When connecting from Power BI, the error “We couldn’t authenticate with the credentials provided. Please try again.” usually points to one of these issues:
- Wrong authentication method selected in Power BI (Basic vs. OAuth/SSO)
- API key is invalid, expired, or lacks permission
- The user doesn’t have the required access on one or more tenants/workspaces
- Cached or incorrect credentials in Power BI Desktop
Checklist to resolve
Confirm the correct authentication method
- If your connector requires Basic authentication with an API key:
- Use the API key exactly as issued (no extra spaces or line breaks).
- Place the API key in the Password field (and, if required by Power BI, use your email or a placeholder in the Username field—follow your connector’s documentation).
- If your organization mandates Microsoft SSO/OAuth:
- Choose the SSO/OAuth option in the connector instead of Basic.
Verify your API key and access
- Regenerate the API key only if needed, then copy it once and store it securely.
- Ensure the API key (or your user) has permission to access the exact resources you’re querying.
- Confirm the key is valid for the correct environment (e.g., Production vs. Sandbox) and region, and that the URL you enter in Power BI matches that environment.
Ensure access across all required tenants/workspaces
- If your organization uses multiple tenants, the connecting identity must have access to the data in each tenant you’re querying.
- Assign the appropriate role(s) to the user/service identity on every relevant tenant/workspace.
- If possible, test with a single tenant first to isolate the issue.
Clear cached credentials in Power BI Desktop
- File > Options and settings > Data source settings.
- Select the data source URL and click Clear Permissions.
- Close and re-enter the connection details using the correct method.
Validate the connection details
- Confirm the base URL and endpoints are correct, with no trailing spaces or unintended characters.
- If your connector requires specific headers or query parameters, ensure they’re configured per documentation.
Check local/network conditions
- Test from a network that allows outbound traffic to the data source (no VPN/firewall blocks).
- Ensure system time is accurate (large clock drift can interfere with auth).
If the error persists
- Try connecting from a fresh Power BI Desktop session after clearing permissions.
- Provide support with:
- The exact connector/method used (Basic with API key or SSO)
- The tenant(s)/workspace(s) you’re accessing
- Timestamp/timezone of the failure
- Redacted screenshots of your Power BI Data Source settings
- Whether the API key was recently regenerated
Prevention tips
- Keep a documented process for granting tenant/workspace access before distributing API keys.
- Track API key ownership, scope, and rotation dates.
- Standardize the connection method (Basic vs. SSO) across your team to avoid mismatch errors.