What Are Bookmarks in Power BI?
Bookmarks in Power BI are a versatile tool that can greatly enhance the interactivity and user experience of your reports. By capturing the current state of a report page—including visuals, filters, slicers, sort order, and visibility—bookmarks in Power BI allow you to create guided narratives, enable intuitive navigation, and provide users with the ability to return to specific report views.
This comprehensive guide walks you through creating and formatting bookmarks effectively, ensuring your reports are both polished and user-friendly.
Step 1: Prepare Your Report Page
Start by opening your Power BI report in either Desktop or Service.
Navigate to the page you want to bookmark and set up all visuals, slicers, filters, drill-downs, and sort orders to match the exact view you want to capture.
This initial setup is crucial, as the bookmark will record the current configuration of the page.
Step 2: Open the Bookmarks and Selection Panes
Go to the View tab and enable the Bookmarks pane, which will display a sidebar for managing bookmarks.
Also, open the Selection pane if you plan to control the visibility of specific visuals as part of your bookmark setup. The Selection pane is especially useful for showing or hiding visuals and layering elements for more dynamic bookmarks.
Step 3: Customize Visual Visibility (Optional)
Within the Selection pane, you can selectively hide or display visuals and layers.
For example, you might choose to hide a detailed table while showing a summary chart, depending on the story you want to tell with your bookmark. This step allows you to craft highly customized views that align with your report’s narrative.
Step 4: Add and Name Your Bookmark
In the Bookmarks pane, click ‘Add’ to create a new bookmark, which will capture the current state of the page.
Immediately rename the bookmark to something meaningful, such as “Dashboard Overview” or “Reset Filters,” so that users can easily understand its purpose. If your report contains multiple pages, verify that the bookmark points to the correct one.
Step 5: Configure Bookmark Settings
Using the ellipsis (three dots) beside the bookmark, access the Settings menu. Here, you can fine-tune what the bookmark captures:
- Data: Records slicers, filters, and the data state.
- Display: Captures the visibility of visuals you managed in the Selection pane.
- Current Page: Ensures the bookmark directs users to a specific page.
Carefully adjust these options to match the intended behavior. For example, you might disable “Data” if you want the bookmark to only change which visuals are visible, not the underlying filters.
Step 6: Test Your Bookmarks
Click each bookmark to verify that it restores the page to the desired state, including all filters, visible elements, and navigation. Testing ensures that users will have a seamless experience.
Step 7: Create Additional Bookmarks for Navigation
Repeat the process for other important report states, such as “Product Drill-down,” “Regional Comparison,” or “Reset Filters.” Consistent naming and settings across bookmarks help users navigate your report with ease.
Step 8: Add Buttons or Visuals for Navigation
From the Insert ribbon, add a Button or Image to your report, labeling it appropriately (e.g., “Go to Overview” or “Reset”). In the formatting options, enable ‘Action,’ set the type to Bookmark, and select the appropriate bookmark. Style these elements to match your report’s theme for a cohesive appearance.
Step 9: Organize Bookmarks into Groups
Within the Bookmarks pane, use the Group (folder) feature to organize related bookmarks. For example, you might have groups for “Navigation Buttons” or “Deep Dive Views.” This keeps your bookmarks organized, especially in complex reports.
Step 10: Preview the User Experience
Switch to Reading or Presentation mode in Power BI Service to test the report as an end user. Interact with navigation buttons and bookmarks to ensure they perform as expected across different devices and screen sizes.
Step 11: Best Practices for Professional Bookmarks
- Use concise, descriptive names for bookmarks and buttons.
- Keep button styles consistent with your report’s theme.
- Provide alt text and tooltips for accessibility.
- Document each bookmark’s function, either with notes or tooltips.
- Regularly review bookmarks after changes to the data model.
- Include a “Reset Filters” bookmark for user convenience.
Conclusion
By mastering bookmarks in Power BI, you transform static dashboards into dynamic, interactive experiences. Thoughtful bookmark design guides users through data stories, streamlines navigation, and empowers stakeholders to explore insights confidently. Following these steps ensures your bookmarks are functional, visually aligned, and contribute to a seamless analytical journey.
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