New Power BI usage metrics will reveal more dashboard/report consumption insights

"Now I've been forced to shell out for [Power BI Pro] I want to know people are actually using it!" wrote a commenter on Microsoft's Power BI Blog.

He can, now - to a degree. Last week, Microsoft announced the availability of usage metrics in Power BI for dashboard and report authors, in an entry on its Power BI Blog. Previously, these metrics were available only with Office 365 or Power BI admin privileges; but the Power BI team answered popular demand by users through the Power BI UserVoice.

As Senior Program Manager Sirui Sun describes, the feature enables one-click access to key usage metrics for dashboards and reports, "allowing you to pinpoint how your end users are interacting with your content." This in turn enables you to prioritize your efforts on the most impactful, widely used content, wrote Sun.

You will find usage metrics in line; navigate to any dashboard or report for which you have edit permissions, where you will find a "Usage metrics" option at the top right in the ribbon. Access requires a Power BI Pro license, so is not available to any and all users.  

A pre-built report details usage metrics for the dashboard or report over the last 90 days, including how the number of views and viewers compare to other dashboards and reports in your organization. You may discover how end users received access, for example, via the web or mobile app.