As I prepared for the Microsoft Fabric Analytics Engineer (DP-600) and Microsoft Fabric Data Engineer (DP-700) certifications, I hit a roadblock: my work email couldn’t be used to access the Microsoft Fabric 60-day free trial. Not wanting to burden my admin team, I explored alternatives and discovered that a personal email could be used to activate the trial. Below, I share a step-by-step guide to help you set up a Microsoft Fabric free trial using your personal email, perfect for anyone looking to explore this powerful data platform without relying on a work account.
Open your browser and navigate to the Microsoft Azure Free Account page. This is your entry point to creating an Azure account, which is required to access Microsoft Fabric.
Click "Try Azure for free". You’ll be prompted to either sign in with an existing Azure account or create a new one. If you don’t have an Azure account, select "Sign up" and use your personal email to register. Follow the prompts to set up your account, including verifying your email and providing payment details (required for identity verification, but no charges apply for the free trial).
If you already have an Azure account, sign in with your credentials. For example, I used an existing subscription, which led me to the Azure homepage.
After signing in, you’ll land on the Azure portal’s homepage. This is where you’ll manage your account and set up access to Microsoft Fabric.
In the Azure portal’s search bar, type "Entra ID" and select "Microsoft Entra ID" from the results. This service manages user identities and is crucial for creating a user account for Fabric.
On the Entra ID page, expand the "Manage" tab on the left-hand side and click "Users". This section lists all users associated with your Azure account.
Click "New user" at the top of the Users page. If the button is not clickable, try refreshing the page.
Select "Create new user" (refresh the page if this option is unresponsive). Fill out the user creation form:
Return to the Users page and refresh it to confirm the new user appears in the list. Click on the user to view details and verify the User Principal Name.
Open the Microsoft Fabric login page and sign in with the User Principal Name and password you created. For added security, enable two-factor authentication using the Microsoft Authenticator app when prompted.
Once signed in, you’ll see the Microsoft Fabric welcome page. Click your profile icon in the top-right corner and select "Start free trial" to activate the 60-day trial.
Congratulations! You’ve successfully activated a Microsoft Fabric free trial using your personal email. You’re now ready to explore Fabric’s data analytics and engineering capabilities.
For professionals like me pursuing Microsoft Fabric certifications, accessing the platform with a personal email is a game-changer. It bypasses workplace restrictions and allows independent learning and experimentation. This approach empowered me to prepare for the DP-600 and DP-700 exams without relying on my organization’s IT team, and I hope it helps you achieve your goals too.
Feel free to share your experience or ask questions about Microsoft Fabric in the comments on my LinkedIn post! Happy learning!