Performance impact of report-level filters.

Question asked in Scenario Based Round to our Student:

Can report-level filters slow down your report performance in Power BI?

Yes, report-level filters can potentially slow down your report performance in Power BI, especially if they are applied to large datasets with complex queries.

When you apply a filter to a report, Power BI needs to retrieve all the data from the data source that matches the filter criteria. If the filter criteria are complex or if the data set is large, this can take a significant amount of time, which can slow down the report’s performance.
To minimize the impact of report-level filters on performance, you can consider the following best practices:

1) Use filters selectively:

Apply filters only to the visualizations that need them rather than applying filters to the entire report. This can help reduce the amount of data that Power BI needs to retrieve.

2) Use slicers:

Instead of using report-level filters, use slicers. Slicers allow you to filter data in real time and provide a more interactive experience for users.

3) Optimize data model:

Optimize your data model to reduce the amount of data that needs to be retrieved. This can include reducing the number of columns, removing unnecessary relationships, and using summarized data.

4) Use Direct Query mode:

If you are using Direct Query mode, report-level filters may have less of an impact on performance since the data is queried directly from the data source.

By following these best practices, you can minimize the impact of report-level filters on performance and ensure that your Power BI reports run smoothly.

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