Problem Statement
When navigating between bookmarks in Power BI, slicer selections reset by default. This means users must reselect their desired slicer values every time they switch bookmarks. For instance, if a user wants to view sales for the "Office Supplies" category across different bookmarks, they need to repeatedly select "Office Supplies" in the slicer, which disrupts the user experience.
In this blog, we will explore how to retain slicer selections between different bookmarks using the "Selected Visuals" option in Power BI.
Scenario Setup
We have a Power BI report page displaying a table visual that shows Sales Amount, categorized by Product Category and Product Name. The page also includes:
- Two slicers: Category and Date
- One card visual: Displays the total sales amount
- Four navigation buttons: Used to switch between different bookmarks
Each button corresponds to a different bookmark that applies a specific filter condition based on Sales Amount:
- Sales < 100
- Sales between 100 and 1000
- Sales > 1000
- No filter (shows all data)
Additionally, Conditional Formatting is applied to the table:
- Sales < 100 → Background color: Blue
- Sales between 100 and 1000 → Background color: Pink
- Sales > 1000 → Background color: Green
- No filter applied → Background color: White
The Issue
By default, when switching between bookmarks, the slicer selection resets. For example, if a user selects "Office Supplies" in the Category Slicer, then switches between bookmarks, they need to reselect "Office Supplies" each time.
The Solution: Using "Selected Visuals" in Bookmarks
To retain the slicer selection across different bookmarks, we need to modify the bookmarks using the "Selected Visuals" option. This ensures that only specific visuals are updated when switching bookmarks, rather than the entire page.
Steps to Retain Slicer Selection
- Open the Bookmarks Pane in Power BI.
- Click on the ellipsis (…) next to the desired bookmark.
- Select "Selected Visuals" (instead of the default "All Visuals").
- Repeat this step for all the bookmarks.
- Close the Bookmarks Pane.
Verifying the Solution
Select a Category (e.g., "Office Supplies") from the Category Slicer.
Choose a Date Range from the Date Slicer.
Use the navigation buttons to switch between bookmarks:
- Bookmark: Sales < 100
- Bookmark: Sales between 100 and 1000
- Bookmark: Sales > 1000
- Bookmark: No filter
Notice that the slicer selections remain unchanged while switching bookmarks.
Conclusion
By enabling the "Selected Visuals" option in bookmarks, we can ensure that slicer selections persist across different bookmarks. This significantly improves the user experience by eliminating the need for repeated slicer selections, making navigation seamless and efficient in Power BI.
This simple yet powerful technique enhances interactivity and usability, ensuring that users can analyze data more effectively without disruptions. Try implementing it in your Power BI reports and see the difference!
Regards
Anmol Malviya
Sr. Data Analyst | Addend Analytics
Super User