17.4 Using Drill Through
Start with a problem
Zoya wants a button that says See store details and works only after a city is selected on the chart.
Explain simply
Users drill through by right-click, or by a drill-through button that is enabled when exactly one valid item is selected.
Show the data
| City | Total Sales (₹) |
|---|---|
| Pune | 850 |
| Nashik | 800 |
| Kolhapur | 450 |
| Total | 2,100 |
About this data: This table uses columns: City, Total Sales (₹). This table uses columns: State, Button text, Enabled?. This table uses columns: Wrong result, Reason, Correction. Values shown are the lesson examples already on this page (not a new dataset).
Fictional sample data. Practice file: visuals_orders_apr_may_2026.csv (source: src/practice/).
Demonstrate
- Insert › Buttons › Blank › Button text See store details.
- Format › Action On › Type Drill through › Destination Store detail.
- Optional: Button text fx:
IF(HASONEVALUE(Orders[City]), "See " & SELECTEDVALUE(Orders[City]) & " details", "Select one city"). - Click the Pune bar, then Ctrl + click the button.
Show the result
Your result should look like this (fictional sample):
| State | Button text | Enabled? |
|---|---|---|
| No selection | Select one city | No |
| Pune selected | See Pune details | Yes |
Explain what happened
The button checks the current selection. With exactly one City it becomes active and passes that City to the target page.
Explore further
- Disabled style can be formatted separately (greyed out).
Detailed reference for this lesson:
Steps in Power BI – from the City Summary page
- On City Summary, build a bar chart: Y-axis = Store Name, X-axis = Total Orders, with a City slicer set to Pune.
- Right-click the Blinkit Kothrud Hub bar › Drill through › Dark Store Details.
- The target page opens, filtered to that store. Check the drill-through filter card in the Filters pane.
- Click the Back button. In Desktop, hold Ctrl while clicking buttons. In the Service or in Reading view, a normal click works.
Drill-through button (more discoverable than right-click)
- Insert › Buttons › Blank. Set Format button › Button › Action = On, Type = Drill through, Destination = Dark Store Details.
- Button › Text: "Select a store, then click for details". Use fx on the text so it says
"Click to see " & SELECTEDVALUE(DarkStore[Store Name]) & " details"when a store is selected. - The button is disabled until the user selects exactly one store in a visual. Style the Disabled state (grey) and add a Disabled tooltip text such as "Select one store first".
Ravindra Bagale's Tip
Friends, many students forget the Back button, which leaves users stuck on a hidden page. Power BI adds one automatically when you set up drill through; keep it, place it in the same spot on every detail page, and test the full path as a user would. This matters for both exams and interviews.
Ravindra Bagale's Tip – मराठी
मित्रांनो, बरेच students Back button विसरतात, त्यामुळे users hidden page वर अडकून पडतात. Drill through set करताना Power BI आपोआप एक button जोडतो; तो ठेवा, प्रत्येक detail page वर त्याच जागी ठेवा, आणि user जसा वापरेल तसा पूर्ण path test करा. हे exam आणि interview दोन्हीसाठी important आहे.
Ravindra Bagale's Tip – हिंदी
दोस्तों, बहुत से students Back button भूल जाते हैं, जिससे users hidden page पर अटक जाते हैं. Drill through set करते समय Power BI अपने आप एक button जोड़ता है; उसे रखो, हर detail page पर उसी जगह रखो, और user की तरह पूरा path test करो. यह exam और interview दोनों के लिए ज़रूरी है.
Fix common mistakes
| Wrong result | Reason | Correction |
|---|---|---|
| Button always disabled | Source visual not using City | Select a visual that contains the drill field |
| Button text stays generic | No fx text | Add the dynamic text measure |
| Two cities selected, then disabled | Needs exactly one value | Expected; explain in the text |
Practise independently
Practice task
What does the button say when Kolhapur is selected?
Hints
- Dynamic text measure.
Solution
See Kolhapur details – and it opens the detail page with orders 305 and 308 (₹450).
Think like a professional
Buttons make drill-through discoverable for people who never right-click. Adoption improves when actions are visible.
Revision card