Add slicers and configure the filter pane to let users explore data interactively
Slicers and filters are what make Power BI reports interactive. A slicer is a visual on the canvas that the user clicks to filter data. The Filters pane is a panel where filters are applied without a slicer visual. Together they give users control over what they see without changing the underlying data.
Understanding the four filter levels in Power BI is important: Visual filters (affect one visual), Page filters (affect all visuals on a page), Report filters (affect all pages), and Drillthrough filters (activated when drilling through).
Example
Slicer types and configuration
ADD A SLICER:
Insert → Slicer OR Select Slicer icon in Visualisations pane
Drag a column into the Field well (e.g., Region, Year, Category)
SLICER TYPES (change in Format pane → Slicer settings):
List → shows all values as checkboxes (default)
Dropdown → compact, shows one selection at a time
Between → for date or number ranges (slider)
Before/After→ date filtering
Tiles → button-style (looks clean in dashboards)
MULTI-SELECT vs SINGLE-SELECT:
Multi-select: user can pick multiple values (default)
Single: Format pane → Selection → Single select = On
DATE SLICER:
Drag a Date column → auto-becomes a Between slicer
User picks start and end date
SYNC SLICERS (apply one slicer across multiple pages):
View → Sync Slicers
Check which pages the slicer applies to
CLEAR ALL SLICERS BUTTON:
Insert → Buttons → Reset
Configure Action to reset all slicers on click
Key Points
✓Slicers filter all visuals on the same page by default (can be changed via Edit Interactions)
✓Use the Filters pane for filters that report consumers should not see or change
✓Edit Interactions (Format tab) lets you control which visuals a slicer affects
✓Date range slicers automatically handle partial month/year selections
✓Sync Slicers keeps the same slicer filter across multiple report pages
Practice Question
You want a Region filter that applies to all pages in a 5-page report. What is the most efficient way to do this?