💁 About this article
This article is part of Fugo’s Power BI knowledge base: a collection of resources answering common Power BI questions. We include notes throughout where Fugo’s integration may be helpful for displaying dashboards on digital signage.
Table of contents
Power BI can be shown in PowerPoint in a few different ways. The right approach depends on why you’re using PowerPoint in the first place: a live meeting, a one-off presentation, or as a workaround to get dashboards onto a TV screen.
This guide walks through the supported methods, how they actually work, and where the limitations start to matter.
Option 1: Embed a live Power BI report directly in PowerPoint
Microsoft supports embedding Power BI reports directly into PowerPoint using the Power BI add-in.
How it works
You open PowerPoint (desktop or web)
Insert → Power BI
Paste a report link or select a report you have access to
The slide renders a live, interactive Power BI visual
This is the most “native” method and keeps the report connected to the Power BI service.
What works well
Live data during meetings
Filters and slicers remain interactive
No screenshots or manual exports
Familiar workflow for PowerPoint users
Important limitations
Requires internet connectivity
Viewers must authenticate with Power BI
Slides don’t auto-refresh unless interacted with
PowerPoint must stay open and active
This method is designed for meetings, not unattended displays.
For a full walkthrough of this setup, see the step-by-step guide:
Option 2: Use screenshots or exported images
Power BI reports can be exported as static images and dropped into slides.
How it works
Export a visual or report page from Power BI
Paste it into PowerPoint like an image
Present or share the deck
Where this makes sense
One-time presentations
Executive decks
Offline use
Tradeoffs
No interactivity
No live data
Requires manual updates every time data changes
This is simple, but fundamentally turns Power BI into a snapshot.
Option 3: Run PowerPoint continuously on a TV screen
Some teams use PowerPoint as a way to get dashboards onto a TV screen by:
Embedding Power BI on a slide
Putting PowerPoint into slideshow mode
Leaving it running all day
Technically, this works. Practically, it introduces friction.
Common issues
Sessions time out
Slides stop refreshing
Authentication breaks
PowerPoint crashes or sleeps
No health monitoring or alerts
At this point, PowerPoint is being used as a display engine, which it wasn’t designed for.
This pattern is usually a signal that the requirement has shifted from “presentation” to “always-on visibility.”
When PowerPoint stops being the right tool
PowerPoint is optimized for:
Human-led presentations
Short-lived sessions
Click-driven interaction
It struggles with:
Continuous display
Automatic refresh
Unattended environments
TVs, lobbies, and wallboards
That’s where digital signage software becomes relevant.
Instead of embedding Power BI inside slides, signage platforms connect directly to Power BI and handle:
Auto-refresh on a schedule
Full-screen display
Session recovery
Remote management
Device stability
The practical differences between these approaches are broken down in detail in the comparison guide:
.
How this fits with digital signage tools like Fugo
Tools like Fugo are designed specifically for putting live Power BI dashboards on TVs and keeping them there.
Instead of relying on PowerPoint as an intermediary:
Power BI reports are connected directly
Refresh runs automatically
Screens recover from outages
No one needs to log in on the device
PowerPoint still has a place. It’s just a different one.
🤿 Deep dive into Fugo's Power BI app for digital signage here
Summary
PowerPoint + Power BI works well for meetings and presentations
It becomes fragile when used as a long-running display
Screens change the requirements
Digital signage tools exist to handle those requirements directly
If the goal is to present Power BI, PowerPoint is fine.
If the goal is to show Power BI all day, it’s usually time to move on.