Monitoring Power BI data and adding an alert using Power Automate

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Monitoring Power BI data and adding an alert using Power Automate
You can set basic alerts in Power BI to send emails when your data exceeds a threshold. If you need more complex responses, actions other than email or to respond to more complex data changes, you can use Power Automate to achieve this.

Posted by Rick Gould on 07 February 2025

In this blog

Step 1 - Create your flow
Step 2 - Add and set the Power BI action
Step 3 - Check whether an alert needs to be sent
Step 4 - Add an alert action when the threshold is exceeded
Step 5 - Test the flow

Power BI has the facility to add email alerts to data presented in cards, gauges or KPIs pinned to dashboards when they reach a certain threshold.

If your data isn't only in a dashboard visual, you need to trigger more complex processes or you need to trigger the alert based on more complex criteria, you can use a Power Automate flow.

Power BI table showing animals and the cost to produce them

I want to set an alert on the underlying production cost of the Jackdaw toy if it exceeds a specified threshold.

Step 1 - Create your flow

From within Power Automate create a new flow by selecting New flow | Scheduled cloud flow.

We want a Scheduled cloud flow so that our data will be continually monitored.

Name the flow and set the schedule for your data checks.

Power Automate scheduled cloud flow details

You can schedule checks to take place from seconds to months.

Step 2 - Add and set the Power BI action

Add an action and search for Run a query against a dataset.

Power Automate action pane filtered for Power BI actions

If you don't know the exact action name, you can search for Power BI but don't expect it to be the first option returned.

Configure the action by setting the Workspace, Dataset and Query text to return the values you want to monitor.

Power Automate dataset action parameters panel

You will need a DAX query to filter the data to return the row that contains the data you want to test.

Step 3 - Check whether an alert needs to be sent

Add an action and search for Control and choose the Condition action

This action will allow you to test whether the production cost has exceeded a specified threshold.

Choose fx to write the expression to return the ProductionCost field that contains the value you need to test.

Power Automate condition expression parameters panel

The left-hand side is the value you want to test and the right-hand side is the threshold value to trigger your next action.

Add the expression that returns the value you want to test.

Power Automate condition parameters expression

You have to name several levels before you get down to ProductionCost.

If you run your flow before you add your condition you can view the JSON output from your Run a query against a dataset action to help you find the level that your field sits at.

Choose the correct operator and set the threshold.

Power Automate completed condition expression

This will trigger the next action if the cost of the product rises above 7.65.

Step 4 - Add an alert action when the threshold is exceeded

Add a Send an email action inside the True part of the Condition and configure it.

Power Automate send an email parameters panel

If you want to include the current production cost value, copy the expression from the Condition action.

Step 5 - Test the flow

Update the underlying data so that it exceeds the threshold and Save and Test the flow.

You should receive an email alerting you that the production cost has been exceeded.

You can add any number of actions to take place when a data threshold is breached including updating tables, sending teams alerts, triggering other flows to run.

Some other pages relevant to the above blog include:

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Step 1 - Create your flow

Step 2 - Add and set the Power BI action

Step 3 - Check whether an alert needs to be sent

Step 4 - Add an alert action when the threshold is exceeded

Step 5 - Test the flow

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