How to Export Power BI to PDF: Complete Guide

Need to share your Power BI reports with people who don't have Power BI access? Export to PDF. Here's how to do it from both Desktop and Service.

Export from Power BI Desktop

Method 1: Export to PDF (Direct)

1. Open your report in Power BI Desktop
2. Go to File → Export → Export to PDF
3. Choose save location
4. Click Save

What gets exported:

• All visible report pages
• Current filter state
• Static snapshot (not interactive)

Method 2: Print to PDF

1. File → Print
2. Select Microsoft Print to PDF (Windows) or Save as PDF (Mac)
3. Adjust settings if needed
4. Click Print/Save

Tip: This gives you more control over page size and orientation.

Export from Power BI Service (Web)

Method 1: Export Report

1. Open your report in Power BI Service (app.powerbi.com)
2. Click Export in the top menu
3. Select PDF
4. Choose options:
   • Current values or default values
   • Page size
5. Click Export

Method 2: Subscribe and Get PDF by Email

1. Open the report
2. Click Subscribe (envelope icon)
3. Set schedule (daily, weekly, etc.)
4. Choose Include a link to the report in Power BI and/or Attach PDF
5. Add recipients
6. Save

Now stakeholders get PDF reports automatically!

Method 3: Print from Browser

1. Open the report
2. Ctrl+P (Windows) or Cmd+P (Mac)
3. Select Save as PDF
4. Adjust settings
5. Save

Export Options Explained

Page Settings

Setting	Description
Current page	Export just the active page
All pages	Export entire report
Selected pages	Choose specific pages

Filter Settings

Option	Result
Current values	Exports with your applied filters
Default values	Exports with original/default filters

Page Size

• Letter (8.5" × 11") - US standard
• A4 (210mm × 297mm) - International standard
• Custom - Set your own dimensions

Exporting Dashboards

Dashboards work differently from reports:

1. Open your dashboard in Power BI Service
2. Export → Export to PDF
3. Each tile becomes a page (or grouped)

Alternative: Screenshot or Print to PDF for single-page output.

Exporting Paginated Reports

Paginated reports have more export options:

1. Open the paginated report
2. Click Export
3. Choose format:
   • PDF
   • Excel
   • Word
   • PowerPoint
   • CSV
4. Configure options
5. Export

Paginated reports maintain pixel-perfect formatting.

Troubleshooting Common Issues

Export Button Grayed Out

Causes:

• Report hasn't loaded completely
• No export permission
• Browser issue

Solutions:

1. Wait for report to fully load
2. Check with your Power BI admin
3. Try a different browser
4. Clear browser cache

PDF Is Blank or Missing Content

Causes:

• Visuals still loading
• Custom visuals not supported
• Filters hiding all data

Solutions:

1. Wait for all visuals to render
2. Check if custom visuals support export
3. Reset filters before export

Export Takes Too Long

Causes:

• Large report with many pages
• Complex visuals
• Slow connection

Solutions:

1. Export fewer pages at a time
2. Simplify visuals
3. Use scheduled subscriptions instead

Quality Is Poor

Solutions:

1. Use Print to PDF for higher quality
2. Adjust page size settings
3. Export from Desktop instead of Service

Formatting Looks Different

Cause: PDF doesn't support interactivity

Solutions:

1. Design reports with PDF output in mind
2. Use paginated reports for precise layouts
3. Set explicit page sizes in report settings

Best Practices for PDF Export

Design for PDF

• Use fixed page sizes
• Avoid visuals that require scrolling
• Test export before sharing

Optimize Visuals

• Reduce visual complexity
• Use summary views instead of detailed tables
• Consider page breaks

Before Exporting

• Check all filters are set correctly
• Verify data is current (refresh if needed)
• Review each page for completeness
• Test on different page sizes

Sharing Your Power BI PDFs

Option 1: Email Attachment

For small PDFs (under 10MB), attach directly.

Option 2: LinkyHost (Recommended)

For larger files or when you want tracking:

1. Export your Power BI report to PDF
2. Upload to LinkyHost
3. Share the link
4. Track who views it

Benefits:

• No file size limits on email
• Know when stakeholders view reports
• Update the PDF without changing the link

Option 3: SharePoint/OneDrive

For internal sharing within Microsoft 365.

Option 4: Scheduled Subscriptions

Set up automatic PDF delivery:

1. Subscribe to report in Power BI Service
2. Schedule daily/weekly delivery
3. Recipients get PDF in their inbox

Exporting with Power Automate

Automate PDF generation:

1. Create a Power Automate flow
2. Use "Export to File for Power BI Reports" action
3. Set trigger (schedule, button, data change)
4. Save PDF to SharePoint, send email, etc.

Example flow:

• Trigger: Weekly schedule
• Action: Export report to PDF
• Action: Send email with attachment

Alternative: Screenshots and Print

For quick one-off sharing:

Windows

1. Win + Shift + S to snip
2. Select area
3. Paste into document or email

Mac

1. Cmd + Shift + 4 to screenshot
2. Select area
3. Share the image

Full Page Print

1. Ctrl/Cmd + P
2. Save as PDF
3. Gets entire visible page

Power BI Report Server

For on-premises deployments:

1. Navigate to your report
2. Click Export
3. Select PDF
4. Configure page settings
5. Download

Similar to Power BI Service but runs on your servers.

FAQ

Can I export interactive elements?

No, PDF is static. For interactivity, share the Power BI link directly or publish to web.

Is there a page limit for PDF export?

Power BI Service limits exports to 50 pages. For larger reports, export in sections or use paginated reports.

Can I automate PDF exports?

Yes, use:

• Subscriptions (email delivery)
• Power Automate (workflows)
• REST API (custom applications)

Do I need a Pro license to export?

To export from Power BI Service, you typically need Pro or Premium. Desktop exports are available to all users.

How do I export a single visual?

1. Click the visual
2. Click ... (more options)
3. Export data (not PDF, but gets the data)

For visual as image: Focus mode → Screenshot

Summary

From Desktop:

• File → Export → Export to PDF

From Service:

• Export button → PDF
• Or set up subscriptions for automatic delivery

To share:

• Upload to LinkyHost for tracking
• Use subscriptions for recurring reports
• Attach to email for one-off sharing

Best practices:

• Design reports with PDF output in mind
• Test exports before sharing
• Use paginated reports for precise formatting