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Power BI Connector Gateway setup guide

Learn how to set up the 6clicks Power BI connector with the On-Premise Data Gateway so that your reports refresh automatically in the Power BI Service

The following includes an example of instructions for installing and configuring Power BI Desktop and the Microsoft On-Premises Data Gateway.

Please consult with your IT administrators to ensure the configuration aligns with your environment and security controls.

The 6clicks Power BI connector supports ongoing, automated refresh of Power BI reports by integrating with Microsoft's On-Premise Data Gateway. This ensures any stakeholders will be able to access up-to-date 6clicks data via Power BI.

Table of contents

  1. Prerequisites
  2. Installing the Power BI Connector locally
  3. Downloading & installing the On-Premise Data Gateway
  4. Configuring the gateway to load the custom connector
    1. Creating a local folder for the connector
    2. Setting folder permissions
    3. Pointing the gateway to to the connector folder
  5. Publishing your report to Power BI service
  6. Configuring the gateway connection in Power BI service
    1. Creating a new connection on the gateway
    2. Mapping the dataset to the gateway
  7. Testing the refresh
  8. Setting up scheduled refresh (optional)
  9. Troubleshooting

Prerequisites

For scheduled refreshes to work, the machine running the gateway must remain powered on and connected to the internet.

Installing the Power BI Connector locally

  1. On your machine, navigate to: C:\Users\<YourUsername>\Documents\Power BI Desktop\Custom Connectors\
    • If the Custom Connectors folder doesn't exist, create it.
  2. Copy the sixClicksPowerBiConnector.pqx file into this folder.
  3. Open Power BI Desktop.
  4. Go to File → Options and settings → Options → Security.
  5. Under Data Extensions, select "(Not Recommended) Allow any extension to load without validation or warning".
  6. Restart Power BI Desktop.
  7. Go to Get Data — you should now see sixClicksPowerBiConnector in the list. Connect using your API key and verify that data loads correctly.

Downloading and installing the On-Premise Data Gateway

  1. Download the standard mode On-Premises Data Gateway from Microsoft: https://aka.ms/gateway
  2. Run the installer and follow the prompts.
  3. When asked, sign in with the same Microsoft account you use for Power BI Service.
  4. Select "Register a new gateway on this computer".
  5. Give the gateway a name (e.g., yourcompany-pbi-gateway) and set a recovery key.
  6. Complete the installation. The gateway should show as Online when finished.

Store the recovery key securely as it is needed if the gateway ever needs to be moved.

Configuring the gateway to load the custom connector

Creating a local folder for the connector

  1. Create a folder on the gateway machine at a location the gateway service can access. We recommend a simple local path such as:
    C:\PBI_Custom_Connectors\
  2. Copy the sixClicksPowerBiConnector.pqx file into this folder.

Important: Do NOT use a OneDrive, SharePoint-synced, or network folder. The gateway service runs under the NT SERVICE\PBIEgwService account, which cannot reliably access cloud-synced or network locations.

Setting folder permissions

  1. Right-click the C:\PBI_Custom_Connectors\ folder → Properties → Security tab.
  2. Click Edit → Add.
  3. Type NT SERVICE\PBIEgwService and click Check Names → OK.
  4. Grant the following permissions:
    • Read & execute
    • List folder contents
    • Read
  5. Click Apply → OK.

Pointing the gateway to to the connector folder

  1. Open the On-premises data gateway application on the gateway machine.
  2. Click the Connectors tab in the left sidebar.
  3. In the "Load custom data connectors from folder" field, browse to:
    C:\PBI_Custom_Connectors\
  4. Restart the gateway service (go to the Service Settings tab and click Restart).
  5. Return to the Connectors tab. You should now see sixClicksPowerBiConnector listed in the table. This confirms the gateway has successfully loaded the connector.

If the connector does NOT appear in the list, double-check:

  • The .pqx file is directly in the folder (not in a subfolder)
  • Folder permissions are correctly set for NT SERVICE\PBIEgwService
  • The gateway was restarted after making changes

Publishing your report to Power BI service

  1. In Power BI Desktop, with your report open and data loaded, go to Home → Publish.
  2. Select your target workspace and click Select.
  3. Wait for the publish to complete.

Configuring the gateway connection in Power BI service

Creating a new connection on the gateway

  1. Log in to Power BI Service.
  2. Click the Settings (⚙️) in the top-right corner → Manage connections and gateways.
  3. Click + New to create a new connection.
  4. Fill in the details:
    • Connection type tab: Select On-premises
    • Gateway cluster name: Select your gateway (e.g. yourcompany-pbi-gateway)
    • Connection name: Enter a descriptive name (e.g. 6clicks-api-connection)
    • Connection type: Select sixClicksPowerBiConnector from the dropdown
    • Authentication method: Select the method that matches your connector's configuration (e.g. Key)
    • API Key: Enter your 6clicks API key
    • Privacy level: Select Organizational
  5. Click Create.

Mapping the dataset to the gateway

  1. Navigate to your workspace in Power BI Service.
  2. Find your published semantic model / dataset (not the report).
  3. Click the three dots (⋯) → Settings.
  4. Scroll down to the Gateway and cloud connections section.
  5. Toggle "Use an On-premises or VNet data gateway" to On.
  6. Select your gateway (e.g., yourcompany-pbi-gateway). The status should now show as connected (not "Not configured correctly").
  7. Click Apply.

If the gateway still shows "Not configured correctly" or doesn't appear, click "Discover Data Sources" in the yellow banner at the top of the settings page.

Testing the refresh

  1. In the semantic model settings, scroll to Refresh.
  2. Click Refresh now to trigger a manual refresh.
  3. After a few minutes, check the Refresh history to confirm it succeeded.

Setting up scheduled refresh (optional)

For scheduled refreshes to work, the machine running the gateway must remain powered on and connected to the internet. If the gateway is offline, the refresh will fail.

  1. In the semantic model Settings, expand the Refresh section.
  2. Toggle "Keep your data up to date" to On.
  3. Set your desired refresh frequency (e.g. daily at 6:00 AM).
  4. Click Apply.

Troubleshooting

Issue

Solution

Connector not showing in gateway Connectors tab

Verify the sixClicksPowerBiConnector.pqx file is in the correct folder, permissions are set, and the gateway has been restarted

"Unsupported data source" error in Service

The gateway isn't loading the connector, head here

"Not configured correctly" in dataset settings

The gateway connection credentials haven't been set up, head here

Gateway shows "Not reachable"

The gateway service isn't running or the machine is offline; restart the service

Refresh fails with authentication error

Re-enter the API key in the gateway connection settings here

No gateway option in dataset settings

Click "Discover Data Sources" in the yellow banner, or ensure the connector Kind name matches between Desktop and the gateway

Contact the 6clicks support team at support@6clicks.com if you encounter issues with the connector or your API key.