Sticky Filters

[wsgr_BI]

Hello,

I know we can filter through the slicers and we can filter through tables but through tables it is only for exploration. If you have 2 tables and you click on 1 then it will filter on the 2nd one, now if you click on the 2nd one then it re-assembles the filter on first table which is annoying. One workaround is to CTRL click the first table then it works but users don't want to CTRL click.

My question is : Is there a way,  I can make my table behave the same way as the slicer?

[Murtaza_Ghafoor · Accepted solution]

@wsgr_BI 

This behavior is built into Power BI’s cross-filter interaction model, which is why users often need Ctrl + click to select multiple values.

You can control this through edit interaction option.
for example

Steps:

Select Table 1

Go to Format → Edit Interactions

Choose Filter or None for other visuals.

However, this does not make it behave like a slicer, it only controls which visuals are filtered.

Proposed Solution:

Replace the table with a formatted slicer

Use horizontal or tile slicers

Make them visually similar to tables

This gives users the same filtering experience without needing CTRL click.

If this helps, ✓ Mark as Kudos | Mark as Solution| Help Others

[v-sgandrathi]

Hi @wsgr_BI,

Following up to check whether you got a chance to review the suggestions given. If the issue still persists please let us know. Glad to help.

Thankyou.

[v-priyankata]

Hi @wsgr_BI 

Thank you for reaching out to the Microsoft Fabric Forum Community.

@Murtaza_Ghafoor @cengizhanarslan @danextian Thanks for the inputs.

The users are right, this is just how Power BI works today, so tables can’t behave like slicers.

Since your requirement makes sense from a usability point of view, you might consider raising it in the Ideas forum so the product team can evaluate it. Fabric Ideas - Microsoft Fabric Community.

Thanks.

[danextian · Accepted solution]

What you’re trying to achieve isn’t currently possible. Unlike slicers, the other visuals in Power BI do not retain previous selections when you click from one data point to another; the new selection simply replaces the previous one unless the Ctrl key is used to create a multi-select. Because of this behavior, there’s no built-in way to persist multiple selections across regular visuals through simple clicks alone. The practical options are either to introduce additional slicers to control the filtering more explicitly, or to communicate to report users that this is a current limitation of the tool and that there isn’t an alternative method available to change this interaction behavior.

[cengizhanarslan]

Not really, tables and slicers behave differently in Power BI by design. When you click a row in a table or chart, Power BI applies a temporary selection filter. If you then click another visual, the previous selection is replaced unless you Ctrl-click to keep multiple selections. This interaction model is meant for quick exploration. A slicer, on the other hand, creates a persistent filter context, which is why selections stay applied until the user clears them.

[Murtaza_Ghafoor · Accepted solution]

@wsgr_BI 

This behavior is built into Power BI’s cross-filter interaction model, which is why users often need Ctrl + click to select multiple values.

You can control this through edit interaction option.
for example

Steps:

Select Table 1

Go to Format → Edit Interactions

Choose Filter or None for other visuals.

However, this does not make it behave like a slicer, it only controls which visuals are filtered.

Proposed Solution:

Replace the table with a formatted slicer

Use horizontal or tile slicers

Make them visually similar to tables

This gives users the same filtering experience without needing CTRL click.

If this helps, ✓ Mark as Kudos | Mark as Solution| Help Others