Power BI provides the functionality to configure navigation for a report that can enhance the user experience greatly, enabling them to interact with the reports and the dataset at different levels. The navigation setup allows you to jump from one report page to another and drill through a particular data point to understand it in more depth. Today, we will discuss how to set up and configure this navigation for a Power BI report.
Steps to Configure Navigation for a Report
- Set-Up Report Page Tooltips: Page tooltips allow you to give your user more granular information about a specific data point without the need to navigate away from the current view. You can enable page tooltips by clicking on the paint roller icon in the visualization pane, then expanding the tooltip card and setting its switch to “on.” Then, select the page you want to display as the tooltip.
- Add Navigation Buttons: There are four types of navigation buttons in Power BI: Back, Page navigation, Drill through, and Q&A. You can add these by clicking on the Home tab in the ribbon, selecting the buttons dropdown, and choosing your desired navigation button. You will then be prompted to configure the settings.
- Configure Drill Through Filters: The Drill through feature lets you create a focused page in your report to deep dive into more specific details about a specific category or data point. To create drill through filters, add a new page to your report, then drag and drop the field for which you want to create a drill through filter into the drill through filters card in the visualization pane.
Examples of Navigation Configuration
Let’s see how we can set up the Report Page Tooltips and a Drill Through filter for better comprehension:
Report Page Tooltips
- Pick the data visualization – a bar chart, for example.
- Now, click on the paint roller icon in the visualization pane.
- Enable the tooltips by expanding the tooltip card and setting the switch to “on.”
- Choose the page you want to display as the tooltip from the dropdown menu present on the Tooltip card.
The chosen page will appear as a tooltip when you hover over different bars in the chart, giving a more detailed context instantly.
Drill Through Filters
- Firstly, add a new page to your report by clicking on the “+” icon situated next to your existing pages.
- Drag and drop the field for which you want to create a Drill Through filter into the new page’s Drill through filters pane.
- Configure the remaining details of the filter properties such as summarization, data type, and format.
- Once done, go back to the original report page and select the visual that needs to be linked with Drill through. On selecting the visual, you will find that the field added as Drill through filter will get highlighted.
- Right-click on that field, and the option for Drill through will appear. Clicking on it will take you to the dedicated Drill through page configured earlier.
Efficient navigation facilities play a crucial role in making your report user-friendly and informative. Mastering these functionalities will enable you to provide your users with a seamless and intuitive experience when it comes to data interpretation. Remember to test your configuration to ensure it’s working correctly, allowing you to showcase your data in the best possible light!
Practice Test
True/False: Report navigation makes it easier for end-users to interact with the report.
- True
- False
Answer: True
Explanation: Navigation helps users to traverse through various elements and details present in the report with ease, enhancing the overall interactivity and user experience.
In PL-300 Microsoft Power BI Data Analyst exam, which of the following would be an example of navigation pane?
- A) Filters
- B) Fields
- C) Visualizations
- D) Bookmarks
Answer: D) Bookmarks
Explanation: Bookmarks act as a navigation pane in a report, allowing users to create custom navigation systems across reports and dashboards.
True/False: It is not possible to set custom page navigation in Power BI Report Builder.
- True
- False
Answer: False
Explanation: In Power BI you can set custom page navigation using buttons, shapes, images, or other visualizations which can further improve the report interactivity.
In Power BI, a tooltip is used to show more details about a data point when a user does what?
- A) Scrolls over
- B) Clicks on
- C) Right-clicks on
- D) All of the above
Answer: D) All of the above
Explanation: In a tooltip, more details about a data point can be shown when a user scrolls over, clicks on, or right-clicks on that data point.
True/False: In a Power BI dashboard, the “Drillthrough” feature allows users to navigate to a different report page.
- True
- False
Answer: True
Explanation: The Drillthrough feature allows users to navigate from a specific data point on a report page to a different page that provides detailed information about that data point.
What is the use of “Sync slicers” in Power BI?
- A) To maintain slicer state across multiple pages
- B) To create tooltips
- C) To create bookmarks
- D) None of the above
Answer: A) To maintain slicer state across multiple pages
Explanation: Sync slicers feature in Power BI helps to coordinate slicers across multiple report pages, providing a consistent view to the end-users.
True/False: Bookmarks in Power BI do not retain the state of slicers, visuals, filters and other report elements.
- True
- False
Answer: False
Explanation: Bookmarks in Power BI do capture and save the state of slicers, visuals, filters, and other elements in reports, allowing users to pick up where they left off.
In Power BI, what does the “Selection Pane” help with?
- A) Selecting all elements on a page
- B) Writing DAX queries
- C) Managing the visibility of elements on the report page
- D) None of the above
Answer: C) Managing the visibility of elements on the report page
Explanation: The Selection Pane in Power BI is a helpful tool for managing the visibility and layering of elements and objects on the report page.
True/False: The “report page tooltip” feature in Power BI provides additional details directly on the report page when hovering over a visual.
- True
- False
Answer: True
Explanation: When hovering over a visual, the report page tooltip feature reveals additional information in a miniature report page, adding depth without cluttering the main report.
How can you segregate different levels of details in your report in Power BI?
- A) Drillthrough
- B) Filters
- C) Selection Pane
- D) Sync slicers
Answer: A) Drillthrough
Explanation: Power BI provides the Drillthrough feature, which allows users to create a page in their report focusing on a specific entity such as a department, a region, or a product.
Interview Questions
What is the first step you need to take when configuring navigation for a report on Microsoft Power BI?
The first step is to open the Power BI service and navigate to the workspace where the report is located.
What function does drillthrough in Power BI serve in terms of report navigation?
Drillthrough in Power BI offers detailed information about a specific data point on your report. Users can click on a data point to explore related data in greater detail.
What is the purpose of bookmarks in Power BI when configuring navigation for a report?
Bookmarks in Power BI save the current view of a report page, including filters and visuals. This allows the users to highlight a specific view or create a tour of the report.
How do you use the selection pane in Power BI when configuring navigation for a report?
The selection pane in Power BI allows you to control the visibility of objects in your report. You can hide or reveal different visuals on a report page to guide users towards specific insights.
How can you use buttons in the context of report navigation in Power BI?
Buttons in Power BI can be used to perform actions, like navigating between pages, resetting filters, or linking to other content. They help guide users through your report and ensure a smooth navigation experience.
How can tooltips enhance the navigation of a Power BI report?
Tooltips in Power BI report offer additional context or detail about a data point when users hover over it with the mouse. This enhances navigation by providing more information without cluttering the report layout.
What is the role of filters in Power BI report navigation.
Filters in Power BI help users focus on specific parts of the dataset they are interested in. Filters can be applied on visual, page, and report level, which makes report exploration more tailored and manageable.
What is the function of the navigation pane in Power BI?
The navigation pane in Power BI enables users to move between different pages, reports, and dashboards in a workspace. It streamlines the user experience by providing an overview of the available content.
How can the slicer feature in Power BI aid in report navigation?
The slicer feature in Power BI creates a visual filter for your data. It allows users to select a subset of data from a larger set, making report navigation more customizable and interactive.
What does the term “interactive reporting” refer to in the context of Power BI?
Interactive reporting in Power BI refers to the ability of users to explore and manipulate data directly within the report. This can be facilitated through features such as drillthrough, slicers, filters, and more, providing an interactive navigation experience.
How can you provide a guided tour of your report for users in Power BI?
You can use the bookmarking feature to create a guided tour in Power BI. Each bookmark can capture the current state of the report, enabling you to create a narrative across report pages.
How can hyperlinks be utilized in Power BI report navigation?
Hyperlinks can be used in a Power BI report to link to additional resources or specific report pages. These can be embedded within tables, visuals, text boxes, or buttons to enhance the navigability of your report.
Can a report in Power BI be exported for accessibility offline?
Yes, reports in Power BI can be exported to PDF or PowerPoint files to be shared and accessed offline.
What are the report layout options in Power BI that can help with ease of navigation?
Report layout options include gridlines and snap-to-grid features which allow precise placement and alignment of visuals on your report page. This makes the report easier to navigate because of its structured layout.
What is the role of visuals in Power BI report navigation?
Visuals in Power BI not only display data but also serve as an interactive tool that users can click, hover over, or filter to explore the data. This increases user engagement and enhances report navigation by making the data more interactive and accessible.
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