Synced slicer persists unauthorized selection across pages with RLS enabled

[Asif_Ahmad_Shah]

I have a Power BI report with multiple pages where slicers are synced across pages to maintain navigation context (Country → Team → Report Options). Row-Level Security (RLS) is applied so that different roles see different options—for example, Finance users can see “Admin” while Sales users can only see “Home” and “Contact.”

The issue occurs when a user selects “Admin” on one page (where it is visible) and then navigates to another page where, due to RLS, “Admin” should not be available. However, because the slicers are synced, “Admin” still appears as a selected value on the second page, even though it is not part of the allowed dataset. While clicking it does not return data, the option should not be visible at all. I need a way to prevent invalid slicer selections from persisting across pages while keeping slicer sync enabled.

[Asif_Ahmad_Shah · Accepted solution]

I resolved the issue by replacing slicer-based navigation with a button + bookmark approach. I created two buttons (Finance and Sales) and configured bookmarks to capture the correct page state along with the desired default slicer selection. When a user clicks a button, it navigates to the respective page and resets the slicer to a valid default value, ensuring no invalid or previously selected options (like Admin) are carried over.

[v-shchada-msft]

Hello @Asif_Ahmad_Shah,

We appreciate your effort and are glad to hear that your issue has been resolved. Your update will also help other community members address similar issues more efficiently.
Thank you.

[v-shchada-msft]

Hi  @Asif_Ahmad_Shah ,

Could you please confirm if the issue has been resolved based on the provided solutions. This will help us mark the thread accordingly and assist others with similar questions.

Thank you.

[v-shchada-msft]

Hello @Asif_Ahmad_Shah,
Thank you for posting your query in the Microsoft Fabric Community Forum.

I implemented this using a disconnected slicer approach instead of relying only on RLS. First, I created a separate slicer table using SlicerOptions = DISTINCT(YourTable[Option]) so that slicer values are independent of the main data model. Then I created a UserAccess table to map each user to the options they are allowed to see.

Next, I created a visibility measure (IsOptionVisible) that evaluates each slicer value and checks whether it exists in the allowed options from the UserAccess table filtered by the current user using USERPRINCIPALNAME(). If the option is allowed, it returns 1; otherwise, it returns 0. I applied this measure as a visual-level filter on the slicer (IsOptionVisible = 1), ensuring that only authorized values are displayed.

Additionally, I configured Row-Level Security (RLS) on the UserAccess table using UserAccess[User] = USERPRINCIPALNAME() to enforce user-level security.

With this setup, unauthorized values like “Admin” are completely hidden from the slicer (instead of showing blank results), and synced slicers no longer retain invalid selections across pages. This ensures both correct UI behavior and proper security handling.

Output Screenshots for your reference:

Best Regards,
Shivani Chada

[Asif_Ahmad_Shah]

I tried doing this solution. But still the unauthorized selected values retain across pages .

[danextian]

This is expected behavior when using synced slicers in Power BI. Slicers preserve the user’s selection across pages, and that selection isn’t overridden by Row-Level Security when navigating between pages. In your scenario, even though RLS restricts certain values (like “Admin”) on specific pages, the slicer still retains the previously selected value because sync maintains state, not visibility logic. In short, synced slicers carry over the selection itself, and RLS only affects the data returned, not the slicer’s persisted state.

I would instead just a use conditional warning text to that page, telling the users Admin is restricted and should select other options.

[Kedar_Pande]

Known limitation - synced slicers retain invalid selections across pages despite RLS.

Fix:
Report settings → Persistent filters OFF + Personalize visuals OFF

Slicer auto-resets to valid RLS values on page load. Single-select slicers pick first available option automatically.

[Asif_Ahmad_Shah]

Thanks, I tried disabling persistent filters and personalize visuals. It helps with saved state, but the slicer still retains invalid selections when navigating between pages with synced slicers. Looking for a solution that fully prevents unauthorized values from appearing under RLS.

[Odet_Maimoni]

Have you tried applying a filter on the slicers so they only show values that are relevant to the data? That might resolve the issue you’re describing.

I also have a short video where I show how to implement this: https://youtube.com/shorts/jAGC5RO_oM8?si=IEi32BhyG-mVm7y