Creating Report Page Tooltips and Navigation in Microsoft Power BI

Course: Microsoft Power BI Training

Topic: Creating Report Page Tooltips and Navigation

Course Link: Microsoft Power BI Training at JustAcademy

Demo Link: Register for a Free Course Demo

JustAcademy Website: Visit JustAcademy

1. Introduction to Report Page Tooltips and Navigation

Microsoft Power BI is a business intelligence platform used to transform raw data into interactive reports, dashboards, and visualizations. Report page tooltips and navigation features improve the usability of Power BI reports by helping users explore additional information and move between report pages efficiently.

Report page tooltips are custom report pages that appear when users hover over supported visual elements or data points. They can display additional charts, key performance indicators (KPIs), explanatory text, and related information without requiring users to leave the current report page.

Report navigation allows users to move between pages, open detailed views, return to summary pages, and access specific report sections through buttons, page navigators, bookmarks, and drillthrough actions.

1.1 Why Are These Features Important?

• They make reports easier to explore and understand.
• They display additional information without overcrowding the main report page.
• They improve the presentation of business insights.
• They help users navigate complex reports.
• They make reports more suitable for business managers, analysts, and decision-makers.
• They support a guided and consistent report-viewing experience.

1.2 Learning Objectives

After completing this topic, learners should be able to:

• Understand standard tooltips, report page tooltips, and help tooltips.
• Create and configure a tooltip report page.
• Display additional KPIs and charts inside tooltips.
• Apply tooltip pages to selected visuals.
• Create page navigation buttons and navigators.
• Use bookmarks for navigation and saved report views.
• Configure drillthrough navigation for detailed analysis.
• Troubleshoot tooltip and navigation issues.

2. Understanding Tooltips in Power BI

2.1 What Is a Tooltip?

A tooltip is a small information panel that appears when a user moves the mouse pointer over a supported visual, data point, or interface element. It provides context about the selected item.

For example, when a user hovers over a bar representing a product category, a tooltip might display its sales amount, profit, quantity sold, and other relevant information.

2.2 Types of Power BI Tooltips

2.3 Standard Tooltip vs. Report Page Tooltip

3. Understanding Report Page Tooltips

A report page tooltip is a dedicated report page configured to appear as a tooltip when a user hovers over an appropriate data point. It can display information related to the selected category, product, region, employee, or other data field.

3.1 Example of a Sales Report Tooltip

Suppose a company has a sales report with a bar chart showing revenue by product category. When the user hovers over the Electronics bar, the tooltip can display:

• Total sales for Electronics.
• Total profit for Electronics.
• Number of orders.
• Profit margin percentage.
• A monthly sales trend chart.
• A short description of the selected category.

The tooltip uses the context of the selected data point when compatible fields and filter relationships are configured correctly.

3.2 Benefits of Report Page Tooltips

• More detail: Show supporting information without adding multiple charts to the main page.
• Better readability: Keep the primary report clean and focused.
• Consistent design: Apply a common theme to all tooltip pages.
• Contextual analysis: Help users understand why a number or category matters.
• Faster exploration: Let users inspect data points without navigating away from the current page.

4. Preparing Data for Tooltip Pages

Before creating a report page tooltip, prepare a data model with meaningful dimensions and measures. A tooltip can only display reliable results when its fields, relationships, and filter context are appropriate.

4.1 Example Sales Dataset

4.2 Create Basic DAX Measures

Use DAX measures to calculate the values that will appear in your report and tooltip visuals. Assume the table is named SalesData.

Total Sales =
SUM(SalesData[Sales])

Total Cost =
SUM(SalesData[Cost])

Total Profit =
[Total Sales] - [Total Cost]

Profit Margin % =
DIVIDE(
    [Total Profit],
    [Total Sales],
    0
)

Order Count =
DISTINCTCOUNT(SalesData[Order ID])

Format Profit Margin % as a percentage in Power BI. The measures above respond to the current filter context, including compatible product category and region filters.

4.3 Why Filter Context Matters

Filter context determines which rows contribute to a calculation. If a tooltip is configured for Product Category, hovering over Electronics should filter the tooltip visuals to the relevant category, provided that the tooltip field matches the source visual's data context.

If the tooltip does not receive the expected filter context, verify that the required field is included, the tooltip page is configured correctly, and the data model relationships support the intended analysis.

5. Creating a Report Page Tooltip in Power BI

5.1 Step 1: Open Power BI Desktop

1. Open Microsoft Power BI Desktop.
2. Open an existing report or create a new report.
3. Load the dataset you want to analyze.
4. Check that the necessary columns, measures, and relationships are available.
5. Create the main report visual that will display the data points users want to explore.

5.2 Step 2: Create a New Report Page

1. Locate the report page tabs at the bottom of the report canvas.
2. Select the plus (+) button to create a new page.
3. Rename the page to something meaningful, such as Sales Tooltip.
4. Keep the page focused on the additional information users need when hovering over the main visual.

5.3 Step 3: Set the Page Size to Tooltip

1. Select the new tooltip page.
2. Open the Format pane for the page.
3. Locate Canvas settings or the equivalent page-size settings in your Power BI Desktop version.
4. Set the page type or size template to Tooltip.
5. Use the actual-size page view to evaluate how the tooltip will appear.

The built-in tooltip page size is a useful starting point. A custom page size can also be used when necessary, but the tooltip should remain compact enough not to obscure too much of the underlying report.

5.4 Step 4: Enable Tooltip Functionality

1. With the tooltip page selected, open its page-formatting settings.
2. Locate the Page information section.
3. Turn the Tooltip option on.
4. Locate the tooltip fields section in the build or visual configuration area, depending on the interface version.
5. Add the field that should provide the tooltip's filtering context, such as Product Category.

Adding the appropriate tooltip field helps Power BI associate the tooltip page with visuals that use the relevant field. The precise location of settings can differ between Power BI Desktop versions.

5.5 Step 5: Add Visuals to the Tooltip Page

Add only visuals that provide meaningful supporting information. For a sales report, you might include:

• A card for Total Sales.
• A card for Total Profit.
• A card for Profit Margin %.
• A small line chart showing sales by month.
• A short text label describing the selected category.

Keep titles short, use readable fonts, and avoid overcrowding the page. Because tooltip pages are not designed for scrolling, all important content should be visible at once.

5.6 Step 6: Apply the Tooltip to a Visual

1. Return to the main report page.
2. Select the chart or visual that should display the custom tooltip.
3. Open its Format pane.
4. Locate the Tooltips settings.
5. Choose the report page tooltip you created, such as Sales Tooltip, if the visual supports this option.
6. Hover over a data point to test the tooltip.

Depending on the visual and Power BI version, you may be able to use automatic field-based association or manually select a specific tooltip page for the visual.

5.7 Step 7: Hide the Tooltip Page from Normal Navigation

Tooltip pages are supporting pages, not ordinary report destinations. Hide the tooltip page from the standard report page navigation so that users do not open it as if it were a regular report page.

Verify that the page remains available for tooltip use after hiding it. Avoid adding it to normal page navigators.

6. Designing Effective Report Page Tooltips

6.1 Use a Clear Layout

Arrange information according to importance. Place the main metric at the top, supporting KPIs beneath it, and a small chart or explanatory text in the remaining space.

6.2 Use Appropriate Visuals

6.3 Apply Consistent Formatting

• Use the same theme and typography as the main report.
• Format currency, percentages, and dates correctly.
• Use descriptive chart titles.
• Keep background colors and borders subtle.
• Ensure the tooltip remains readable at its actual display size.
• Avoid excessive colors, decorations, and unnecessary visuals.

6.4 Understand Tooltip Limitations

• Report page tooltips are not designed for interacting with slicers or buttons.
• Users cannot normally scroll through the tooltip page to access hidden content.
• Dashboard tiles do not support report page tooltips in the same way as report visuals.
• Some custom visuals may not support report page tooltips.
• Tooltip results depend on compatible fields, filter context, and the data model.
• Tooltip content may have accessibility limitations for screen-reader users.

When users need to interact with filters, view a large amount of detail, or perform actions, use a regular report page or drillthrough page instead of trying to make the tooltip interactive.

7. Understanding Report Navigation

Report navigation is the process of moving between pages and report views. Effective navigation helps users find relevant information without needing to understand the report's entire structure.

7.1 Common Navigation Methods

8. Creating Page Navigation Buttons

8.1 Step 1: Create the Destination Pages

1. Create the report pages you need, such as Overview, Sales Analysis, Product Details, and Regional Performance.
2. Rename each page clearly.
3. Ensure that every page has a specific purpose.
4. Arrange report pages in a logical order.

8.2 Step 2: Insert a Button

1. Open the report page where you want the navigation control.
2. Use the Insert menu or ribbon to add a button.
3. Select a suitable button type or a blank button.
4. Set the button text to a meaningful label, such as View Sales Analysis.
5. Adjust its size, color, text alignment, border, and icon if required.

8.3 Step 3: Configure the Button Action

1. Select the button.
2. Open its Format pane.
3. Find the Action setting and turn it on.
4. Choose Page navigation as the action type.
5. Select the destination page, such as Sales Analysis.
6. Test the button in the report authoring environment using the appropriate button activation method for your current interface.

8.4 Example Navigation Structure

Overview
   |
   +----> Sales Analysis
   |          |
   |          +----> Product Details
   |
   +----> Regional Performance
              |
              +----> Regional Details

This structure allows users to begin with a summary and move toward more detailed analysis when needed.

9. Creating a Page Navigator

A page navigator automatically creates navigation controls based on the report pages included in its configuration. It is useful when a report contains several related pages.

9.1 Steps to Create a Page Navigator

1. Open the report page where the navigation menu should appear.
2. Open the Insert menu or ribbon.
3. Choose the page navigator option, usually available under the buttons or navigator options.
4. Power BI creates a navigator based on eligible report pages.
5. Use the Format pane to adjust orientation, spacing, text, selected-state formatting, and other available options.
6. Verify that the correct pages appear and that hidden tooltip pages are not exposed as ordinary destinations.

9.2 Advantages of Page Navigators

• They reduce the need to create individual page buttons manually.
• They provide a consistent navigation layout.
• They can reflect changes when eligible report pages are added or renamed.
• They help users understand the structure of a multi-page report.

9.3 Recommended Navigation Design

Use concise page names, keep navigation controls in a consistent location, make the selected page visually distinct, and avoid placing too many destinations in a single menu. For large reports, group pages into logical sections.

10. Using Bookmarks for Report Navigation

A bookmark saves a particular view of a report. Depending on its configuration, it can capture filter selections, slicer states, visual visibility, and the current page view.

10.1 Common Uses of Bookmarks

• Switching between chart and table views.
• Showing or hiding a filter panel.
• Creating a guided presentation of report insights.
• Returning to a predefined summary view.
• Building a simple tab-like experience on a single page.

10.2 Creating a Bookmark

1. Set the report page to the desired state.
2. Open the Bookmarks pane.
3. Select Add to create a bookmark.
4. Rename the bookmark with a descriptive name.
5. Configure its data, display, current-page, and selected-visual options as needed, depending on the intended behavior.
6. Update the bookmark after changing the report state if the saved view needs to change.

10.3 Connect a Button to a Bookmark

1. Select a button on the report canvas.
2. Turn on its Action setting.
3. Set the action type to Bookmark.
4. Select the bookmark to apply.
5. Test the button and verify that the correct report state is restored.

Important: Bookmark configuration matters. For example, a bookmark configured to capture data can restore saved slicer and filter states. If you only want to change which visuals are visible, configure the bookmark accordingly so it does not unexpectedly reset the user's selections.

11. Creating Drillthrough Navigation

Drillthrough allows a user to open a separate report page filtered to a selected data entity. Unlike a tooltip, a drillthrough page can provide a larger space for detailed analysis and interactive visuals.

11.1 Example

A sales summary page displays revenue by product category. A user wants to investigate Electronics sales. The user can open a Product Details page that displays relevant orders, profit, regional performance, and monthly trends for the selected category.

11.2 Steps to Configure Drillthrough

1. Create a new report page for detailed analysis.
2. Add the relevant drillthrough field, such as Product Category, to the page's Drill-through field area.
3. Add cards, charts, tables, and other visuals that should show details.
4. Optionally add a Back button so users can return to the previous report context.
5. Return to the source report page.
6. Right-click a compatible data point and choose the drillthrough destination from the context menu.
7. Confirm that the destination page displays the expected filtered results.

11.3 Tooltip vs. Drillthrough

12. Combining Tooltips and Navigation in a Report

Tooltips and navigation serve different purposes and can work together in a well-designed report. A tooltip provides quick information on hover, while buttons, navigators, bookmarks, and drillthrough actions help users move through the report.

12.1 Example: Retail Sales Report

Imagine a retail report containing four pages:

• Overview: Overall sales, profit, and order count.
• Sales Analysis: Monthly sales trends and category comparisons.
• Product Details: Detailed performance for selected products.
• Regional Performance: Sales and profitability by region.

The Overview page contains a sales-by-category chart with a report page tooltip. Hovering over Electronics shows additional sales and profit metrics. A navigation button opens Sales Analysis, while drillthrough opens Product Details filtered to the selected category. A page navigator allows users to move between the main report sections.

12.2 Suggested User Journey

1. Open the Overview page.
2. Review the main KPIs.
3. Hover over a category to see the tooltip details.
4. Open Sales Analysis to explore trends.
5. Drill through to Product Details for deeper investigation.
6. Use the page navigator to open Regional Performance.
7. Return to Overview using a configured navigation button.

13. Best Practices for Tooltips and Navigation

13.1 Tooltip Best Practices

• Use tooltips to answer a specific business question.
• Show only the most relevant KPIs and supporting information.
• Keep the tooltip page compact and ensure its content is visible without scrolling.
• Use consistent formatting, number formats, and colors.
• Verify that the appropriate fields are configured for filtering.
• Test tooltips on different data points and across supported visuals.
• Hide tooltip pages from ordinary page navigation.
• Use drillthrough for tasks that require interaction or extensive details.

13.2 Navigation Best Practices

• Use clear, action-oriented button labels.
• Keep page navigation in a consistent position.
• Use page navigators when multiple pages need consistent navigation.
• Provide a Back button on appropriate drillthrough pages.
• Use bookmarks only when the saved state and selection behavior are understood.
• Ensure the selected page or view is visually identifiable.
• Avoid creating too many navigation paths that confuse report users.
• Test buttons and navigation after renaming or reorganizing pages.

13.3 Performance and Accessibility

• Avoid placing too many complex visuals on a tooltip page.
• Use efficient DAX measures and a well-structured data model.
• Use descriptive titles and meaningful visual labels.
• Maintain sufficient text contrast and readable font sizes.
• Provide accessible alternatives for information shown only in tooltips.
• Check keyboard navigation and screen-reader behavior for the overall report.

14. Troubleshooting Common Problems

15. Practical Exercises

Exercise 1: Create a Sales Tooltip

Task: Create a report page tooltip for a sales-by-category chart.

1. Load a sales dataset.
2. Create Total Sales, Total Profit, and Profit Margin % measures.
3. Create a bar chart showing sales by category.
4. Create and configure a tooltip page.
5. Add KPI cards and a small monthly trend chart.
6. Associate the tooltip with the bar chart.
7. Test several categories and compare the displayed values with the main report.

Exercise 2: Create Report Navigation

Task: Build a multi-page report with consistent navigation.

1. Create Overview, Sales Analysis, and Regional Performance pages.
2. Add a page navigator.
3. Create a button that opens Sales Analysis.
4. Create a bookmark that toggles between two visual layouts.
5. Test navigation from each main report page.

Exercise 3: Create a Drillthrough Page

Task: Allow users to investigate a selected product category.

1. Create a Product Details page.
2. Configure Product Category as a drillthrough field.
3. Add detailed sales, profit, and order visuals.
4. Add a Back button.
5. Test drillthrough from the source chart.
6. Verify that the destination shows the selected category's data.

Exercise 4: Complete Report Project

Create a retail performance report with the following requirements:

• At least three main report pages.
• A report page tooltip containing at least two KPIs and one supporting chart.
• A page navigator or clearly labeled navigation buttons.
• At least one bookmark-based interaction.
• A drillthrough page for detailed analysis.
• Consistent colors, labels, and number formats.
• A test checklist covering tooltip values and navigation behavior.

16. Interview Questions and Answers

Q1. What is a tooltip in Power BI?

Answer: A tooltip is an information panel that appears when a user hovers over a supported visual or data point. It provides additional context without requiring the user to leave the current report view.

Q2. What is a report page tooltip?

Answer: A report page tooltip is a custom report page configured to appear as a tooltip. It can contain cards, charts, text, images, and other supported visuals.

Q3. How do you create a report page tooltip?

Answer: Create a new page, set its page size to Tooltip, enable the Tooltip option, add the relevant tooltip fields and visuals, and associate the page with a compatible source visual.

Q4. What is the difference between a visual tooltip and a report page tooltip?

Answer: A visual tooltip generally shows field values and additional configured data. A report page tooltip displays a custom-designed page with richer supporting information.

Q5. Can users interact with slicers inside a report page tooltip?

Answer: Report page tooltips are not designed for interactive slicers, buttons, or scrolling. Use a regular report page or drillthrough page when users need to interact with detailed data.

Q6. Why should tooltip pages generally be hidden?

Answer: They are supporting pages intended to appear on hover rather than ordinary report destinations. Hiding them keeps navigation focused on the main report pages.

Q7. What is page navigation in Power BI?

Answer: Page navigation allows users to move from one report page to another through buttons, page navigators, or other configured navigation controls.

Q8. What is a page navigator?

Answer: A page navigator is a navigation control that automatically provides links to eligible report pages, reducing the need to create individual navigation buttons.

Q9. What is a bookmark in Power BI?

Answer: A bookmark saves a configured report state, potentially including filters, slicer selections, the current page, and visual visibility, depending on its settings.

Q10. What is drillthrough?

Answer: Drillthrough lets users navigate to a separate report page filtered by a selected data entity, allowing more detailed and interactive analysis.

Q11. What is the difference between a tooltip and drillthrough?

Answer: A tooltip provides compact information on hover. Drillthrough opens a separate report page where users can explore more detailed and interactive content.

Q12. Why might a report page tooltip display incorrect values?

Answer: Possible causes include incorrect relationships, missing tooltip fields, unexpected filter context, mismatched field summarization, or an unsuitable DAX measure.

Q13. How can a navigation button be configured?

Answer: Insert a button, enable its Action property, choose an action type such as Page navigation or Bookmark, select the destination, and test the action.

Q14. How can bookmarks be used in report navigation?

Answer: Buttons can be linked to bookmarks to switch between saved views, display or hide visuals, or restore predefined report states.

Q15. What are the best practices for report tooltips?

Answer: Keep tooltips compact, show relevant metrics, use consistent formatting, verify filter context, test across data points, and use drillthrough when interaction is required.

17. Quick Revision Checklist

• Understand the differences between visual, report page, and help tooltips.
• Create a new tooltip page and configure its size.
• Enable the Tooltip setting and add appropriate tooltip fields.
• Add relevant KPIs, charts, and explanatory text.
• Associate the tooltip page with the intended visual.
• Verify filtering and calculations for multiple data points.
• Hide tooltip pages from normal navigation.
• Create page navigation buttons and page navigators.
• Understand bookmarks and saved report states.
• Configure drillthrough fields and a Back button when required.
• Test navigation, formatting, performance, and accessibility.

18. Conclusion

Creating report page tooltips and navigation in Microsoft Power BI helps transform static-looking reports into structured, user-friendly analytical experiences. Report page tooltips provide contextual information on hover, while page navigation, bookmarks, and drillthrough allow users to move between report views and investigate detailed data.

By combining meaningful DAX measures, an appropriate data model, compact tooltip designs, clear navigation controls, and thorough testing, you can create professional Power BI reports that are easier to explore and understand.

For further learning, visit JustAcademy's Microsoft Power BI Training, register through the course demo registration page, or explore the JustAcademy website.

19. Additional Learning Resources

• Microsoft Learn: Report Page Tooltip Design Guidance
• Microsoft Learn: Create Report Tooltips in Power BI
• Microsoft Learn: Overview of Power BI Reports, Bookmarks, and Navigation