The IFrame Visual is a custom Power BI visual created to break the boundaries of standard dashboards. It allows report creators to embed any web page directly into their Power BI reports. By rendering external web content within an iframe, this solution enables the integration of live applications, external dashboards, or any web-based resource, making reports more dynamic and informative.
Challenges
- Content Silos: Critical interactive tools and data often reside on external websites, forcing users to navigate away from the Power BI report.
- Static Dashboards: Standard Power BI visuals are limited to the data model, preventing the inclusion of live, real-time web-based information or applications.
- Integration Complexity: Displaying external web content within a report is not natively supported and often requires complex, unmaintainable workarounds.
Solution
We developed a straightforward custom Power BI visual that allows users to:
- Specify a URL in the visual’s formatting pane.
- Render the content of that URL directly within the dashboard canvas.
- Create a seamless user experience by integrating external web applications and content into the flow of the Power BI report.
Key Features
- URL Integration: Easily configure any web address to be displayed within the visual.
- Seamless Embedding: Renders a standard HTML <iframe> to display external content.
- Dynamic Content: Allows for the display of live web pages, applications, and data feeds.
- Simple Configuration: Requires no complex setup; just add the visual and provide a URL.
Results
- Unified User Experience: Users can now interact with external web tools and view live data without ever leaving the Power BI dashboard.
- Enhanced Dashboards: Reports are enriched with dynamic content that goes beyond the capabilities of native Power BI visuals.
- Increased Productivity: Eliminates the need to switch between browser tabs and the Power BI report, streamlining data analysis workflows.