Power BI page navigation: help readers move through a report
Power BI page navigation lets readers move between report pages with buttons instead of the page tabs. Microsoft offers two routes: a page navigator that builds a full menu for you, and a single button with a page as its destination. This guide explains both, shows how to set a destination with a measure and lists the settings worth knowing.
- Page navigator
- Single navigation buttons
- Conditional destination
Last updated
What is Power BI page navigation?
A report with many pages needs a clear way around. Page navigation is a button action that takes the reader to a different page within the report. According to Microsoft, it works without bookmarks, so there is nothing extra to save or manage.
Buttons make a report behave more like an app. Microsoft uses that comparison in its article on buttons. As a result, readers follow a menu that you designed instead of a row of tabs.
The action is not limited to buttons. Microsoft states that shapes and images support page navigation as well. So a logo can lead back to the start page, and an arrow shape can lead to the next one.
Add a page navigator in four steps
The page navigator builds a complete menu, and these steps follow Microsoft's article for Power BI Desktop.
Open the Insert tab
First go to the Insert tab in Power BI Desktop. In the Power BI service, select Edit and use the menu bar instead.
Insert the navigator
Next select Buttons, then Navigator, then Page navigator. Power BI creates the menu automatically.
Choose the pages
Then open the Format navigator pane. Under Pages, adjust the settings for hidden pages and tooltip pages.
Set the layout
Finally use the Grid layout tab to pick a horizontal, vertical or grid orientation and the padding between buttons.
Why does the page navigator save maintenance work?
The navigator stays in sync with the report. Its button labels match the page display names, and the order of the buttons matches the order of the pages. The selected button also corresponds to the current page.
Changes flow through automatically. When you add or remove a page, the navigator updates. When you rename a page, the label updates too. Therefore nobody has to edit a menu on every page after a change.
Formatting works as it does for other buttons. You can set the fill, text, outline, shape, shadow, glow and rotation. A separate selected state also lets you make the current page stand out from the rest.
Three ways to build Power BI page navigation
Microsoft documents these options, and each one fits a different kind of report.
Page navigator
One visual with a button for each page. Choose it when you want a full menu that maintains itself.
Single button
A button with Page navigation as its action type and one page as its destination. It suits a link to a detail page.
Shape or image
A shape or an image with the same action. For example, a home icon can return readers to the first page.
How do you set a Power BI page navigation destination with a measure?
Sometimes one button should lead to different pages. Microsoft describes a pattern for this case. First create a single-column table with Enter data on the Home tab, and type the page names into it.
Next add that column to the page as a single-select slicer. Then insert a blank button and turn its Action on. Under Type, select Page navigation, and select the conditional formatting icon next to Destination. There you choose the field to base the destination on.
One detail matters here. Power BI uses an exact string match, so the values in the table must match the page names exactly. When a reader picks a page in the slicer and selects the button, that page opens.
Habits for a navigation menu readers can follow
A menu helps only when readers understand it at once, so keep it plain.
- Give every page a short, clear display name
- Put the menu in the same place on each page
- Format the selected state so the current page stands out
- Hide helper pages and tooltip pages from the menu
- Add a back button on every drillthrough page
- Test each button with Ctrl before you publish
Power BI page navigation: common questions
Why does my Power BI page navigation button not work in Desktop?
Because a plain click selects the button for editing. Microsoft explains that in Power BI Desktop, and in edit mode of the Power BI service, you hold Ctrl and then select the button or the page in the navigator. In reading view, readers simply select it.
Does Power BI page navigation need bookmarks?
No. Microsoft states that the Page navigation action moves the reader to a different page without bookmarks. Bookmarks serve another purpose, because they capture a state of a page, such as filters. For that case a separate bookmark navigator exists, and it follows the bookmarks in the report.
Can the page navigator hide certain pages?
Yes. Open the Format navigator pane and go to Pages. There you adjust the settings for showing hidden pages and tooltip pages. So a drillthrough page or a tooltip page can stay out of the menu while it still works in the report.
Can I change how navigation buttons look on hover?
Yes. Buttons have several states, including default, on hover, on press and disabled. In the Format button pane, expand the Shape or Style card, choose the state under Apply settings to and then pick the settings for that state. The navigator also has a selected state.
Can Power BI Agency tidy up the navigation in our reports?
Yes. One of our consultants reviews how readers move through your report, then builds a consistent menu with clear page names and working back buttons. We work online in your own Microsoft tenant, with the scope fixed in a written quote. Power BI Agency is a division of Sataware Technologies, independent of Microsoft.
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