Dashboards & Reports

Building individual visuals is only part of the story. This chapter focuses on assembling those visuals into polished, professional reports and dashboards. You will learn layout design, theming, tooltips, mobile optimization, and the full publishing and sharing workflow in Power BI Service.

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Reports vs Dashboards

Power BI uses the terms "report" and "dashboard" to mean very specific things. Understanding the distinction is critical.

Key Differences

Feature	Report	Dashboard
Created in	Power BI Desktop (or Service)	Power BI Service only
Pages	Multiple pages	Single page (single canvas)
Content source	One dataset	Tiles pinned from multiple reports and datasets
Interactivity	Full: slicers, drillthrough, drill down, cross-filter	Limited: click a tile to navigate to the source report
Editing	Rich editing in Desktop	Tile arrangement only in Service
Filtering	Filters pane, slicers, visual interactions	No Filters pane; limited tile-level filters
Underlying data	Connected to one data model	Aggregates tiles from various sources
Primary purpose	Detailed analysis and exploration	At-a-glance monitoring of KPIs across sources
Sharing	Share the report directly or via an app	Share the dashboard directly or via an app
Alerts	Not available	Set data-driven alerts on tiles (e.g., "alert me if revenue drops below $1M")
Q&A	Available in reports (insert Q&A visual)	Available from the dashboard top bar
Natural language query	Ask questions inside the report	Ask questions from the dashboard

When to Use Each

Scenario	Use
Detailed analysis for analysts	Report — multiple pages, full interactivity
Executive overview across business areas	Dashboard — pin KPI tiles from sales, finance, and HR reports
Interactive data exploration	Report — slicers, drillthrough, bookmarks
Quick status check on a phone	Dashboard — single page, large tiles
Scheduled alerts on thresholds	Dashboard — set alerts on number tiles
Storytelling with guided navigation	Report — bookmarks and page navigation

The Typical Workflow

1. Build a report in Power BI Desktop (data model, visuals, formatting).
2. Publish the report to Power BI Service.
3. In Service, pin key visuals from the report to a dashboard.
4. Optionally pin tiles from other reports to the same dashboard.
5. Share the dashboard and/or report with stakeholders.

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Report Design Principles

Layout Planning

Before placing visuals, plan your report layout on paper or a whiteboard:

1. Identify the audience. Executives need summaries; analysts need detail.
2. Define key questions. What questions should this page answer?
3. Sketch the layout. Draw boxes representing visuals and their approximate size and position.
4. Plan the page count. Each page should have a focused purpose (overview, detail, regional breakdown, etc.).
5. Define the navigation. How will users move between pages?

Eye Flow Patterns

Research on how people scan pages reveals two dominant patterns:

Z-Pattern (for summary pages):

	Left	Right
Top	KPI cards, title	Key chart
Bottom	Supporting chart	Table or secondary chart

The eye moves: top-left > top-right > bottom-left > bottom-right, forming a Z.

F-Pattern (for data-dense pages):

	Left	Center	Right
Top	Title bar and filters	—	—
Middle	Primary visual (wide)	—	—
Bottom	Secondary visuals (shorter, stacked)	—	—

The eye scans the top row fully, then moves down the left side with shorter scans to the right.

Best Practices for Layout

Practice	Description
Lead with the most important insight	Place the key metric or chart in the top-left area
Group related visuals	Place sales-related charts together, separate from cost charts
Use whitespace	Leave gaps between visual groups to reduce cognitive load
Align edges	Use alignment tools to create clean visual lines
Consistent sizing	Related visuals should be the same height or width
Limit visuals per page	Aim for 5-8 visuals maximum; more creates clutter
Include a title or header	A text box or image at the top identifies the page purpose
Add context	Include a "last refreshed" timestamp and data source note

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Page Layout Settings

Page Size

Power BI offers several preset page sizes and allows custom dimensions:

Preset	Dimensions (px)	Aspect Ratio	Use Case
16:9 (default)	1280 x 720	Widescreen	Most reports; presentations on modern screens
4:3	960 x 720	Standard	Older screens; printed reports
Letter	816 x 1056	8.5 x 11	Print-optimized reports (portrait)
Tooltip	320 x 240	Small	Custom tooltip pages
Custom	User-defined	User-defined	Special layouts (e.g., vertical scroll, poster)

How to change page size:

1. Click the canvas background (no visual selected).
2. In the Visualizations pane, click the Format icon (paint roller).
3. Expand Canvas settings (or Page size in older versions).
4. Select a preset or enter custom dimensions.

Page Background

Add a background color or image to the page:

1. In Format > Canvas background (or Page background):
   • Color — Select a fill color.
   • Transparency — Adjust opacity (0% = fully opaque, 100% = fully transparent).
   • Image — Upload an image file as the background.
   • Image fit — Choose Fit, Fill, or Normal.

Wallpaper

Wallpaper fills the area around the canvas (visible when the report is smaller than the browser window):

1. In Format > Wallpaper:
   • Color — Typically set to match or complement the page background.
   • Image — Optional wallpaper image.

Canvas Settings Best Practices

Practice	Rationale
Stick to 16:9 for most reports	Matches modern screens and presentation formats
Use light backgrounds (white or light gray)	High contrast for readability; looks professional
Avoid busy background images	They compete with data visuals for attention
Match wallpaper to page background	Seamless appearance when the report does not fill the entire browser window

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Themes

Themes control the default colors, fonts, and visual styles throughout a report. They are the single most impactful way to create a professional, branded appearance.

Built-In Themes

Power BI includes several built-in themes:

Theme	Style
Default	Power BI standard blue and gray palette
City park	Earthy greens and browns
Classroom	Warm reds and yellows
Color blind safe	Palette designed for color vision deficiency
Electric	Bright, high-contrast colors
High contrast	Black and white with accent colors for accessibility
Sunset	Warm oranges and reds
Twilight	Cool blues and purples

Applying a built-in theme:

1. Go to View > Themes.
2. Hover over theme thumbnails to preview.
3. Click to apply.

Importing a Custom JSON Theme

Custom themes are defined in JSON files that specify colors, fonts, and visual-level formatting defaults.

Steps:

1. Go to View > Themes > Browse for themes.
2. Select a .json theme file.
3. The theme is applied immediately.

Theme JSON Structure

A theme file contains the following key sections:

Section	Controls	Example
name	Theme name	"Corporate Theme"
dataColors	Array of hex color codes used for data series	["#1F77B4", "#FF7F0E", "#2CA02C", ...]
background	Default visual background color	"#FFFFFF"
foreground	Default text color	"#333333"
tableAccent	Accent color for tables and matrices	"#1F77B4"
textClasses	Font settings for title, header, label, callout	Font family, size, color
visualStyles	Default formatting for each visual type	Axis color, gridline style, legend position

Creating a Brand-Consistent Theme

Step-by-step process:

1. Gather brand assets: Obtain your organization's brand colors (primary, secondary, accent), approved fonts, and logo.
2. Map colors to data colors: Choose 6-10 colors that work well together and follow your brand.
3. Create the JSON file: Start with a template and customize the sections.
4. Test accessibility: Ensure sufficient contrast between colors and that the palette works for color-blind users.
5. Import and test: Apply the theme to your report and review every visual type.
6. Distribute: Share the JSON file with your team so all reports use the same theme.

Example Theme Configuration

Property	Corporate Value	Purpose
Primary color	#003366 (dark blue)	Main data series, titles
Secondary color	#0066CC (medium blue)	Second data series
Accent 1	#FF6600 (orange)	Highlights, callouts
Accent 2	#339933 (green)	Positive indicators
Accent 3	#CC3333 (red)	Negative indicators
Background	#F5F5F5 (light gray)	Visual backgrounds
Text color	#333333 (dark gray)	Body text
Font family	Segoe UI	All text elements

Theme Gallery Resources

Resource	Description
Power BI Theme Gallery (community)	Free community-submitted themes
Microsoft Theme Generator	Browser tool for creating themes visually
GitHub repositories	Open-source theme collections
Your organization's design team	Custom themes aligned with brand guidelines

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Report Pages

Adding and Managing Pages

Action	How
Add a new page	Click the + icon at the bottom of the canvas next to existing page tabs
Rename a page	Double-click the page tab and type a new name
Reorder pages	Drag page tabs left or right
Duplicate a page	Right-click the page tab > Duplicate page
Delete a page	Right-click the page tab > Delete page
Hide a page	Right-click the page tab > Hide page (hidden pages are still accessible via drillthrough or bookmarks)

Page Tooltips (Custom Tooltips on Hover)

Page tooltips replace the default tooltip that appears when hovering over a data point with a custom mini-report page.

Creating a tooltip page:

1. Add a new page.
2. Rename it (e.g., "Product Tooltip").
3. In the Format pane for the page, set Page information > Page type to Tooltip.
4. The page size automatically changes to 320 x 240 (you can adjust).
5. Design the tooltip page with small visuals (e.g., a mini chart, a few cards).

Assigning a tooltip to a visual:

1. Select a visual on your main page.
2. In the Format pane, go to Tooltip.
3. Set Type to Report page.
4. Select the tooltip page from the Page dropdown.
5. Now, hovering over data points in that visual shows the custom tooltip page.

Hidden Pages for Drillthrough

Some pages should only be accessible via drillthrough, not from the page tabs:

1. Create the drillthrough page and set up the drillthrough fields.
2. Right-click the page tab > Hide page.
3. The page tab shows a hidden icon, and users cannot navigate to it directly.
4. Users access the page only through right-click drillthrough from other visuals.

Page Navigation Strategies

Strategy	Implementation
Tab-based (default)	Users click page tabs at the bottom
Button-based	Create navigation buttons that link to specific pages
Bookmark-based	Use bookmarks to simulate multi-view pages
Drillthrough-based	Right-click navigation for detail pages
Hybrid	Use tabs for main sections, buttons for sub-navigation, drillthrough for detail

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Custom Tooltips

Custom tooltips are one of the most underused features in Power BI. They add a layer of detail on hover without requiring the user to navigate away from the current page.

Creating a Tooltip Page — Detailed Steps

1. Add a new page and name it descriptively (e.g., "Sales Tooltip").
2. Set page type:
   • Click the canvas background.
   • Format > Page information > Page type = Tooltip.
3. Set page size:
   • The default tooltip size is 320 x 240 pixels.
   • You can increase this, but keep it small — tooltips should be quick to scan.
   • Recommended maximum: 400 x 300 pixels.
4. Design the tooltip:
   • Add 2-4 small visuals (e.g., a KPI card, a sparkline, a mini bar chart).
   • Include the relevant dimension as a text box or card (e.g., "Product Name: [ProductName]").
   • Keep fonts small (8-10pt) to fit within the tooltip size.
5. Hide the page (right-click tab > Hide page) so it does not appear in navigation.

Assigning Tooltips to Visuals

1. Select the visual that should show the custom tooltip (e.g., a bar chart).
2. Open the Format pane.
3. Navigate to Tooltip.
4. Set Type to Report page.
5. In the Page dropdown, select your tooltip page.
6. Hover over data points in the visual to see the custom tooltip.

Dynamic Tooltips

Tooltip pages are filtered by the data point being hovered:

• If you hover over "Electronics" in a bar chart, the tooltip page filters to Electronics.
• This means your tooltip visuals automatically show data for the hovered item.
• You do not need to set up any special filtering — the filter context passes automatically.

Tooltip Design Tips

Tip	Rationale
Keep it small	Tooltips should be glanceable — 2-4 visuals maximum
Show complementary data	Do not repeat what the visual already shows; add new context
Use cards and sparklines	These work well at small sizes
Avoid slicers	Tooltips are not interactive — users cannot click elements within them
Test on different screen sizes	Tooltips should not extend beyond the report canvas

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Grouping and Layering

Grouping Visuals

Grouping lets you treat multiple visuals as a single unit for moving, resizing, and formatting.

How to group:

1. Select multiple visuals (hold Ctrl and click each one, or drag a selection box).
2. Right-click > Group > Group.
3. The visuals are now grouped — moving one moves all.

Ungrouping:

• Right-click the group > Group > Ungroup.

Nested groups:

• You can group existing groups into larger groups for complex layouts.

The Selection Pane

The Selection pane (View > Selection pane) is essential for managing complex report pages.

Feature	Description
Layer order	Visuals are listed in z-order. Drag to reorder (top of list = front).
Show/Hide	Click the eye icon to show or hide a visual. Hidden visuals are invisible in reading view.
Rename	Double-click a visual's name to rename it for clarity (e.g., "Revenue Bar Chart" instead of "BarChart1").
Lock	Click the lock icon to prevent accidental repositioning.
Tab order	In the Tab order view, set the order in which keyboard users tab through visuals (important for accessibility).

Layer Management Best Practices

Practice	Rationale
Name every visual descriptively	Makes the Selection pane usable for complex pages
Lock background shapes	Prevents accidentally moving decorative elements
Use z-order intentionally	Place background shapes at the bottom, interactive visuals on top
Set tab order for accessibility	Keyboard users should tab through visuals in a logical reading order

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Buttons and Images

Action Buttons

Power BI supports several button types for interactivity:

Button Type	Action	Common Use
Bookmark	Apply a saved bookmark	Toggle between views, reset filters
Page navigation	Navigate to a specific page	Custom navigation menus
Drillthrough	Trigger drillthrough to a detail page	Alternative to right-click drillthrough
Web URL	Open a URL in a new browser tab	Link to documentation, external tools
Back	Return to the previous page	Back button on drillthrough pages
Q&A	Open the Q&A dialog	Natural language queries
Blank	No default action	Assign via conditional formatting or measures

Creating a Button

1. Go to Insert > Buttons.
2. Select the button type.
3. Position and resize the button on the canvas.
4. In the Format pane:
   • Button > Style: Choose a preset style or customize.
   • Button > Text: Enter the button label.
   • Button > Action: Configure what happens on click.
   • Button > Fill: Set background color for default, hover, and pressed states.
   • Button > Outline: Set border color and width.

Button State Formatting

Buttons can look different in three states:

State	When Active	Customizable Properties
Default	Normal appearance	Fill, outline, text color, icon
Hover	Mouse is over the button	Fill, outline, text color, icon
Pressed	Mouse button is held down	Fill, outline, text color, icon
Disabled	Button action is unavailable	Fill, outline, text color, icon

Differentiating hover and default states gives users visual feedback that the button is interactive.

Images as Backgrounds

You can use images to create branded report backgrounds:

1. Go to Insert > Image.
2. Select an image file (PNG, JPG, SVG).
3. Position and resize the image.
4. In the Selection pane, move the image to the bottom of the z-order (behind all visuals).
5. Lock the image to prevent accidental repositioning.

Shapes for Containers

Use shapes to create visual groupings and containers:

1. Go to Insert > Shapes.
2. Select a rectangle.
3. Format it: light fill color (e.g., white with slight transparency), subtle border, rounded corners.
4. Position it behind a group of related visuals.
5. Move it to the bottom of the z-order (but above the background image).

This creates a card-like container effect that visually groups related visuals.

Text Boxes

Add text boxes for titles, descriptions, and annotations:

1. Go to Insert > Text box.
2. Type your text.
3. Format: font, size, color, bold/italic, alignment.
4. Text boxes support hyperlinks: select text > click the link icon > enter a URL.

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Bookmarks and Storytelling

Bookmark Types

Type	Scope	Purpose
Report bookmarks	Created by the report author	Available to all viewers; used for navigation, view toggling, guided stories
Personal bookmarks	Created by individual viewers in Service	Each user can save their own preferred view; not visible to others

Creating a Report Bookmark

1. Set the page to the desired state (slicer selections, visual visibility, etc.).
2. Go to View > Bookmarks pane.
3. Click Add.
4. Rename the bookmark (e.g., "Q3 2025 Overview").
5. Optionally right-click to configure properties (Data, Display, Current page, Selected visuals).

Bookmark Navigator

A bookmark navigator creates a button strip from your bookmarks:

1. Create several bookmarks (e.g., one per region: "North", "South", "East", "West").
2. Select all these bookmarks in the Bookmarks pane.
3. Go to Insert > Buttons > Navigator > Bookmark navigator.
4. A row of buttons appears, one per bookmark.
5. Clicking a button applies that bookmark's state.

Creating a Slideshow Experience

Use bookmarks to guide users through a story:

1. Create the first state (overview with all data).
2. Add a bookmark: "1. Overview".
3. Apply a slicer for Region = "West" and highlight key insights.
4. Add a bookmark: "2. West Region Deep Dive".
5. Navigate to a product detail page.
6. Add a bookmark: "3. Product Analysis".
7. Create navigation buttons ("Previous" / "Next") that move between bookmarks.

This creates a guided, presentation-like experience within the report.

Toggle Between Views

A common pattern is letting users switch between a chart view and a table view:

Step	Action
1	Place a bar chart and a table in the same position on the canvas
2	Select both visuals and check the Selection pane
3	Hide the table in the Selection pane
4	Create a bookmark "Chart View" (capture Display only)
5	Hide the chart, show the table
6	Create a bookmark "Table View" (capture Display only)
7	Add two buttons: "Show Chart" (action = Chart View bookmark) and "Show Table" (action = Table View bookmark)
8	Test the toggle behavior

Reset Slicers Bookmark

Create a bookmark that resets all slicers to their default (no selection) state:

1. Clear all slicer selections on the page.
2. Create a bookmark called "Reset Filters" with the Data property enabled.
3. Add a button labeled "Reset" with the action set to this bookmark.
4. Users click "Reset" to clear all filters and start fresh.

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Mobile Layout

Phone Layout View

Power BI allows you to create a separate layout optimized for mobile devices:

1. Go to View > Mobile layout.
2. A phone-sized canvas appears with a grid.
3. The Page visuals pane shows all visuals from the desktop layout.
4. Drag visuals onto the phone canvas.
5. Resize and rearrange for a vertical phone layout.

Designing for Mobile

Guideline	Rationale
Stack visuals vertically	Phone screens are tall and narrow
Use 1-2 visuals per row	Avoid side-by-side visuals on small screens
Increase font sizes	Small screens require larger text
Prioritize KPI cards at the top	Users check the most important numbers first
Use dropdown slicers	List slicers take too much space on mobile
Reduce visual count	Show 4-6 visuals maximum per mobile page
Test on actual devices	Preview in the Power BI Mobile app

Mobile Layout Best Practices

Area	Desktop Layout	Mobile Layout
KPI cards	Horizontal row across top	Vertical stack at top
Charts	Side by side	Stacked vertically
Tables	Wide tables with many columns	Reduce columns; use matrix with expand/collapse
Slicers	Multiple visible slicers	Single dropdown slicer or use filter icon
Navigation	Tab bar or button row	Swipe between pages

Testing in Power BI Mobile

1. Publish the report to Power BI Service.
2. Open the Power BI Mobile app on your phone or tablet.
3. Navigate to the workspace and open the report.
4. The app automatically uses the mobile layout if one is defined.
5. Test slicer interactions, drillthrough, and bookmarks.
6. If no mobile layout is defined, the app shows the desktop layout (which may not look good on small screens).

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Publishing to Power BI Service

Publish from Desktop

1. Save your report in Power BI Desktop.
2. Click Home > Publish.
3. Sign in with your Power BI account (if not already signed in).
4. Select the destination workspace:

Workspace Type	Who Can Publish	Who Can View
My workspace	Only you	Only you
Shared workspace	Members with appropriate role	Members, viewers, and app users

5. Click Select.
6. Power BI uploads the report and dataset to the Service.
7. A success dialog appears with a link to the report in the Service.

Overwriting Existing Reports

If a report with the same name exists in the workspace:

1. Power BI asks if you want to overwrite.
2. Click Replace to update the existing report.
3. The dataset is also updated.
4. Existing dashboard tiles pinned from this report continue to work with the updated data.

Managing Published Reports

In Power BI Service:

Action	How
View the report	Open the workspace > click the report name
View the dataset	Open the workspace > click the Datasets tab
Download the .pbix	File > Download the .pbix file (if enabled by admin)
Rename	Click the ellipsis (...) next to the report > Rename
Delete	Click the ellipsis > Delete
View lineage	Click Lineage view to see dataset-report-dashboard relationships
View usage metrics	Click the ellipsis > View usage metrics

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Creating Dashboards in Service

Dashboards are created exclusively in Power BI Service. They are single-page canvases of pinned tiles.

Pinning Visuals to a Dashboard

1. Open a report in Power BI Service.
2. Hover over a visual.
3. Click the pin icon that appears in the visual header.
4. Choose to pin to a new dashboard or an existing dashboard.
5. Name the dashboard (if new) and click Pin.
6. The visual is now a tile on the dashboard.

Pinning Entire Report Pages

1. Open a report in Service.
2. Click Pin to a dashboard > Pin live page (from the report menu).
3. The entire page is pinned as a single tile that updates in real time.

Dashboard Tile Types

Tile Type	Source	Behavior
Pinned visual	A visual from a report	Shows the visual; clicking navigates to the source report
Pinned live page	An entire report page	Shows all visuals; clicking navigates to the report
Q&A tile	A natural language question	Shows the answer visual; clicking opens Q&A
Streaming data tile	A real-time data stream	Updates in real-time (e.g., IoT sensor data)
Custom tile	Web content, image, or text	Static content; can include links
Video tile	A video URL	Embeds a video player
Image tile	An image URL or upload	Displays a static image

Managing Tiles

Action	How
Resize a tile	Drag the corner handle
Move a tile	Drag the tile to a new position
Edit tile details	Click the ellipsis > Edit details (change title, subtitle, link)
Delete a tile	Click the ellipsis > Delete tile
Set an alert	Click the ellipsis > Manage alerts (for number tiles only)

Dashboard Design Tips

Tip	Description
Lead with KPIs	Place the most important numbers at the top
Use consistent tile sizes	Create a grid pattern for a clean look
Limit to 8-12 tiles	More than this becomes overwhelming
Add titles and subtitles	Use tile details to add context
Link tiles to the right report page	Ensure clicking a tile navigates to the relevant detail

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Sharing and Distribution

Sharing Methods Comparison

Method	Audience	License Required	Scope
Share with individuals	Specific users or groups	Pro or Premium Per User for both sender and recipient	Single report or dashboard
Publish to web	Anyone with the link (public internet)	Pro for publisher; no license for viewers	Single report (public)
Power BI App	Organization-wide distribution	Pro or PPU for publisher; Free for viewers in Premium capacity	Bundle of reports, dashboards, and dataflows
Embed in Teams	Teams channel members	Pro or PPU	Single report or dashboard
Embed in SharePoint	SharePoint site users	Pro or PPU	Single report
Embed in website	External users	Premium capacity or Embedded SKU	Custom-embedded reports

Share with Individuals

1. Open the report or dashboard in Service.
2. Click Share in the top bar.
3. Enter email addresses or group names.
4. Choose permissions:

Permission	Description
Allow recipients to share	The recipient can share with others
Allow recipients to build on the underlying dataset	The recipient can create new reports on the same dataset
Send an email notification	The recipient receives an email with a link

5. Add an optional message.
6. Click Share.

Publish to Web

Warning: Publish to web makes your report accessible to anyone on the internet. Do not use this for sensitive or internal data.

1. Open the report in Service.
2. Click File > Embed report > Publish to web.
3. Power BI generates an embed code and a public URL.
4. Anyone with the URL can view the report without signing in.

Power BI Apps

Apps bundle related content (reports, dashboards, datasets) into a single package for distribution.

Creating an app:

1. Go to the workspace that contains your content.
2. Click Create app in the top bar.
3. Configure the app:

Setting	Description
App name	The name visible to users
Description	What the app contains
Logo	An icon for the app
Navigation	Define the order and grouping of reports and dashboards
Permissions	Who can access the app (entire organization, specific groups, or individuals)

4. Click Publish app.

Updating an app:

1. Make changes to reports in the workspace.
2. Go to the workspace > click Update app.
3. The app is updated for all users.

Workspace Roles

Role	Can View	Can Edit	Can Share	Can Publish	Can Manage
Viewer	Yes	No	No	No	No
Contributor	Yes	Yes	No	No	No
Member	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No
Admin	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes

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Scheduled Refresh

Why Scheduled Refresh Matters

When you publish a report, the dataset in Power BI Service contains a snapshot of the data at publish time. Without scheduled refresh, the data becomes stale.

Setting Up Scheduled Refresh

1. Go to your workspace in Power BI Service.
2. Find the dataset and click the ellipsis (...) > Settings.
3. Expand the Scheduled refresh section.
4. Toggle Keep your data up to date to On.
5. Configure:

Setting	Options
Refresh frequency	Daily or Weekly
Time zone	Select your local time zone
Time	Add one or more refresh times (up to 8 per day on Pro, 48 on Premium)
Send refresh failure notification	Email the dataset owner and/or additional email addresses

Gateway Requirements

Data Source Location	Gateway Required?	Gateway Type
Cloud sources (Azure SQL, Salesforce, Google Analytics)	No	N/A — Service connects directly
On-premises databases (SQL Server, Oracle, SAP)	Yes	On-premises data gateway (standard)
Personal files (Excel on local drive)	Yes	On-premises data gateway (personal mode)
SharePoint Online	No	N/A — cloud connection

Configuring Data Source Credentials

Before refresh can work, you must provide credentials for each data source:

1. In dataset settings, expand Data source credentials.
2. For each data source listed, click Edit credentials.
3. Select the authentication method:

Method	Description
OAuth2	Sign in with your organizational account (for cloud sources like SharePoint, Dynamics)
Basic	Username and password (for databases)
Key	API key (for web APIs)
Windows	Windows domain credentials (for on-premises sources via gateway)

4. Configure privacy level (Organizational, Private, Public).
5. Click Sign in or OK.

Refresh Best Practices

Practice	Rationale
Schedule refreshes during off-peak hours	Reduces load on data sources and Service
Monitor refresh history	Check Settings > Refresh history for failures and durations
Set up failure notifications	Get alerted when a refresh fails so you can investigate
Use incremental refresh for large datasets	Only refresh changed data to reduce refresh time
Test credentials after password changes	Password resets break scheduled refresh until credentials are updated

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Report Best Practices

The One-Page Executive Summary

Every report should have a page zero — an executive summary that answers: "How are we doing?"

Element	Content
KPI cards (top row)	Revenue, Profit, Customer Count, Satisfaction Score
Trend chart	Revenue trend over last 12 months with forecast
Breakdown chart	Revenue by Region (bar chart) or Product (treemap)
Status indicator	KPI or gauge showing performance against target
Navigation	Buttons linking to detail pages for deeper analysis

Detail Pages with Drillthrough

After the summary page, create focused detail pages:

Page	Focus	Drillthrough From
Regional Analysis	Sales by region with geographic map	Region field
Product Analysis	Product performance, margins, trends	Product Category
Customer Analysis	Customer segments, retention, lifetime value	Customer Segment
Time Analysis	Year-over-year comparison, seasonality	Time Period

Consistent Colors and Fonts

Guideline	Implementation
Use a theme	Apply a JSON theme to enforce colors across all visuals
Limit the color palette	Use 5-8 colors maximum
One font family	Use Segoe UI (default) or your brand font throughout
Consistent text sizes	Titles: 16-20pt, Subtitles: 12-14pt, Body: 10-12pt
Color meaning	Use green for positive, red for negative, gray for neutral consistently

Last-Refreshed Timestamp

Users need to know how current the data is:

Method 1 — DAX measure:

Create a measure that shows the max date in the data and display it in a card or text box.

Method 2 — Power Query:

Add a query step that captures DateTime.LocalNow() during refresh, storing it as a single-row table. Display this value in a card.

Placement: Bottom-right corner of every page, small font, gray text.

Performance Optimization

Issue	Solution
Slow report loading	Reduce visual count per page; limit data returned by each visual
Slow slicer rendering	Use dropdown instead of list; reduce cardinality
Slow cross-filtering	Simplify relationships; reduce bidirectional relationships
Large dataset	Use aggregations, composite models, or DirectQuery for detail data
Complex DAX calculations	Optimize DAX using variables, avoid nested iterators
Too many pages	Consolidate pages with bookmarks instead of separate pages

Report Quality Checklist

Item	Status
Every visual has a clear, descriptive title	—
Colors are consistent and follow the theme	—
Font sizes are readable on the target display	—
Alt text is added to all visuals (accessibility)	—
Tab order is set (accessibility)	—
Slicers are clearly labeled and positioned consistently	—
A back button exists on all drillthrough pages	—
A "last refreshed" timestamp is visible	—
Navigation is intuitive (buttons, tabs, or both)	—
The report loads in under 5 seconds	—
Mobile layout is configured (if mobile users expected)	—
Scheduled refresh is set up and tested	—

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Practice Exercises

Exercise 1: Report Layout and Design

Objective: Design a professional multi-page report from scratch.

Steps:

1. Open Power BI Desktop and load a sample dataset.
2. Page 1 — Executive Summary:
   • Set page size to 16:9.
   • Add a header with the report title and a company logo (use Insert > Image).
   • Create a row of 4 KPI cards at the top.
   • Add a line chart showing a 12-month revenue trend.
   • Add a bar chart showing revenue by region.
   • Apply a custom theme (import a JSON file or create one).
3. Page 2 — Regional Detail:
   • Add a map showing revenue by city.
   • Add a matrix with region, state, revenue, and profit with conditional formatting.
   • Set up this page as a drillthrough destination for the Region field.
   • Add a formatted back button.
   • Hide this page from navigation.
4. Page 3 — Product Analysis:
   • Add a treemap showing revenue by product category.
   • Add a waterfall chart showing profit contribution by category.
   • Add a table with the top 10 products.
5. Add navigation buttons on Page 1 linking to Pages 2 and 3.
6. Add a "last refreshed" timestamp in the bottom-right corner of every page.

Exercise 2: Theming

Objective: Create and apply a custom theme.

Steps:

1. Choose 6 brand colors for your theme.
2. Create a JSON theme file with the following properties:
   • name: your theme name.
   • dataColors: your 6 colors.
   • background: light gray (#F0F0F0).
   • foreground: dark gray (#333333).
   • tableAccent: your primary brand color.
3. Import the theme into Power BI Desktop.
4. Verify that all visuals use the new colors automatically.
5. Check that new visuals created after applying the theme also use the correct colors.
6. Adjust the theme if any visual type looks incorrect.

Exercise 3: Custom Tooltips

Objective: Create a custom tooltip page and assign it to a visual.

Steps:

1. Create a new page called "Revenue Tooltip".
2. Set the page type to Tooltip (Format > Page information > Page type).
3. Adjust the size to 400 x 280 pixels.
4. Add the following to the tooltip page:
   • A card showing Total Revenue.
   • A card showing Profit Margin %.
   • A small bar chart showing top 3 products.
5. Hide the tooltip page.
6. On your main report page, select a bar chart.
7. In the visual's Format > Tooltip, set Type to "Report page" and select "Revenue Tooltip".
8. Hover over bars in the chart to verify the custom tooltip appears.

Exercise 4: Mobile Layout

Objective: Create a mobile-optimized layout for your report.

Steps:

1. Open the report created in Exercise 1.
2. Go to View > Mobile layout.
3. From the Page visuals pane, drag the following onto the phone canvas:
   • KPI cards (stack 2 per row).
   • Line chart (full width).
   • Bar chart (full width).
4. Skip the map and matrix (they do not work well on small screens).
5. Adjust sizing so visuals fill the phone width.
6. Publish the report to Power BI Service.
7. Open the report in the Power BI Mobile app and test the layout.

Exercise 5: Publishing and Sharing

Objective: Publish a report, create a dashboard, and share with a colleague.

Steps:

1. Save your completed report in Power BI Desktop.
2. Click Publish and select your workspace.
3. Open the report in Power BI Service.
4. Create a dashboard:
   • Pin the KPI cards from Page 1 to a new dashboard called "Sales Dashboard".
   • Pin the revenue trend line chart.
   • Pin the regional bar chart.
   • Arrange tiles on the dashboard.
5. Set up scheduled refresh:
   • Go to dataset settings.
   • Configure credentials for your data source.
   • Set refresh to daily at 6:00 AM.
   • Enable failure notifications.
6. Share:
   • Share the dashboard with a colleague's email.
   • Include a message explaining what the dashboard shows.
   • Verify the colleague can access it.

Exercise 6: Bookmarks and Storytelling

Objective: Create a guided storytelling experience using bookmarks.

Steps:

1. On your executive summary page, create four bookmark states:
   • Bookmark 1: "All Regions" — no slicer selection, all data visible.
   • Bookmark 2: "North Region Focus" — Region slicer set to North, highlight key insight.
   • Bookmark 3: "South Region Focus" — Region slicer set to South.
   • Bookmark 4: "Year over Year" — Show a comparison visual (toggle via selection pane).
2. Create a bookmark navigator from these four bookmarks.
3. Add "Previous" and "Next" buttons that cycle through the bookmarks in order.
4. Test the experience from start to finish.

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Summary

This chapter covered the complete workflow from report design to sharing:

Topic	Key Takeaway
Reports vs Dashboards	Reports are multi-page interactive analyses; dashboards are single-page KPI monitors with pinned tiles
Design principles	Plan layout around eye flow patterns (Z or F); lead with the key insight; limit visuals per page
Page layout	Use 16:9 for most reports; configure background, wallpaper, and canvas settings
Themes	Apply built-in or custom JSON themes for consistent, professional branding
Report pages	Add, hide, reorder pages; use hidden pages for drillthrough and tooltips
Custom tooltips	Create small tooltip pages that appear on hover, providing detail without navigation
Grouping and layering	Use the Selection pane to manage z-order, visibility, and tab order for accessibility
Buttons and images	Add navigation buttons, shapes for containers, and images for branding
Bookmarks	Capture report state for view toggling, guided storytelling, and filter resets
Mobile layout	Create a separate phone layout with vertically stacked, simplified visuals
Publishing	Publish from Desktop to a workspace in Service; overwrite to update existing reports
Dashboards in Service	Pin visuals and live pages from reports; manage tiles for an at-a-glance KPI view
Sharing	Share directly, publish to web (public), or distribute via apps; understand workspace roles
Scheduled refresh	Configure refresh frequency, gateway connections, and credentials to keep data current
Best practices	One-page summary, drillthrough detail pages, consistent theme, last-refreshed timestamp, performance optimization

Next chapter: We move into DAX (Data Analysis Expressions) — the formula language that powers calculated columns, measures, and advanced analytics in Power BI.