There are three ways to use Power BI Agent, each with its own characteristics. Choose what fits your situation best.
Power BI Agent can be used in three ways: via the portal, via Claude and via Microsoft 365 Copilot. They can also be used alongside each other.
Comparison
| Chat via portal | Chat via Claude | Chat via Copilot | |
|---|---|---|---|
| How | Via the Chat tab in the portal or the Chat visual in Power BI | Via Claude Desktop or Claude.ai | Via Microsoft 365 Copilot Chat |
| Setup | Enter a Claude API key | Set up the Claude Connector | Add the Copilot connector and Connect Copilot |
| Token usage | From the organization’s Claude API key | From the user’s Claude subscription | Part of the user’s Microsoft 365 Copilot |
| Pseudonymization | Yes: fields set to “pseudonymize” are sent to Claude as a pseudonym | No: fields set to “pseudonymize” are anonymized instead | No: fields set to “pseudonymize” are anonymized instead |
| ZDR (Zero Data Retention) | Possible: request from Anthropic for your API account | Not applicable | Not applicable |
| Requires | Claude API key (organization level) | Claude subscription (personal or organization) | Microsoft 365 Copilot and a connector that a Microsoft 365 admin adds once |
Mode 1: Chat via portal
The organization owner sets up a Claude API key at the organization level. All users then chat via the Chat tab in the portal or via the Chat visual in the Power BI report.
Advantages:
- Full support for pseudonymization: sensitive values are consistently replaced with a pseudonym, so Claude analyzes patterns without seeing the real values.
- ZDR (Zero Data Retention) possible: request this via platform.claude.com/settings/privacy. Data is then not retained.
- Users do not need their own Claude subscription.
Set up: Go to Configure AI model.
Chat visual: You can also use the portal’s Chat tab directly inside a Power BI report with the Chat visual. That way you ask your questions without leaving the report. See Chat via portal to add the Chat visual.
Mode 2: Chat via Claude Desktop or Claude.ai
Each user installs the Claude Connector. Power BI Agent is then available as a tool in Claude Desktop or Claude.ai.
Advantages:
- Works within the familiar Claude environment.
- Token costs are split per user (each on their own subscription).
Important: Fields set to pseudonymize in Masking are anonymized instead of pseudonymized in this mode. Analysis based on consistent pseudonyms across records is therefore not available. See Masking for the difference.
Set up: Go to Connect Claude.
Mode 3: Chat via Microsoft 365 Copilot
A Microsoft 365 admin adds the Power BI Agent connector once for the organization. After that, each user connects themselves and Power BI Agent is available as a source in Microsoft 365 Copilot Chat.
Advantages:
- Works inside Microsoft 365, where your colleagues already work every day.
- No separate AI subscription needed if your organization already uses Microsoft 365 Copilot.
- The admin centrally decides which users the connector is available to.
Important: As with Claude, fields set to pseudonymize in Masking are anonymized in this mode. See Masking for the difference.
Set up: Go to Connect Copilot.
Which mode should you choose?
- Pseudonymization matters for your analyses? Choose portal chat.
- Users already work in Claude daily? Add the Claude Connector alongside or instead of portal chat.
- Your organization uses Microsoft 365 Copilot? Add the Copilot connector, so users chat with their data from within Microsoft 365.
- Spread costs per user? With the Claude Connector or the Copilot connector, each user consumes their own Claude subscription or Microsoft 365 Copilot.
- Central control over token usage? Portal chat with one API key.
You can set up all modes at the same time. They are not mutually exclusive.
Next step
Go to Chat via portal for the steps to get started with the portal chat mode.