Inconsistent Parameter Behavior Between Report Builder and Power BI Desktop Paginated Visual

[ShahbazNawaz]

I'm experiencing inconsistent behavior when running a paginated report in different environments:

• When I run the report directly in Power BI Report Builder and use the "Select All" option for a multi-value parameter, the report correctly displays all available values in the output box (e.g., all profit centers or dates).

• However, when I publish this same report and run it inside Power BI Desktop using the Paginated Report visual, and I bind the parameter to a slicer (using "Allow slicer value to be passed as parameter"), the report output only shows the filtered values — not the full list as in Report Builder.

This causes a mismatch between expected behavior and actual output. Even when the slicer is set to "All," it respects a filter context rather than passing all possible parameter values as the "Select All" in Report Builder does.

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Expected Behavior:

• When I bind a slicer to the parameter in Power BI Desktop and select all options, the report should behave exactly as it does in Report Builder — i.e., it should return results as if "Select All" was used and show the full list.

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Current Behavior:

• Instead, Power BI Desktop seems to pass only the filtered subset of values selected in the slicer, not the full list. As a result, the report output differs.

[ShahbazNawaz]

another issue facing when I publish Paginated report in workspace and test this report in the workspace , there are total 10 parameter after selection of 7th parameter next 3 disable unable to select and report is not accessible in the workspace. whats the reason behind this . ? 

[ShahbazNawaz]

Thanks   @v-veshwara-msft @Nasif_Azam for your swift response. I have applied DAX on the slicer to get the same results. 

[v-veshwara-msft]

Hi @ShahbazNawaz ,

Thanks for posting in Microsoft Fabric Community.
Just checking in to see if the information provided by @Nasif_Azam  helped resolve your issue. Thank you @Nasif_Azam  for sharing the detailed explanation.

Let us know if you still need any further assistance.

[Nasif_Azam · Accepted solution]

Hey @ShahbazNawaz ,

The slicer selection is always affected by the Power BI filter context. Even "All" in a slicer means “all values currently in scope,” not “all values in the underlying dataset.” This difference is expected because the "Select All" behavior in Power BI Report Builder is not the same as when you bind a slicer to a paginated report parameter inside Power BI Desktop.

• Report Builder: Clicking Select All truly passes all available parameter values to the report query, which means the dataset gets the full unfiltered list.

• Paginated Report visual: When you connect a slicer to a parameter, Power BI does not send a special “Select All” flag. Instead, it passes the actual items visible in the slicer’s current filter context which may already be filtered by other visuals or report-level filters. If "All" is selected in the slicer, Power BI sends only the currently visible values, not the full list from the dataset.

Options to make behavior consistent:

1. Don’t bind slicers directly to parameters: Leave the parameter unbound in the visual so the paginated report controls it natively.

2. Pass a default “All” flag: Add a parameter value like "All" in your paginated report, and in your dataset query handle it with logic that ignores filtering when "All" is passed.

3. Use a DAX table for the slicer source: Contains all possible values and isn’t filtered by the rest of the report, so selecting “All” truly sends every value.

4. Adjust dataset queries in the paginated report: Detect when the slicer selection count = total distinct values and treat that as “Select All.”

For Detailed Information:

Use parameters in paginated reports (Microsoft Learn)

Bind Power BI report slicers to paginated report parameters (Microsoft Learn)

Tips for designing multi-value parameters in paginated reports (Microsoft Learn)

If you found this solution helpful, please consider accepting it and giving it a kudos (Like) it’s greatly appreciated and helps others find the solution more easily.

Best Regards,
Nasif Azam