BI Administration, Business Intelligence, Microsoft Certification, PL-300, Power BI

Configure and Update a Workspace App (PL-300 Exam Prep)

 
This post is a part of the PL-300: Microsoft Power BI Data Analyst Exam Prep Hub; and this topic falls under these sections:
Manage and secure Power BI (15–20%)
   --> Create and manage workspaces and assets
      --> Configure and Update a Workspace App

Note that there are 10 practice questions (with answers and explanations) at the end of each topic. Also, there are 2 practice tests with 60 questions each available on the hub below all the exam topics.

Overview

In Power BI, a workspace app is a curated, read-only package of reports, dashboards, and related content that is published from a workspace and shared with a broader audience.
For the PL-300 exam, you are expected to understand when and why to use an app, how to configure it, and how to update it safely without disrupting consumers.

What Is a Workspace App?

A workspace app is:

  • A consumption layer built on top of a workspace
  • Designed for end users, not report developers
  • Read-only by default
  • Published and maintained by workspace Members or Admins

Apps help separate:

  • Development and collaboration (workspace)
  • Consumption and distribution (app)

This separation is a key design principle tested on the PL-300 exam.

Why Use a Workspace App?

Common reasons to publish an app include:

  • Providing a controlled, polished experience for business users
  • Preventing users from modifying reports or models
  • Distributing content to large audiences
  • Centralizing access to related dashboards and reports
  • Supporting versioned updates without breaking access

Apps are preferred over direct report sharing for enterprise-scale distribution.

Who Can Configure and Update an App?

Only the following workspace roles can manage apps:

  • Admin
  • Member

Contributors and Viewers cannot publish or update workspace apps.

Configuring a Workspace App

When configuring an app, you define how users experience and access content.

Key Configuration Areas

1. Content Selection

You can choose:

  • Which reports and dashboards appear
  • The order in which they appear
  • Which items are hidden from consumers

This allows you to publish only approved, production-ready assets.

2. Navigation and Layout

You can:

  • Reorder items
  • Group content logically
  • Create a clean navigation experience

This improves usability and storytelling, even though the app itself is read-only.

3. Audience Access

Apps support audience-based access, allowing you to:

  • Define different audiences
  • Control which content each audience can see
  • Apply security without duplicating reports

Audiences do not replace dataset security (such as RLS); they control visibility, not data filtering.

4. Permissions

When publishing an app, you can:

  • Grant access to users or security groups
  • Allow or prevent users from resharing
  • Optionally allow users to connect to the underlying semantic model

Allowing semantic model access is important for:

  • Excel Analyze in Excel
  • Power BI “Build” permissions
  • Self-service reporting scenarios

Updating a Workspace App

How Updates Work

Apps are not updated automatically when workspace content changes.

To update an app:

  1. Make changes in the workspace
  2. Select Update app
  3. Republish the app

This ensures:

  • Changes are intentional
  • Consumers are not impacted by unfinished work
  • Version control is maintained

What Happens to Users When an App Is Updated?

  • Users retain access
  • Bookmarks and links continue to work
  • Updated content appears after republishing
  • No re-sharing is required

This makes apps ideal for controlled release cycles.

App Updates vs Workspace Changes

ActionWorkspaceApp
Edit reportYesNo
Test changesYesNo
Publish to usersNoYes
Control visibilityPartialFull

This distinction is frequently tested on the PL-300 exam.

Common Exam Scenarios

You may see questions such as:

  • When to use an app instead of sharing reports
  • Who can publish or update an app
  • How to limit what users see without duplicating content
  • How to update content without disrupting consumers

Key takeaway:
Apps are for distribution; workspaces are for collaboration.

Best Practices to Remember for the Exam

  • Use apps for broad distribution
  • Keep development content in the workspace
  • Use audiences to tailor visibility
  • Republish the app after changes
  • Assign Members or Admins to manage apps
  • Combine apps with RLS for secure data access

Summary

Configuring and updating a workspace app is a core Power BI governance skill. For the PL-300 exam, you must understand how apps:

  • Control access
  • Improve usability
  • Separate development from consumption
  • Enable safe, repeatable updates

Mastering this topic ensures you can design secure, scalable, and user-friendly Power BI solutions.

Practice Questions

Go to the practice questions for this topic.

Leave a comment