Analytics, Business Intelligence, Data Education & Training, PL-300, Power BI

Publish, Import, or Update Items in a Workspace (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
      --> Publish, Import, or Update Items in a Workspace

There are 10 practice questions (with answers and explanations) for each topic, including this one. There are also 2 practice tests for the PL-300 exam with 60 questions each (with answers) available on the hub.

Overview

Power BI workspaces are the central location for managing and collaborating on Power BI assets such as reports, semantic models (datasets), dashboards, dataflows, and apps.
For the PL-300 exam, you are expected to understand how content gets into a workspace, how it is updated, and how different publishing and import options affect governance, collaboration, and security.

What Are Workspace Items?

Common items managed within a Power BI workspace include:

  • Reports
  • Semantic models (datasets)
  • Dashboards
  • Dataflows
  • Paginated reports
  • Apps

Knowing how these items are published, imported, and updated is a core administrative and lifecycle skill tested on the exam.

Publishing Items to a Workspace

Publish from Power BI Desktop

The most common way to publish content is from Power BI Desktop:

  • You publish a .pbix file
  • A report and semantic model are created (or updated) in the workspace
  • Requires Contributor, Member, or Admin role

Key exam point:

  • Publishing a PBIX overwrites the existing report and semantic model (unless name conflicts are avoided)

Publish to Different Workspaces

When publishing from Power BI Desktop, you can:

  • Choose the target workspace
  • Publish to My Workspace or a shared workspace
  • Publish the same PBIX to multiple workspaces (e.g., Dev, Test, Prod)

This supports deployment and lifecycle management scenarios.

Importing Items into a Workspace

Import from Power BI Service

You can import content directly into a workspace using:

  • Upload a file (PBIX, Excel, JSON theme files)
  • Import from OneDrive or SharePoint
  • Import from another workspace (via reuse or copy)

Imported content becomes a managed workspace asset, subject to workspace permissions.

Import from External Sources

You can import:

  • Excel workbooks (creates reports and datasets)
  • Paginated report files (.rdl)
  • Power BI templates (.pbit)

Exam note:

  • Imported items behave similarly to published items but may require credential configuration after import.

Updating Items in a Workspace

Updating Reports and Semantic Models

Common update methods include:

  • Republish the PBIX from Power BI Desktop
  • Replace the dataset connection
  • Modify report visuals in the Power BI Service (if permitted)

Important behavior:

  • Republishing replaces the existing version
  • App users will not see updates until the workspace app is updated

Updating Dataflows

Dataflows can be:

  • Edited directly in the Power BI Service
  • Refreshed manually or on a schedule
  • Reused across multiple datasets

This supports centralized data preparation.

Updating Paginated Reports

Paginated reports can be updated by:

  • Uploading a revised .rdl file
  • Editing via Power BI Report Builder
  • Republishing to the same workspace

Permissions and Roles Impacting Publishing

Workspace roles determine what actions users can take:

RolePublishImportUpdate
ViewerNoNoNo
ContributorYesYesYes (limited)
MemberYesYesYes
AdminYesYesYes

Exam focus:

  • Viewers cannot publish or update
  • Contributors cannot manage workspace settings or apps

Publishing vs Importing: Key Differences

ActionPublishImport
SourcePower BI DesktopService or external files
Creates datasetYesYes
Overwrites contentYes (same name)Depends
Common useDevelopment lifecycleContent onboarding

Common Exam Scenarios

You may be asked:

  • How to move reports between environments
  • Who can publish or update content
  • What happens when a PBIX is republished
  • How imported content behaves in a workspace
  • How updates affect workspace apps

If the question mentions content lifecycle, governance, or collaboration, it is likely testing this topic.

Best Practices to Remember for PL-300

  • Use workspaces for collaboration and asset management
  • Publish from Power BI Desktop for controlled updates
  • Import external files when onboarding content
  • Use separate workspaces for Dev/Test/Prod
  • Remember that apps require manual updates
  • Assign appropriate workspace roles

Summary

Publishing, importing, and updating items in a workspace is fundamental to managing Power BI solutions at scale. For the PL-300 exam, focus on:

  • How content enters a workspace
  • Who can manage it
  • How updates are controlled
  • How changes affect downstream users

Understanding these workflows ensures you can design secure, maintainable, and enterprise-ready Power BI environments.

Practice Questions

Go to the Practice Questions for this topic.

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