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Connect Power BI to VS Code

Give VS Code governed access to Power BI’s 4 tools through Runlayer, with identity, policy, scanning, and audit on every call.

Book a demo VS Code setup guide

Set up

Add Power BI to VS Code in four steps

Admins approve the server once. Everyone in VS Code then gets it through the same governed connection.

  1. 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. 2

    Connect VS Code to Runlayer

    Runlayer’s CLI installs the Runlayer Plugin natively in VS Code; users can also add it over MCP. With direct tool listing turned on for your deployment, Power BI’s 4 tools show up in VS Code’s own tool list (VS Code 1.103 or newer).

    VS Code setup guide
  3. 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. 4

    Use Power BI from VS Code

    Power BI’s approved tools appear in VS Code. Every call is checked against policy and recorded.

Tools

4 Power BI tools in VS Code

Runlayer policy decides which of these VS Code 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 VS Code

Some controls apply to every client at the gateway. Others depend on what VS Code exposes to Runlayer.

  • Gateway policy (available)

    Every Power BI call from VS Code passes through Runlayer, where your policies can allow, alert, mask, or block it.

  • Audit trail (available)

    Each call is recorded with the user, VS Code 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 VS Code runs it.

  • Block output after it runs (available)

    Runlayer can block a tool’s output before VS Code’s model sees it.

  • Redact output in place (available)

    Runlayer can mask sensitive parts of a tool’s output in VS Code and pass the rest through.

Frequently asked questions

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