IT Administrators
Does this require enabling Microsoft Graph API separately?
No. Graph API access is managed through the standard Microsoft Entra ID application consent process (the pre-authorization step in Section 7.4). No separate Graph API configuration, firewall changes, or custom API endpoints are required. All communication goes through standard Microsoft endpoints.
Can the SSO setting be scoped to specific security groups?
Yes. The “AppSource Custom Visuals SSO” tenant setting supports scoping to specific security groups or excluding specific groups. You do not need to enable it for the entire organization.
What if our organization has restrictive Azure/Office 365 access policies?
The three setup steps work within standard Microsoft 365 administration frameworks. No custom API endpoints, no third-party infrastructure, and no firewall changes are required. The Zebra BI application uses the same Microsoft Graph API that powers SharePoint, OneDrive, and Teams.
Does this work with Power BI Apps (not just Power BI Service)?
Yes. The commenting functionality works across Power BI Service and Power BI Apps, as long as the Plus visuals are installed through Microsoft AppSource and the IT setup steps are complete.
What tenant settings are essential versus optional?
- SSO for custom visuals: Required — without it, user identity cannot be determined and
ommenting will not function - Pre-authorization: Strongly recommended — without it, each user must individually request and receive admin approval before commenting
- Organizational store: Only needed if your organization has a certified-visuals-only policy
Report Editors
Do I need to modify my data model or semantic model?
No. Comments are fetched via Microsoft Graph API, completely independent of your data model. There are no new tables to create, no data source connections to configure, and no dataset refresh to schedule.
Can the same comment file serve multiple visuals or reports?
Yes. Comments are stored with filter context (e.g., month, category, account). If the filter context matches exactly across visuals, the same comments can appear in multiple places. Initial guidance recommends one file per report, with more multi-report scenarios supported as adoption grows.
How do comments interact with bookmarks?
Comments are fetched based on the active filter context, not the bookmark state. When a bookmark changes the active filters, the comments displayed will update accordingly. We recommend testing bookmark behavior with your specific report configuration during the Beta period.
How do I choose the SharePoint file location?
When configuring the Plus visual, you use a built-in file picker to select or create an Excel file at a SharePoint location. Choose a location where the intended commenters have appropriate access. The SharePoint folder permissions on that file will determine who can read and write comments.
Report Viewers
How do I add a comment?
Click the annotation icon on the visual toolbar, select the data point you want to comment on, and type your comment. The experience is similar to the existing annotation feature that editors use today.
Will I see comments from other users in real time?
Comments appear when the visual refreshes — for example, when you change a slicer, switch report tabs, or refresh the browser page. They do not update in real time, while the report is static on screen.
Can I edit or delete my comments?
You can delete your own comments in view mode. Editing of existing comments (modifying text after posting) is planned for a future release. Report editors in edit mode can delete any comment.
What if I don’t have SharePoint access?
If you do not have access to the linked SharePoint file, you won’t see other people’s comments, and you won’t be able to add new comments. The report and all other visual functionality work normally — no error message, no disruption to your experience.