Forum Discussion
How to Set a Default Sort Order for All Users in a Power BI App?
Hi everyone,
I’ve published a Power BI report to the Power BI Service and converted it into an app so I can share it with my colleagues. One colleague suggested that it would be more user-friendly if one of the tables always defaulted to being sorted by a specific column.
In other words, even if someone works with the table, applies different filters, and then closes the app, the next time they open it, the table should not retain the last applied filter. Instead, it should revert to a predefined default sort order based on that specific column.
I know every user can save their preferred filter by creating personal bookmarks, but is there any other way that I, as an administrator, could ensure that this default sort order is applied for all users?
You can’t enforce a universal “reset” sort order in the Power BI Service beyond what you define in the published report. The way to make sure all users see the same default sort order is to set it up in Power BI Desktop and publish with that configuration:
Set the sort order in Desktop
Open your report in Power BI Desktop.
Select the table or matrix visual.
Use Sort by Column to define the default sort order you want.
Save and publish the report. This becomes the baseline view for everyone.
Use a default bookmark
Create a bookmark that captures the desired state (including sort order and filters).
Set this bookmark as the default view when publishing the app.
When users open the app, it will always load in that predefined state.
Understand user behavior
Users can still create personal bookmarks, but those only affect their own view.
There’s no admin-level override to force a reset every time; the published report and its default bookmark are the only mechanisms available.
In short: define the sort order in Power BI Desktop, publish with a default bookmark, and that will be the default for all users. If someone changes filters or sorts during a session, closing and reopening the app will bring them back to the default view you set unless they’ve saved a personal bookmark.
This matches Microsoft’s guidance: the default sort order must be defined in the report itself (via Sort by Column and/or a default bookmark), and there is no separate administrator setting in the Power BI Service to enforce it globally.
Microsoft documentation
Sort visuals in Power BI (explains how to set a default sort order in Desktop): Sort one column by another column in Power BI
Bookmarks in Power BI (covers how bookmarks capture filters, slicers, and sort order, and how to set a default view):Create report bookmarks in Power BI to share insights and build stories
Publish an app in Power BI (explains how the published app uses the report’s default view): Publish an App in Power BI
Together, these pages confirm that the only way to enforce a default sort order for all users is to configure it in Power BI Desktop and/or set a default bookmark before publishing the app. There is no separate administrator setting in the Service to override user changes globally.
7 Replies
- cengizhanarslan
Super User
Set the default sort in Power BI Desktop
This is the only reliable, admin-controlled way.
Open the report in Power BI Desktop
Select the table visual
Click the column header you want as the default
Set Sort ascending / descending
Save
Publish
Update the App
Result:
Every user opening the app starts with that sort
Filters/sorts are not persisted between sessions
Closing and reopening the app resets to this default
Thanks a lot for the effort and for taking the time to help me out.
Your solution provided a solid starting point for me to work through the issue.
- Olufemi7
You can’t enforce a universal “reset” sort order in the Power BI Service beyond what you define in the published report. The way to make sure all users see the same default sort order is to set it up in Power BI Desktop and publish with that configuration:
Set the sort order in Desktop
Open your report in Power BI Desktop.
Select the table or matrix visual.
Use Sort by Column to define the default sort order you want.
Save and publish the report. This becomes the baseline view for everyone.
Use a default bookmark
Create a bookmark that captures the desired state (including sort order and filters).
Set this bookmark as the default view when publishing the app.
When users open the app, it will always load in that predefined state.
Understand user behavior
Users can still create personal bookmarks, but those only affect their own view.
There’s no admin-level override to force a reset every time; the published report and its default bookmark are the only mechanisms available.
In short: define the sort order in Power BI Desktop, publish with a default bookmark, and that will be the default for all users. If someone changes filters or sorts during a session, closing and reopening the app will bring them back to the default view you set unless they’ve saved a personal bookmark.
This matches Microsoft’s guidance: the default sort order must be defined in the report itself (via Sort by Column and/or a default bookmark), and there is no separate administrator setting in the Power BI Service to enforce it globally.
Microsoft documentation
Sort visuals in Power BI (explains how to set a default sort order in Desktop): Sort one column by another column in Power BI
Bookmarks in Power BI (covers how bookmarks capture filters, slicers, and sort order, and how to set a default view):Create report bookmarks in Power BI to share insights and build stories
Publish an app in Power BI (explains how the published app uses the report’s default view): Publish an App in Power BI
Together, these pages confirm that the only way to enforce a default sort order for all users is to configure it in Power BI Desktop and/or set a default bookmark before publishing the app. There is no separate administrator setting in the Service to override user changes globally.
Hi Olufemi7
Thank you so much for taking your time to write this detailed and helpful instruction.
I had a few struggles with the bookmark.
For my specific use case, it feels a bit inconvenient since I cannot bookmark individual visualizations and slicers. This leads to issues such as resetting the time slicer to its original date and having to update the bookmark every now and then.Aside from that, I am quiet satisfied with the solution. So again, thanks a lot for helping out!
Hi effi_go,
I would also take a moment to thank Olufemi7 , cengizhanarslan, tayloramy for actively participating in the community forum and for the solutions you’ve been sharing in the community forum. Your contributions make a real difference.
I wanted to check if you had the opportunity to review the information provided. Please feel free to contact us if you have any further questions.
Regards,
Community Support Team.
