PowerBI.tips

Copy Power BI Desktop Server:Port Connection String to Clipboard

September 12, 2021 By Mike Carlo
Copy Power BI Desktop Server:Port Connection String to Clipboard

Howdy, folks!

A few months ago, I was writing and running various PowerShell scripts to manipulate the connected data models in my Power BI Desktop files. During model development, I was constantly having to open DAX Studio to copy the Server:Port connection string, and thinking, “there’s got to be a faster way to do this.”

So, I developed and released a simple External Tool for Power BI Desktop, which copies the Server:Port connection string for the currently-connected data model directly to the clipboard.

I’m a strong believer in modular design, so when I build something, I try to make it do one thing, and do it well. I believe this External Tool for Power BI Desktop is a great example of that philosophy in action.

This external tool is now in the Business Ops tool from PowerBI.tips.

Enjoy!

James

Previous

Power BI Bookmarks Tips, Tricks, and Best Practices

More Posts

Mar 25, 2026

Git Best Practices Diff Noise & Naming - Ep. 513

Mike and Tommy break down the Git habits that make pull requests easier to review, cleaner to merge, and less painful to maintain over time. If your team fights diff noise, inconsistent naming, and mystery changes buried in commits, this episode gives you a practical framework for cleaning that up.

Mar 20, 2026

Publish to Web vs. Embedded - Ep. 512

Mike and Tommy break down the real difference between Publish to Web and Power BI Embedded, and why mixing them up creates security and governance headaches fast. If you need to share reports outside your organization, this episode gives you the practical framework for choosing the right option without accidentally turning convenience into a data leak.

Mar 18, 2026

Scaling a Power BI Side Hustle - Ep. 511

Mike and Tommy break down what it actually takes to grow a Power BI side hustle from occasional freelance work into a repeatable consulting engine. If you're balancing client delivery, productized offers, and the reality of limited time, this episode gives you a sharper playbook for scaling without creating chaos.