Power BI Slicers – Complete Guide – Cheat Sheet PDF [2024]

Slicers in Power BI are visual tools to filter the data displayed in reports and dashboards dynamically. Unlike traditional filters that are applied in the background, slicers provide a more interactive way for users to control data. They can be configured to filter data based on various fields, such as dates, categories or any other relevant dimension.

Projectucubicle Power BI Cheat Sheet

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From essential keyboard shortcuts to advanced visualization techniques our cheat sheet covers it all. Hence it will be providing you  knowledge and expertise to excel in your data analysis.

Power BI Slicers Types

Power BI has some great slicers to filter and interact with data in a visual way. Here’s a quick look at some common types:

• List Slicer: This one shows a list of unique values from a field. Users can pick one or multiple values to filter the data.
• Dropdown Slicer: Similar to the list slicer but it is in a dropdown menu format. Users can select one value at a time from the dropdown to filter the data.
• Date Slicer: This slicer lets users choose a single date, a range of dates or even whole months, quarters or years.
• Range Slicer: This one helps filter numerical data by setting a minimum and maximum value.
• Relative Date Slicer: It offers options like “Last 7 days” or “Year to date.” Hence, it is letting users filter data based on relative time periods.
• Hierarchy Slicer: Great for hierarchical data, this slicer allows users to drill down or expand levels within a hierarchy.
• Custom Slicer: For those who want more flexibility, custom slicers let users create their own designs and functionalities.

What are the three types of filters in Power BI?

In Power BI, there are primarily three types of filters:

1. Visual Level Filters: These filters apply only to the visual or visuals they’re assigned to. So, you can filter data within a specific visual without affecting other visuals on the report canvas. You can apply visual level filters to fields directly in the visual or through the Filters pane.
2. Page Level Filters: Page level filters apply to all visuals on a specific page of a report. When you apply a page level filter, it affects all visuals on that page. But it doesn’t affect visuals on other pages. Page level filters can be set up using the Filters pane for the entire page.
3. Report Level Filters: Report level filters apply to all visuals across all pages within a report. They can filter data consistently throughout the entire report. Report level filters are applied in the Filters pane at the top of the Fields list.

Create a slicer

What is the difference between slicers and filters in Power BI?

The primary difference between slicers and filters in Power BI lies in their interaction and presentation. Slicers are visual elements placed on the report canvas. Hence, they are offering an interactive way for users to filter data directly within the report view.

Filters, on the other hand, are in the background (e.g., page-level, report-level, or visual-level filters) and do not offer the same level of interactive engagement. While both slicers and filters control the data, slicers are more user-driven and dynamic.

How do I add a slicer to Power BI?

If yo add a slicer to a Power BI report:

1. You should select the “Slicer” icon from the Visualizations pane.
2. With the slicer visual selected, you now go to the Fields pane and drag the field you want to use for slicing into the Field.
3. You can customize the slicer’s appearance and behavior using the options in the Visualizations pane.

1: Adding a Basic Slicer

1. Select Your Visual: In the Power BI Desktop report view, you should click on the Slicer icon in the Visualizations pane.
2. Choose Your Data: You can now drag a field from the Fields pane to the Values area in the slicer visualization. This field will be your filter criterion (e.g., Dates, Categories).

2: Customizing the Slicer

1. Orientation: In the Visualization pane, under the Format tab (paint roller icon), you should find the Orientation option to switch between Horizontal and Vertical.
2. Items: Then, you can customize the items’ appearance. Such as font size and color through the “Items” sub-menu in the Format tab.

3: Converting to a Dropdown Slicer

1. Dropdown Option: With the slicer you select, you should go to the slicer settings in the Visualizations pane and click on the down arrow next to the slicer icon to change it to a Dropdown slicer.

4: Creating a Date Range Slicer

1. Select Date Field: You should add a slicer and drag a date field into it.
2. Date Slicer Options: In the slicer, you now click on the down arrow next to the slicer icon and select Between to enable a date range selection.

5: Implementing Slicer Groups

1. Multiple Slicers: You can add multiple slicers to your report for different fields.
2. Grouping: You will now select all slicers you want to group, right-click, and choose “Group” from the context menu.

6: Syncing Slicers Across Pages

1. Slicer Pane: Now, you should go to the View tab and open the “Sync slicers” pane.
2. Syncing Options: You can select your slicer and choose which report pages you want it to be visible and active on.

7: Advanced Slicer Techniques

1. Dynamic Slicers: Here, you can use DAX expressions to create measures. They dynamically adjust slicer content based on other report interactions.
2. Bookmarks: Also, you can apply bookmarks to save specific slicer states.

8: Best Practices for Slicers

1. Limit Slicers: If you want to avoid clutter, you can use a limited number of slicers and only for essential data segmentation.
2. Clear Labels: Also, your slicers should have clear and concise labels.
3. Performance: Excessive slicers, especially on large datasets, can slow down your report.

How do you style a slicer in Power BI?

Styling a Slicer in Power BI:

• To customize a slicer in Power BI, the process is pretty straightforward. First, you just click on the slicer visual in your report to select it.
• Then, over in the Visualizations pane on the right, you can find the Format icon, which looks like a paint roller.
• From there, you can scroll down to the Slicer section in the Format pane. Here, you can change different styles, like font size, font color, background color and borders.
• As you make these adjustments, you will see the changes happening in real-time on your slicer visual.

Creating a Custom Slicer in Power BI:

1. If you wanna add a slicer to your Power BI report, you can start by clicking on a blank space on your report canvas.
2. Next, you will go to the Visualizations pane and click on the ellipsis (…) to see all the visual types available.
3. Then, scroll down and select the Slicer icon.
4. After that, you can drag the fields you want to use as slicer options from your dataset into the Values section.
5. Finally, you can customize the appearance of your slicer by following the styling steps mentioned earlier.

Formatting a Tile Slicer in Power BI:

1. Select the Tile Slicer: You should click on the tile slicer visual in your Power BI report to select it.
2. Access the Formatting Options: In the Visualizations pane on the right, now, click on the Format icon (paint roller).
3. Navigate to Tile Settings: Within the Format pane, you will scroll down to find the “Tiles” section.
4. Customize Tile Appearance: Here, you can adjust properties such as tile size, shape, background color, font color and more.
5. Apply Formatting: Once you are ok with tile slicer formatting, you should click outside the Format pane to apply the changes.

How do I make a slicer list in Power BI?

If you wish to create a slicer list in Power BI, you can follow the steps to add a slicer as described above. By default, the slicer will display as a list. So, the users can select one or multiple items depending on the slicer’s settings. You can further customize the list appearance. Such as showing checkboxes or enabling a “Select all” option, through the slicer’s Format options.

Is a slicer a filter?

Yes, a slicer is a type of filter in Power BI. But it is more interactive and user-friendly way of applying filters. Slicers allow users to see and change their filtering selections directly within the report.

How do I convert a slicer to a dropdown?

To convert a slicer to a dropdown in Power BI:

1. You need to select the slicer on your report canvas.
2. In the Visualizations pane, you should find the slicer’s Format option.
3. Now, you will look for the Slicer Header or General section.
4. Last step is to finding the option to change the slicer type or control and select “Dropdown”.

Custom Slicers in Power BI

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