Forum Discussion
Paginated Report - StartDate Default Value Not Refreshing When ContractYear Changes
Hi Everyone,
I'm facing an issue with a Power BI Paginated Report and would appreciate any guidance.
I have two report parameters:
ContractYear (Dropdown parameter)
StartDate (Date/Time parameter)
My requirement is for StartDate to automatically default to July 1 of the previous Contract Year.
For example:
- ContractYear = 2025 → StartDate = 07/01/2024
- ContractYear = 2026 → StartDate = 07/01/2025
What I've tried:
- Expression-based default value for StartDate:
=DateSerial(CInt(Parameters!ContractYear.Value) - 1, 7, 1)
Also tried:
=DateValue("07/01/" & CStr(CInt(Parameters!ContractYear.Value) - 1))
- Dataset-based default value:
I created a separate dataset that returns the StartDate based on the selected ContractYear and mapped the dataset parameter to:
=Parameters!ContractYear.Value
I then configured the StartDate parameter as follows:
Default Values → Get values from a query
Dataset → dsStartDate
Value Field → StartDate
Parameter order is:
- ContractYear
- StartDate
Issue:
The default value is populated correctly when the report initially loads.
Example:
- Open report
- ContractYear = 2025
- StartDate defaults to 07/01/2024
However, when I change ContractYear:
- Change ContractYear to 2026
- Expected StartDate = 07/01/2025
- Actual StartDate remains 07/01/2024
The StartDate default value does not refresh based on the new ContractYear selection.
Questions:
- Is this expected behavior in Power BI Paginated Reports / SSRS?
- Do dependent parameter default values automatically re-evaluate when a parent parameter changes?
- Is there a recommended approach for creating a cascading Date parameter whose default value depends on another parameter?
- Has anyone successfully implemented dynamic StartDate and EndDate parameters that automatically refresh when ContractYear changes?
Any suggestions, best practices, or workarounds would be greatly appreciated.
Thank you!
- Dataset-based default value:
- Expression-based default value for StartDate:
This is expected behavior in Paginated Reports and SSRS. A parameter's Default Values expression only fires when the parameter has no current value, which usually means the very first load, or when Available Values change and the previously held value is no longer valid. Once StartDate has a value from your initial defaulting, changing ContractYear on its own will not re-run the default expression.
The reliable fix is to set StartDate's Available Values (not just Default Values) to a query dataset that takes ContractYear as its input. When ContractYear changes, that Available Values query re-executes, the previously held StartDate is no longer in the list, so the parameter is reset and the default expression fires again with the new ContractYear.
If StartDate must remain a free date picker with no restricted list, the common workaround is to split it into two parameters: a hidden internal one that always evaluates from ContractYear, and a user-facing override that starts empty, and then use the internal value in your datasets whenever the override is blank.
If this helped, please give a thumbs up and mark it as the accepted solution.
Thanks,
Shai KarmaniThis is expected behaviour in SSRS/Power BI Paginated Reports—dependent parameter default values are evaluated only when the report initialises and do not automatically refresh when a parent parameter changes.
4 Replies
This is expected behavior in Paginated Reports and SSRS. A parameter's Default Values expression only fires when the parameter has no current value, which usually means the very first load, or when Available Values change and the previously held value is no longer valid. Once StartDate has a value from your initial defaulting, changing ContractYear on its own will not re-run the default expression.
The reliable fix is to set StartDate's Available Values (not just Default Values) to a query dataset that takes ContractYear as its input. When ContractYear changes, that Available Values query re-executes, the previously held StartDate is no longer in the list, so the parameter is reset and the default expression fires again with the new ContractYear.
If StartDate must remain a free date picker with no restricted list, the common workaround is to split it into two parameters: a hidden internal one that always evaluates from ContractYear, and a user-facing override that starts empty, and then use the internal value in your datasets whenever the override is blank.
If this helped, please give a thumbs up and mark it as the accepted solution.
Thanks,
Shai KarmaniThis is expected behaviour in SSRS/Power BI Paginated Reports—dependent parameter default values are evaluated only when the report initialises and do not automatically refresh when a parent parameter changes.
Thankyou Shahid12523 , Shai_Karmani for Addressing the issue.
Hi Ashok038 ,Thank you for reaching out to Microsoft Fabric Community Forum,
As we haven’t heard back from you, we wanted to kindly follow up to check if the solution provided for the issue worked? or Let us know if you need any further assistance?
Regards,
Chaithanya
Thankyou @Shahid12523 , @Shai_Karmani for Addressing the issue.
Hi @Ashok038 ,Thank you for reaching out to Microsoft Fabric Community Forum,
As we haven’t heard back from you, we wanted to kindly follow up to check if the solution provided for the issue worked? or Let us know if you need any further assistance?
Regards,
Chaithanya
