Power BI bookmarks: saved views that make a report feel like an app
Power BI bookmarks save the state of a report page, so a reader can return to it with one click. A bookmark remembers filters, slicer choices, sort order and which visuals are visible. Authors pair bookmarks with buttons to build toggles, pop-up panels and guided stories. However, a report with too many of them becomes hard to maintain. This guide covers how they work and where they go wrong.
- What a bookmark stores
- Panel build in four steps
- Upkeep traps flagged
Last updated
Power BI bookmarks: what does a bookmark save?
A bookmark captures a page as it looks at one moment. That includes the filters and slicers in effect, the sort order of each visual and any drill position. It also records which objects are visible and which are hidden.
When a reader selects the bookmark, the page returns to that state. So an author can set up a view for one region, save it and offer it as a shortcut. Then nobody has to repeat five slicer clicks.
Bookmarks do not store data. They hold settings only, and the visuals still query the current model. Therefore a bookmark made last month shows this month's figures under last month's filters.
Three common ways authors put saved views to work
Each pattern below combines a saved view with a button or a pane.
Chart and table toggle
Two visuals occupy the same space, and each bookmark shows one while it hides the other. A pair of buttons then swaps them.
Slide-out filter panel
Slicers sit on a panel that appears on request. As a result, the main canvas stays clear for the visuals.
Guided story
A sequence of saved views walks an audience through findings, so a presenter can step forward during a meeting.
How do buttons and the selection pane work with Power BI bookmarks?
The selection pane lists every object on a page and lets you show or hide each one. It is where an author sets up the two states of a toggle. First hide the table and save a bookmark. Then hide the chart, show the table and save another.
Buttons bring those states to readers. A button's action can point at a bookmark, so a click applies it. Shapes and images can carry the same action, which gives designers freedom over the look.
Desktop also offers a bookmark navigator. It generates a row of buttons from a group of bookmarks and keeps them in step as the group changes. Because it removes manual wiring, it suits reports with several saved views.
Power BI bookmarks: build a show-and-hide panel in four steps
This pattern is the most common use, and it takes only a few minutes once the idea is clear.
Group the panel objects
First place the background shape and the slicers together, then group them in the selection pane under a clear name.
Save the open state
Then show the group and add a bookmark. Turn off the Data option, so it changes visibility without touching filters.
Save the closed state
Next hide the group and add a second bookmark with the same options as before.
Wire two buttons
Finally, point an open button and a close button at the two bookmarks, and test both in reading view.
Which bookmark options matter most?
Three options decide what a bookmark applies. Data covers filters, slicers and sort. Display covers visibility and spotlight. Current page decides whether selecting the bookmark moves the reader to the page where it was saved.
Most surprises come from the Data option. A toggle bookmark that leaves Data on will reset every slicer to its saved state. So a reader picks a region, clicks the toggle and loses the choice. Turning Data off avoids that.
There is also a choice between all visuals and selected visuals. With selected visuals, a bookmark affects only the objects you picked when you saved it. That keeps each bookmark narrow, and narrow bookmarks interfere with each other far less. For help building interactive pages like these, see Power BI report development.
Power BI bookmarks questions and common pitfalls
What is the difference between personal and report bookmarks?
An author creates report bookmarks in the file, and every reader sees them. A reader creates personal bookmarks in the service for private use. So the first kind shapes the design, while the second lets each person save a favorite view. Personal ones do not change the report for anyone else.
Why did a bookmark reset my slicers?
Because it saved the slicer state along with everything else. When the Data option stays on, the bookmark reapplies the filters from the moment of saving. Turn that option off for bookmarks that should change visibility only. Then update the bookmark, since a changed option takes effect after an update.
Do bookmarks slow a Power BI report?
Bookmarks themselves hold little. However, the patterns around them can add weight. Hidden visuals stacked on a page still add objects to manage, and a page crowded with layers takes longer to design and test. So keep each page to a few states and split very busy pages.
What happens when I add a visual later?
Existing bookmarks know nothing about the new visual, so they show it in its default state. After any layout change, step through each bookmark and update the ones that need it. This upkeep is the main reason to keep the number of bookmarks small.
Can Power BI Agency tidy an existing bookmark setup?
Yes. One of our consultants reviews the pages, removes bookmarks nobody uses and rebuilds the rest with clear names and narrow options. We work online in your own tenant and demonstrate the result. We are a division of Sataware Technologies, independent of Microsoft. A free 30-minute assessment comes first.
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