Power BI Refresh Error:
Unable to connect (credentials are required)

What does this error mean?

Power BI Service cannot find stored credentials for this data source. The data source connection in the cloud is not bound to any saved credentials, so every refresh attempt fails immediately.

Common causes

• 1The dataset was published but credentials were never configured in Power BI Service
• 2Credentials were removed when the gateway was reconfigured
• 3The data source URL or server name changed, breaking the match to stored credentials
• 4Credentials were configured under a different user account that no longer has access to the workspace

How to fix it

1. 1Open the dataset in Power BI Service → Settings → Data source credentials
2. 2Click 'Edit credentials' next to each data source that shows a warning
3. 3Enter valid credentials and save — then trigger a manual refresh to verify
4. 4Ensure you are logged in as a user who has edit rights on the dataset
5. 5If the data source shows as 'Not configured', the connection string in Desktop may not match the gateway source — republish from Desktop after re-entering source details

Other credentials errors