Step-by-step: connect data, build charts, add slicers, and create your first complete report
Now that you understand the interface, Power Query, and data modelling basics — it is time to build your first report. This tutorial walks you through a complete report from scratch: connecting to data, setting up the model, and building an interactive sales dashboard.
A finished Power BI report page has three elements working together: visuals (charts, tables, cards), slicers (filters the user controls), and a layout (everything arranged to tell a story). Let us build all three.
Example
Build a Sales Dashboard step by step
STEP 1 — GET DATA
Home → Get Data → Excel Workbook
Select your sales file → Transform Data
In Power Query: verify data types → Close & Apply
STEP 2 — ADD A CARD VISUAL (Total Sales)
Click blank canvas area
Visualisations pane → Card icon (the number card)
From Fields pane: drag "Amount" column into the card
It shows sum automatically → rename: "Total Sales"
STEP 3 — ADD A BAR CHART (Sales by Region)
Click blank canvas → Bar chart icon
Axis field well: drag "Region"
Values field well: drag "Amount"
Power BI aggregates automatically → shows bars per region
STEP 4 — ADD A LINE CHART (Sales Over Time)
Click blank canvas → Line chart icon
X-axis: drag "Date" column
Y-axis: drag "Amount"
Power BI auto-creates year/month/day hierarchy
STEP 5 — ADD A SLICER (Filter by Category)
Insert → Slicer
Field: drag "Category"
Now clicking a category filters ALL other visuals
STEP 6 — FORMAT
Select each visual → Format pane (paint roller icon)
Add title, change colours, adjust font sizes
Report theme: View → Themes → choose a preset
💡 Slicers are the most powerful element — one slicer filters all visuals on the page automatically.
Key Points
✓Click blank canvas area before adding each visual — otherwise you edit the selected one
✓Drag fields from the Fields pane into visual field wells — or click a field to add it to the selected visual
✓Slicers filter all visuals on the page by default — no DAX needed