Connect Power BI to Cline CLI
Give Cline CLI governed access to Power BI’s 4 tools through Runlayer, with identity, policy, scanning, and audit on every call.
Set up
Add Power BI to Cline CLI in four steps
Admins approve the server once. Everyone in Cline CLI then gets it through the same governed connection.
- 1
Add Power BI to Runlayer
Power BI isn’t in the Runlayer catalog yet, so an admin adds it by its MCP server URL.
Adding a connector manually - 2
Connect Cline CLI to Runlayer
Users add the Runlayer Plugin to Cline CLI by following Runlayer’s setup guide. Cline CLI reaches Power BI’s 4 tools through the Runlayer Plugin’s search and execute tools instead of listing each one.
Cline CLI setup guide - 3
Sign in to Power BI
Sign in the way Power BI requires. Runlayer holds the credentials so they stay out of the client’s configuration.
- 4
Use Power BI from Cline CLI
Power BI’s approved tools appear in Cline CLI. Every call is checked against policy and recorded.
Tools
4 Power BI tools in Cline CLI
Runlayer policy decides which of these Cline CLI users can call.
Execute query
Executes a DAX query and return the results.
Generate query
Generates a DAX query using the relevant parts of the model schema.
Get report metadata
Retrieves the high-level schema of a Power BI report, including workspace information, semantic model details, pages, visual information, and filters.
Get semantic model schema
Retrieves comprehensive metadata for a specified semantic model, including the serialized schema, custom instructions provided by the model author, and verified answers when available.
Control
What Runlayer can see and stop in Cline CLI
Some controls apply to every client at the gateway. Others depend on what Cline CLI exposes to Runlayer.
Gateway policy (available)
Every Power BI call from Cline CLI passes through Runlayer, where your policies can allow, alert, mask, or block it.
Audit trail (available)
Each call is recorded with the user, Cline CLI as the client, the tool, and the policy and scanner decisions.
Client hooks (available)
Capture supported prompts, reasoning, local and MCP tool calls, responses, and scanner decisions in real time.
Stop a call before it runs (available)
Runlayer can deny a tool call before Cline CLI runs it.
Block output after it runs (not available)
Cline CLI ignores Runlayer after a tool runs, so Runlayer cannot block its output. The gateway still applies policy to the call.
Redact output in place (not available)
Runlayer cannot mask tool output in Cline CLI. The gateway still applies policy to the call.
In Cline CLI
- If Runlayer’s hook times out or crashes, Cline CLI lets the tool call through.
- This covers the Cline CLI, not the Cline extension for VS Code.
Frequently asked questions
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