Power BI Filters Explained: Visual, Page & Report-Level

1. Power BI: Filters Explained Visual, Page & Report-Level https://www.bensound.com/ (energy) https://www.bensound.com/

2. A Practical, Beginner-Friendly Guide Understanding Power BI Filters Filters shape what appears in your visuals Three levels: Visual, Page, Report Each level controls a different part of your report

3. Why Filters Matter • Focus your visuals • Keep pages consistent • Apply report‑wide rules • Protect data • Personalise the user experience • Filters = your report’s scope. • Knowing the scopes helps you build clear, focused dashboards

4. Power BI Filter Scopes • Power BI gives you three levels of filtering: • Visual level – affects one visual • Page level – affects all visuals on a page • Report level – affects every page in the report • Each level controls a different part of your report, helping you keep your dashboard clear and purposeful.

5. 1. Visual-Level Filters • Scope: One visual only • Best for: • Highlighting or isolating a single chart or card • Controls only one visual at a time • Perfect for showing a clear, focused message without affecting rest of the page • How it works:Select the visual → open the Filters pane → apply your filterOnly that visual changes.

6. 1. Visual-Level Filters Example You’re working on your Revenue dashboard.Filter one donut chart to the Top 3 Products Leave all other visuals showing Total Revenue

7. 1. Visual-Level Filters A visual‑level filter focuses a single chart without impacting any other visuals.

8. When to Use Visual‑Level Filters • Create comparison visuals (e.g., Online vs In‑Store) • Highlight a specific product, region, or category • Show Top N or Bottom N lists • Filter a KPI card to one metric segment • Build “spotlight” visuals that draw attention • Visual‑level filters are ideal for showing how a single visual changes without affecting the rest of the page.

9. 2. Page‑Level Filters Scope: Every visual on a single page Best for: Themed pages, consistent filtering, reducing repetitive work How they work: Apply a filter at the page level → all visuals on that page update → other pages stay unchanged

10. 2. Page‑Level Filters Example On the Expense page, Advertising & Marketing is rising. You want every visual to focus on that category, so you apply a page‑level filter: Expense Type = Advertising & Marketing.

11. 2. Page‑Level Filters All visuals on that page update together, while your P&L and Revenue pages stay the same.

12. When to Use Page‑Level Filters • Create year‑specific or region‑specific pages • Keep multiple visuals consistent • Reduce repetitive filtering • Restrict sensitive data on a single page • Build themed “topic pages” such as: • Customer Overview • Returns & Issues • Product Performance • Page‑level filters help beginners see how one filter can control an entire page

13. 3. Report-Level Filters • Scope: Every page in the entire report • Best for: Global rules, client‑specific filtering, security • Apply once → every page and visual inherits the filter • How it works: Keeps the whole report consistent unless a page overrides it

14. 3. Report-Level Filters • Example • To review end‑of‑quarter performance, you want all pages (P&L, Expense, Revenue) to show only July, August, and September. • Apply a report‑level filter: Month = July, August, September so the entire report stays consistent.

15. 3. Report-Level Filters Page 1 All pages now display just those three months for a consistent report.

16. 3. Report-Level Filters Page 2 All pages now display just those three months for a consistent report.

17. 3. Report-Level Filters Page 3 All pages now display just those three months for a consistent report.

18. When to Use Report‑Level Filters • Client‑specific or department‑specific reports • Applying global rules (e.g., Country = “UK”) • Keeping filtering consistent across all pages • Reducing risk of accidental data exposure • Creating template reports for different audiences • Report‑level filters apply across the entire report and help keep sensitive data out of view.

19. Choosing the Right Filter Level: A Quick Comparison

20. Optional – Filter Pane Visibility Why hide the filter pane? When you publish or share a report, viewers don’t need to see the filter pane unless you want them to interact with it. How it works? In View mode, you can hide the filter pane, so your audience focuses only on the visuals, not the setup behind them. Why it helps? This keeps the page clean and avoids confusion for users who aren’t familiar with Power BI’s filtering options

21. Power BI filters are simple once you understand the three levels. Visual, Page, and Report filters each control a different part of your report and using them together keeps everything clear and consistent. Start small, practice each type, and you’ll build organised, accurate, beginner‑friendly reports.

22. Credit: elle.harrison@selectdistinct.co.uk Want to explore more? Visit our Power BI Glossary or Business Analytics Blog