Learn how to use the Power BI custom connector to transfer your procurement data and analyze all company indicators in one place. Simplify reporting and make data-driven decisions with ease.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Power BI is a Microsoft collection of business intelligence tools, services, apps, and connectors that allows you to create visually immersive and interactive reports from various data sources.
If you rely on Power BI to track your company’s key metrics across multiple systems and tools, you can use the Precoro Power BI custom connector for direct data transfer from Precoro to Power BI.
Power BI Custom Connector Overview
Power BI data connectors are small applications designed to access data from specific services or sources.
These connectors come in two types:
- Built-in Connectors: Pre-installed and certified by Microsoft, available directly via the Get Data module.
- Custom Connectors: Manually added by users to the Get Data module to connect Power BI with data sources not covered by built-in options. They are available only for users owning the connector physically on their PC.
Precoro’s custom connector allows you to:
- Easily connect to Precoro data via API with data sources not covered by built-in connectors.
- Build reports and dashboards using your company’s data.
- Schedule automatic data updates.
💡Please note: To use this solution, you need a Free/Pro/Premium Power BI Desktop license and admin rights on the machine where the connector will be installed. This add-on incurs an additional fee.
Precoro ensures data security by granting you read-only access to your database through our API. While you can manipulate data in Power BI for reporting purposes, changes will not be reflected back in Precoro.
Learn more about using API in Precoro and request limits here.
How to Set Up the Power BI Custom Connector
Follow the steps below to integrate Precoro data into Power BI and use advanced dashboards, reports, and datasets for accurate analysis.
Step 1: Get the Precoro Power BI Custom Connector File
Contact your CSM manager to gain access to the Precoro Power BI custom connector. They will provide you with the file and additional guidance.
Step 2: Install the Connector
To perform the installation:
- Save the PrecoroAPI.mez ((for app.precoro.com) or PrecoroAPI_us.mez (for app.precoro.us) file to the following location on your Windows PC: C:\Users\username\Documents\Power BI Desktop\Custom Connectors\.
If this folder does not exist, create the required folders.
💡Please note: If you already have other connectors and an on-premises data gateway installed, place the connector in the folder where your other connectors are stored. Usually, it is C:\Windows\ServiceProfiles\PBIEgwService\Documents\Power BI Desktop\Custom Connectors.
2. Adjust Power BI Security Settings:
- Open Power BI Desktop and navigate to File → Options and settings → Options → Security;
- Under Data Extensions, select (Not Recommended) Allow any extension to load without validation or warning;
- Restart Power BI Desktop to apply the changes.
Learn more about custom connector installation here.
Step 3: Generate Credentials
💡Please note: The API key is linked to a specific user and company, so it cannot be used to connect to another company’s account.
Since the key carries the user’s permissions, we recommend generating it by the user who has full access to the necessary documents. If you don’t have access to a specific module (e.g., Purchase Orders), you won’t be able to retrieve that data via API or Power BI. Also, if your permissions change after generating the key, the token may become invalid.
To generate credentials:
- Navigate to the Configuration → Integrations page in your Precoro account.
- Locate the API Key section → click the Go to page button.
- Click Generate API Key and save the generated token. The token is visible only during the generation. Please save and store it securely, as it cannot be viewed again in Precoro.
Learn more about API Keys in Precoro here.
Step 4: Log in to the Connector
To link the connector with Power BI:
- Open Power BI Desktop → click Get Data.
- Choose More... from the drop-down list.
- Use the search field to locate the PrecoroAPI (Beta) connector.
- Select the connector → click Connect.
- Enter your Precoro account email and the X-AUTH-TOKEN (the API token generated in Step 3) → Connect.
- Assign a name for this connection → click OK to complete the process.
💡Please note: We recommend using an easy-to-remember name (e.g., your company’s name in Precoro). Power BI will store your credentials under this name, so you will not need to provide them every time when connecting to Precoro.
If you manage multiple companies/accounts in Precoro, you can create separate connections and store credentials for each company under different connection names. Refer to the Specifics of Using Precoro PowerBI Connector for Multi-Companies article to find out more.
Next time you wish to connect to the database, use Recent Sources and select the needed Connection name from the drop-down:
Congratulations! You can now access your Precoro data in Power BI to build tailored reports and dashboards. Refer to the How to Load and Transform Data Tables via the Power BI Custom Connector article for further instructions.