Filters and Slicers in Power BI Report
Table of Contents
Introduction
Understanding Filters in Filters Pane
Power BI gives you a variety of filters to apply so that you can have more control over your reports. Let us discuss different filter types briefly that are available in Power BI Desktop’s filter pane.
There are two ways to open the filters pane.
- Click on the view tab in the ribbon menu.
- Click on Filters from the show panes section.
Or:
Click on the Filters tab next to the Visualizations pane.
Different Levels of Filters in Power BI Report:
Filters On This Visual:
This type of filter gets applied to a single visual.
Filter On This Page:
This type of filter gets applied to all the visuals on a page.
Filter On All Pages:
This type of filter gets applied to all the visuals on all the pages of a report.
Using Filters as a Slicer in Report
Filters can also be used as slicers in the report. It’s best to use both filters and slicers in the report. Slicers are visuals which also filter the data like filters in the filter tab. Slicers are, however, easier on the eye and more user friendly than the filters in the filters pane.
Adding Filters:
On the right-hand side of the application, you can find the Fields Pane, Visualizations Pane and Filters Pane.
The Filters pane lets you configure different filters for a report, page or a visual. Power BI gives you a variety of filters to apply so that you can have more control over your reports.
To see the filters applied so far:
- Click on the Ribbon Chart “Revenue (CC) by Full Month and Retailer Type”.
Notice that the Filters Pane shows the “Top 3 by Sale Price” filter, applied on this visual.
Slicers:
Slicer is also a form of a filter in Power BI. It is more visually appealing than a usual filter. We can also format and modify the slicer according to our requirements.
Types of Slicers
Native Visuals:
The slicer in the native visuals pane offers different ways of slicing and dicing the data based on data type.
1. Text (String)
- List: Displays all unique text values as checkboxes.
- Dropdown: Compact view where users can select values from a dropdown menu.
2. Numeric (Whole number or Decimal)
- Between: Allows users to set a numeric range using a slider or input boxes.
- Less than or equal to / Greater than or equal to: Optional depending on filtering needs.
- Dropdown or List: When used with categorical numeric values (e.g., ratings like 1, 2, 3).
3. Date/Time
- Between: Enables a date range selector (calendar view).
- Before / After: To filter data before or after a selected date.
- Relative date: Filters based on relative periods (e.g., last 7 days, next month).
- Relative time: Available for time-based filtering (e.g., last 2 hours).
- Dropdown or List: If used with discrete date values (e.g., years or months).
4. Boolean (True/False)
- List or Dropdown: Offers two options—True and False.
5. Hierarchical Fields (e.g., Date hierarchy or custom hierarchies)
- Users can drill down through levels (e.g., Year > Quarter > Month > Day).
- Works with slicer visual set to hierarchy mode.
Custom Visuals:
Chiclet Slicer
Chiclet Slicer is a custom visual for Power BI that enhances the standard slicer with more advanced visual customization options. It allows you to display images from the internet or your data model as display elements for filtering options, making your reports more interactive and visually appealing.
To use Chiclet Slicer:
- Click on ellipsis in the Visualizations pane for more options.
- Click Get more visuals.
- Search for Chiclet Slicer.
- Click the Lock Button at the top-right corner.
Chiclet Slicer description box opens.
- Click on Add.
- Select Chiclet Slicer.
- Drag Product Table > Product line into Category section of the slicer.
- Drag Sales Table > Revenue (CC) into Values section of the slicer.
- Drag Image from Product line images table to Image field area.
KPI Slicer
Here we will be discussing a KPI slicer to slice the report page data and show the results for the KPI selected.
To create a KPI Slicer:
- Click Slicer visual type in Visualizations pane.
- Drag KPIs > KPI to the Field area.
- Click on Paint Roller Icon to access Format
- In the Visual Section, open the Slicer Settings and set Orientation > Horizontal, Slicer Header > Off.
- In the general Section, open effects Settings and set Background > Off.
- Drag to adjust the values.
Notice the slicers in Power BI are auto responsive to the size.
Notice that the visuals will update with the value of the KPI Selected.
A slicer for the KPI has been created.
Slicing based on Data Type
Slicers and Filters provide slicing options based on the data type. The infographics below enlists the filtering options based on the data type.
Best Practices
- Use filters to analyze and understand data.
- Configure visual level filter, page level filters and report level filters to control the user interaction.
- Turn on the search field for text-based slicers.
- Use grids to distribute elements on the canvas.
- Hide the fields and filters used for development as it might confuse a user.
Conclusion:
FAQs
Yes! You can use the “Sync Slicers” pane to apply a slicer across multiple report pages — keeping your filters consistent across tabs.
Yes! Using custom visuals like the Chiclet Slicer, you can filter using images, logos, or styled buttons, making the report more engaging and intuitive.
Too many slicers, especially on large datasets, can slow down report performance. To optimize:
- Avoid excessive slicers
- Use drop-down style slicers for space-saving
- Use filters when user interaction isn’t required
Further Learning and Resources
For more detailed learning and advanced Power BI training, enroll in
- Power BI Advanced Training Course.
- Power BI Report Design
- Power BI Essentials
- Power BI DAX Essentials
- Power BI Service Course
Here you can find detailed courses and resources aimed at helping you improve your Power BI skills and advance your reporting capabilities.