Bookmarks

Bookmarks in Power BI are a powerful feature that allows you to capture the current state of a report page and return to it later. They store the state of visuals, filters, slicers, drill-throughs, and even the visibility of objects.

Bookmarks are commonly used to create interactive reports, storytelling, navigation buttons, and toggle visuals.

Key Uses of Bookmarks

• Create interactive navigation between pages
• Build toggle buttons (e.g., switch between charts or tables)
• Enable report storytelling with different views
• Save different filter or slicer states for users

Creating a Bookmark

Step 1: Set the Report State

• Adjust visuals, filters, slicers, and selections to the desired view.
• Show or hide visuals if you want the bookmark to capture object visibility.

Step 2: Add a Bookmark

1. Go to the View tab → Bookmarks Pane.
2. Click Add to create a new bookmark.
3. Rename the bookmark for clarity (e.g., “Sales Overview” or “Top Products”).

Step 3: Configure Bookmark Options

Click the ellipsis (…) next to the bookmark → Update / Rename / Delete / Properties.

• Data – Saves filters, slicers, and drill-through states
• Display – Saves visibility of visuals and objects
• Current Page – Captures the page view

Step 4: Link Bookmarks to Buttons

1. Insert a Button (e.g., Blank, Shape, or Text).
2. Go to Format → Action → Type → Bookmark.
3. Select the bookmark you want the button to trigger.

Step 5: Test the Bookmark

• Click the button in Reading view or Power BI Service.
• The report will change to the captured state of the bookmark.

Example – Toggle Between Views

• Create two bookmarks: “Monthly Sales” and “Quarterly Sales.”
• Add two buttons labeled “Monthly” and “Quarterly.”
• Assign each button to the corresponding bookmark.
• Clicking a button toggles the visuals between the two views.

Best Practices

• Name bookmarks clearly for easy identification
• Group bookmarks in the Bookmarks Pane for large reports
• Combine bookmarks with selection pane to show/hide visuals dynamically
• Use bookmarks to enhance storytelling and interactivity rather than overcomplicate the report

Conclusion

Bookmarks in Power BI allow you to capture report states, create interactivity, and guide users through dynamic dashboards. When combined with buttons and the selection pane, bookmarks enable professional, user-friendly, and highly interactive reports.