Power BI Authoring MCP Server

Name: Power BI Authoring MCP Server
Author: Microsoft

Microsoft's local server for building and editing Power BI semantic models from an AI agent

Official · Microsoft C# Local · stdio Data and analytics Databases

GitHub npm Website

86 popularity score ★ 1.3k ↓ 18k/wk

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Local (npm)

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Opens the app, which asks before it adds the server.

Or add it by command or config

Claude CodeTerminal

claude mcp add power-bi-authoring -- npx -y @microsoft/powerbi-modeling-mcp@latest --start

Claude Desktopclaude_desktop_config.json

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "power-bi-authoring": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "@microsoft/powerbi-modeling-mcp@latest",
        "--start"
      ]
    }
  }
}

Cursor~/.cursor/mcp.json

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "power-bi-authoring": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "@microsoft/powerbi-modeling-mcp@latest",
        "--start"
      ]
    }
  }
}

VS Code.vscode/mcp.json

{
  "servers": {
    "power-bi-authoring": {
      "type": "stdio",
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "@microsoft/powerbi-modeling-mcp@latest",
        "--start"
      ]
    }
  }
}

Codex~/.codex/config.toml

[mcp_servers.power-bi-authoring]
command = "npx"
args = ["-y", "@microsoft/powerbi-modeling-mcp@latest", "--start"]

Gemini CLITerminal

gemini mcp add --scope user power-bi-authoring npx -- -y @microsoft/powerbi-modeling-mcp@latest --start

Settings 8

`PBI_MODELING_MCP_ACCEPT_EULA`	Optional: Set to true to accept the EULA for unattended runs (or pass --accepteula).
`AZURE_TENANT_ID`	Optional: Entra tenant ID; needed for service-principal sign-in or to pin a tenant.
`AZURE_CLIENT_ID`	Optional: Service principal client ID, used with --authmode=serviceprincipal.
`AZURE_CLIENT_SECRET`	Optional: Service principal secret, for secret-based sign-in.
`AZURE_CLIENT_CERTIFICATE_PATH`	Optional: PFX/PEM certificate path, for certificate-based service principal sign-in.
`AZURE_CLIENT_CERTIFICATE_PASSWORD`	Optional: Password for that certificate, if it has one.
`PBI_MODELING_MCP_ALLOWED_CONNECTION_HOSTS`	Optional: Comma-separated custom XMLA hosts (Azure or SQL Server Analysis Services) it may connect to.
`PBI_MODELING_MCP_AUDIT_LOG_PATH`	Optional: Folder for the local audit logs, kept seven days.

What it does

This is the local edition of Microsoft's Power BI Authoring MCP server. It runs on your own machine over stdio and gives an agent tools to read and change Power BI semantic models: tables, columns, DAX measures, relationships, partitions, hierarchies, calculation groups, security roles with row-level security, perspectives, Power Query parameters, cultures and translations. It can also run and check DAX queries, capture Analysis Services trace events, and wrap a batch of changes in a transaction that can be committed or rolled back.

It connects to three kinds of model: a file open in Power BI Desktop, a semantic model in a Fabric workspace (through the XMLA endpoint), or Power BI Project (PBIP) and TMDL folders on disk. Set the compatibility option to Full and it also works against Azure Analysis Services or SQL Server Analysis Services databases, once their hosts are on an allowlist. Typical uses are bulk renames, adding descriptions, translating a model, refactoring measures into calculation groups, and benchmarking a DAX query on two models.

Microsoft also runs a hosted version at a Fabric endpoint and recommends it for models in Fabric workspaces. The local one is the choice for Power BI Desktop, files on disk, service-principal sign-in in CI, or clients that cannot complete the hosted server's Entra OAuth sign-in. Although the repository is marked MIT, using the software is governed by a Microsoft EULA, and the npm build blocks every tool until that EULA is accepted. The software may send usage data to Microsoft.

What it needs

Runtime	Node.js 18+

Windows or Linux (macOS is not supported); Node.js 18 or later for the npx package, or the standalone executable taken from the VS Code extension package. A Power BI or Microsoft Entra account with Write permission on the semantic model (Build permission only allows DAX queries). For Fabric workspace models, the capacity's XMLA endpoint set to Read Write. The EULA must be accepted before tools run.

Limits

Only modelling operations: it cannot edit report pages or other Power BI metadata such as diagram layouts. Without Write permission it can only query. No macOS build. Custom Analysis Services hosts are refused unless listed in PBI_MODELING_MCP_ALLOWED_CONNECTION_HOSTS. Microsoft warns that the agent may make unintended changes and asks users to back up the model first; results depend strongly on the AI model used. No tenant admin setting blocks it; only turning off the XMLA endpoint does.

Who it suits

Suits Power BI developers who want an agent to do repetitive modelling work on a model in Power BI Desktop, in PBIP/TMDL files under source control, or in a Fabric workspace, including unattended runs with a service principal. People who only work against Fabric workspace models, or who use a Mac, should pick Microsoft's hosted Power BI Authoring endpoint instead, which needs no install but does need a tenant setting enabled and an Entra OAuth-capable client. Those who only need to read data or reports, not change models, will find most of its tools beyond what they need; it can be started with --readonly.

Tools 22

connection_operations: Connect to a model in Power BI Desktop or a Fabric workspace
database_operations: List, create, update and deploy semantic models; import and export TMDL folders
transaction_operations: Begin, commit or roll back a transaction and check its state
model_operations: Read, change, refresh, rename the model and get its statistics
table_operations: Create, edit, delete, list, rename and refresh tables
column_operations: Create, edit, delete, list and rename columns
measure_operations: Create, edit, delete, rename DAX measures or move them to another table
relationship_operations: Create, edit, delete, find and toggle relationships between tables
dax_query_operations: Run DAX queries against the model and check them for errors
trace_operations: Capture and inspect Analysis Services trace events
partition_operations: Create, edit, delete and refresh table partitions
user_hierarchy_operations: Manage user hierarchies and their levels and order
calculation_group_operations: Manage calculation groups and their items
security_role_operations: Set up security roles and row-level security filters
perspective_operations: Manage perspectives and which objects they show
named_expression_operations: Manage named expressions and Power Query parameters
function_operations: Manage DAX user-defined functions
culture_operations: Add, change or remove cultures for multi-language models
object_translation_operations: Set translated names and text for model objects
calendar_operations: Manage calendar objects and time intelligence column groups
query_group_operations: Organise Power Query expressions into query groups
accept_eula: Record the user's acceptance of the licence terms so other tools unlock

Popularity

86 popularity score, on our list (the bar is 36)

★ 1.3k ↓ 18k/wk

GitHub stars, whole repository	1,272	34.1 points
Stars in 30 days	+70	9.3 points
npm downloads, last week	18,422	34.1 points
Official server	Yes	8 points

It lives in the folder clients/node of microsoft/powerbi-modeling-mcp, which holds more than this server. Its stars are the whole repository's, so in the score they never count for more than its own downloads.

Measured 2026-11-07. How the score works.

Where it is published

Code	microsoft/powerbi-modeling-mcp/clients/node ★ 1.3k, the whole repository
npm	@microsoft/powerbi-modeling-mcp 1.0.1, 2026-11-06

What it can reach

Runs	On your machine
Reaches	A database, Files on your machine, Cloud resources, Your account at a service, The internet
Changes things	Yes: it can write, send, create or delete
Sign-in	OAuth sign-in
Licence	MIT (npm)
Last code change	2026-11-06 (a release)

Runs on your machine over stdio and signs in to Power BI with your Microsoft Entra account through an interactive browser prompt, or as a service principal with a secret or certificate. It acts with your own permissions on the model; with Write permission it can create, change and delete model objects, roles and row-level security, and deploy models to Fabric. It reads and writes PBIP/TMDL files on disk and connects to Power BI Desktop's local Analysis Services instance. By default it asks for confirmation before the first write to each database; --readonly blocks writes. Access tokens are sent to any host on the XMLA allowlist. Model data and metadata it returns go to your MCP client and on to the AI provider. It writes local audit logs and may send usage data to Microsoft.

Over time

GitHub stars, whole repository 1.3k +70 (+6 %)

1.3k1.2k

8 Oct 20267 Nov 2026

npm downloads a week 18k +18k (+3914 %)

43k459

6 Apr 20267 Nov 2026

Before the site measured it, read from npm's daily download counts.

Popularity score 86 +15 (+20 %)

8665

8 Oct 20267 Nov 2026

What is rising across the directory

Sources

Page checked 2026-10-14.

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Connect your client

Add in one click

Or add it by command or config

Settings 8

What it does

What it needs

Limits

Who it suits

Tools 22

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