Question

I need to generate a paginated report where each customer gets a separate PDF—what’s the best approach?

I need to create a paginated report in Power BI (Report Builder) where each customer receives a personalized PDF containing only their data. The report should dynamically filter content per customer and generate separate PDF files for distribution. What is the best approach using Power BI Paginated Reports, parameters, and subscriptions to automate this process?

Answer 1

In order to create a paginated report with every customer receiving a separate PDF, follow these steps:

1. Customer Filtering with Parameters

Include a Customer ID parameter in order to filter data per customer.

Use the parameter in the report query such that each report instance would have only the relevant customer data.

2. Power BI Paginated Report Subscriptions

Create an Email Subscription within Power BI Service (Premium/PPU) to allow for scheduling report delivery.

Use "Per recipient delivery" for filtered PDFs to be sent out to individual customers based on parameters.

3. Power Automate for Bulk PDF Generation

Use Power Automate with the "Export to File for Paginated Reports" action.

Iterate through the customer records dynamically filtering for each one, save/export the PDFs to a shared site, or email directly.