online page using the Power BI web part.
- ✓ E.Use the 'Publish to web' option to create an embed code that can be placed on a public website.
Why C: The correct answers are C and E. Option C: By inviting external users as guests in your Microsoft Entra ID (Azure AD) using Azure AD B2B, you can share Power BI reports directly with them without requiring them to have a Power BI license. Option E: 'Publish to web' creates a public embed code that anyone on the internet can view, making it suitable for sharing with external users. Option A is incorrect because exporting to PDF creates a static file, not an interactive report, and is not a sharing method. Option B is incorrect because external users need to be set up as guests or use publish to web; a direct link alone will not work without proper authentication. Option D is incorrect because embedding in SharePoint Online requires the external user to have access to the SharePoint site, which typically involves additional setup such as guest access.
JA
Written and reviewed by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
Last reviewed September 2026 · checked against the official Microsoft exam blueprint
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