What is Drill-Through?

Drill-through is a navigation feature in Power BI that lets users click on a data point in a visual (like a bar in a chart or a row in a table) and jump to another page with more details about that specific item.

Key Idea:

• Start broad (summary view).
• Click deeper (detailed view).
• See only relevant details (filters carry over).

Why Use Drill-Through?

1. Avoids clutter – Keeps dashboards clean by hiding details until needed.
2. Focuses analysis – Shows only what’s important for the selected item.
3. Improves usability – Users explore data naturally without extra filters.

How Drill-Through Works

1. Setup a Target Page

• Create a new page in your report for details (e.g., “Product Details”).
• Add visuals that make sense for deeper analysis (e.g., trends, tables, KPIs).

2. Add Drill-Through Filters

• In the Fields pane, mark columns as drill-through filters:
  • Right-click a field (e.g., “Product Name”).
  • Select “Add to drill-through filters”.

3. Enable Drill-Through on a Visual

• On your summary page, right-click a visual (e.g., a bar chart).
• Select “Drill Through” → Choose your target page.

4. Test It!

• Click a data point → Power BI takes you to the details page.
• The page only shows data related to what you clicked.

Basic Rules of Drill-Through

✔ One-way trip – Goes from summary → details (use a “Back” button to return).
✔ Keeps filters – Only shows details matching your selection.
✔ Works on most visuals – Bars, tables, maps, etc.

Example Use Cases

1. Sales Report → Click a region → See city-level sales.
2. Employee Dashboard → Click a department → View team performance.
3. Inventory Tracker → Click a product → Check stock history.

Next Steps

• Try adding drill-through to a simple report.
• Use the “Back” button (under “Insert” → “Buttons”) for easy navigation.

Tip: Start with one drill-through page, then add more as needed!

Check out my guide: