Question

C# Power BI API: Renaming Workspaces with Service Principal – How can I rename a Power BI workspace using C# and a service principal? Running into API limitations.

I’m trying to rename a Power BI workspace using C# and a service principal but running into API limitations. I’ve checked the REST API documentation, but it’s unclear whether renaming is fully supported. Has anyone successfully achieved this? Are there any workarounds or alternative approaches?

Answer 1

C#renaming a Power BI workspace through a service principal could have offered much-desired API support if there had been one for renaming workspaces; however, implementing a workspace rename is possible by creating a new one with the desired name, migrating contents into it, and deleting the old one.

1. Create a New Workspace: Use the Create Group API (POST /groups) for this.
2. Migrate Content: Pull reports, dashboards, and datasets out of the old workspace (GET /groups/{groupId}/reports) and upload or rebind in the new.
3. Set Correct Permissions for Workspace: Make sure all users and service principals have the correct permissions from above in the new workspace.
4. Delete the Old Workspace: After migration, delete the first workspace DELETE /groups/{groupId} (for non-premium workspaces only).

Renaming is a common requirement; therefore, consider using PowerShell (Set-PowerBIWorkspace) for this purpose. This tool uses the admin API to allow renaming but requires tenant-level admin permissions.