22.6 Locking, Hiding, Renaming and Formatting Filters
Start with a problem
Rani wants cancelled orders always excluded on the operations report, and she does not want users to remove that filter.
Explain simply
In the Filters pane you can lock a filter (users cannot change it), hide it (users cannot see it), and rename filter cards. You can also format the pane.
Show the data
| Order ID | Order Date | City | Store | Platform | Category | Amount (₹) | Delivery mins | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 301 | 06-Apr-2026 | Pune | Kothrud | Blinkit | Dairy | 400 | 8 | Delivered |
| 302 | 06-Apr-2026 | Pune | Baner | Amazon Now | Snacks | 200 | 12 | Delivered |
| 303 | 07-Apr-2026 | Nashik | Gangapur | Blinkit | Dairy | 300 | 14 | Delivered |
| 304 | 04-May-2026 | Nashik | College Road | Blinkit | Fruits | 150 | 9 | Delivered |
| 305 | 04-May-2026 | Kolhapur | Rajarampuri | Amazon Now | Snacks | 450 | 7 | Delivered |
| 306 | 05-May-2026 | Pune | Kothrud | Blinkit | Fruits | 250 | 16 | Delivered |
| 307 | 05-May-2026 | Nashik | College Road | Amazon Now | Dairy | 350 | 11 | Delivered |
| 308 | 05-May-2026 | Kolhapur | Rajarampuri | Blinkit | Dairy | 0 | Cancelled |
About this data: This table uses columns: Order ID, Order Date, City, Store, Platform, Category, Amount (₹), Delivery mins, Status. This table uses columns: Measure, Without filter, With locked filter. 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
- Report-level filter:
Statusis Delivered. - Click the lock icon on the filter card.
- Optionally click the eye icon to hide it from users.
- Rename the card: Delivered orders only.
Show the result
Your result should look like this (fictional sample):
| Measure | Without filter | With locked filter |
|---|---|---|
| Total Orders | 8 | 7 |
| Total Sales | ₹2,100 | ₹2,100 (308 was ₹0) |
Explain what happened
The filter removes order 308 for every visual; its ₹0 amount did not change sales but changed counts.
Explore further
- Hidden filters are a common reason for wrong numbers – document them on an About page.
Detailed reference for this lesson:
- Lock filter (padlock icon on the card): readers can see it but not change it. Example: lock "Country is India".
- Hide filter (eye icon): readers do not see it at all. Example: hide the "Exclude test stores" filter.
- Rename: double-click the filter card title ("Store Name" → "Dark Store").
- Hide the whole pane from readers: click the eye icon next to Filters in the pane header.
- Format the pane: click an empty canvas area › Format page › Filter pane (background, font, icon colour, width, border) and Filter cards (Available and Applied card colours, border, font). Highlighting Applied filters in yellow helps readers.
- Apply button: File › Options and settings › Options › Current File › Query reduction › Filters: Add a single Apply button to the filter pane to apply changes at once (and a similar option for slicers). This is useful with DirectQuery (the data stays in the source, and every click sends a live query).
Persistent filters and Reset to default
In the Service, the filter and slicer changes of each reader are remembered for them by default. The Reset to default button in the report header returns to the author's saved state.
Ravindra Bagale's Tip
Friends, many students leave development filters visible and unlocked, so users accidentally remove the "Delivered only" filter. Lock filters that must always apply, hide technical ones, and rename the filter cards so users understand them. It's very simple – just make it a habit.
Ravindra Bagale's Tip – मराठी
मित्रांनो, बरेच students development चे filters visible आणि unlocked ठेवतात, त्यामुळे users चुकून "Delivered only" filter काढून टाकतात. नेहमी लागू राहायला हवेत असे filters lock करा, technical filters hide करा, आणि users ना समजतील अशी filter cards ची नावं द्या. एकदम simple आहे, फक्त सवय लावून घ्या.
Ravindra Bagale's Tip – हिंदी
दोस्तों, बहुत से students development वाले filters को visible और unlocked छोड़ देते हैं, जिससे users गलती से "Delivered only" filter हटा देते हैं. जो filters हमेशा लागू रहने चाहिए उन्हें lock करो, technical filters hide करो, और filter cards के ऐसे नाम रखो जो users समझ सकें. बहुत आसान है, बस आदत बना लो.
Fix common mistakes
| Wrong result | Reason | Correction |
|---|---|---|
| Users report wrong order count | Hidden filter they cannot see | Rename and show it locked, or document |
| Lock not respected in Desktop | Authors can always edit | Lock affects report readers |
| Cancelled orders needed elsewhere | Report-level filter too broad | Use page level |
Practise independently
Practice task
With the locked filter, what is the cancellation rate measure?
Hints
- No cancelled rows remain.
Solution
0% (or blank) – which is misleading. Keep cancellations on a page without this filter.
Think like a professional
Hidden logic should be visible somewhere. Good reports include a definitions page listing locked filters.
Revision card