Create a read-only direct link to the Power BI report through a predefined slicer filter applied. The two options include Publishing to the web or Sharing with specific users. Unfortunately, these approaches have varying limitations with them.
Using the "Publish to Web" feature:
This will allow you to easily create a public URL that anyone with the link can access. It is not meant for sensitive or restricted data since everybody will have access to the report.
You can set slicers on the report before publishing to filter them, and they will remain applied in the shared link.
Steps: Open the report in Power BI Service, Set your slicers, click "File," > Select "Publish to web," > copy the link provided, and share it.
Sharing via "Share with Specific Users":
This would enable you to share a report securely with selected users and control what those users can do. However, it does not come with the full read-only function regarding slicers since users cannot modify slicer settings unless they are embedded in the report with fixed filters.
To make it read-only, you must put filters directly into the report (such as slicers or visual-level filters), and users cannot change them when viewing the report.
Steps: Open the report in Power BI Service > Set your slicers > Click "Share" > Enter the users' email addresses > Ensure the "Allow recipients to share this report" is unchecked to maintain control over access.
Embedding Power BI Reports into Apps or Websites:
If you want more control, embedding a report with selected slicers applied is a great approach. Power BI Embedded can help you configure the report in your app or website to pass predefined slicer states through the embedding code.
You can attach slicer values to the URL under which the report is embedded. It's a little geeky but works because users see only the exact data you want them to see and can't modify the slicers or other settings.
To sum up, Power BI Service itself does not really provide any option for making a fully read-only report with applied slicers that users cannot modify. The best way to do this is by using embedded reports or securely sharing a fixed version of the report with the particular filters applied.
