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Creating a Paginated Report in Power BI Report Builder

Posted on by Zubair Shaik

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Here’s a detailed step-by-step guide on Creating a Paginated Report in Power BI Report Builder:

Introduction to Paginated Reports

Paginated Reports in Power BI are pixel-perfect, structured reports designed to be printed or shared as PDFs, Excel, or other formats. These reports allow for multi-page layouts, precise control over formatting, and are ideal for financial reports, invoices, operational summaries, or complex data tables. Unlike interactive Power BI reports, paginated reports display data in a fixed layout that adapts to multiple pages.

To create a Paginated Report, we use Power BI Report Builder, a standalone tool that allows you to create highly formatted reports with headers, footers, tables, charts, and more.

Step 1: Install Power BI Report Builder

Before creating a paginated report, you need to download and install Power BI Report Builder:

  1. Open your browser and go to the official Power BI website.
  2. Navigate to the Power BI Report Builder download page.
  3. Click Download and install the software by following the on-screen instructions.
  4. Once installed, launch Power BI Report Builder.

Step 2: Create a New Paginated Report

  1. Open Power BI Report Builder.
  2. Click File > New.
  3. Select Blank Report to start a new report.

Now, you will see an empty canvas with a “Report Data” pane on the left, where you can add data sources, datasets, parameters, and visual elements.

Step 3: Connect to a Data Source

A data source is where your report retrieves information from, such as a Power BI Dataset, SQL Server, SharePoint, or Excel.

  1. In the Report Data pane, right-click Data Sources and select Add Data Source.
  2. In the Data Source Properties window:
    • Enter a name (e.g., “Sales Data”).
    • Select a Connection Type:
      • Power BI Dataset (for cloud data from Power BI Service).
      • Microsoft SQL Server (for databases).
      • Excel, SharePoint, or other sources.
  3. Click Build and enter your server/database credentials if connecting to SQL Server.
  4. Click Test Connection to ensure everything is working.
  5. Click OK to save your data source.

Step 4: Create a Dataset

A dataset is a structured query that fetches data from the data source.

  1. In the Report Data pane, right-click Datasets and select Add Dataset.
  2. Give your dataset a name (e.g., “SalesReportData”).
  3. Select Use a dataset embedded in my report.
  4. Choose your previously created Data Source.
  5. Click Query Designer to build your query:
    • For SQL Server, write a SQL query (e.g., SELECT * FROM SalesTable WHERE Year=2023).
    • For Power BI Dataset, use DAX queries.
  6. Click OK to save.

Step 5: Insert a Table for Data Presentation

To display your dataset in a structured format, use a table.

  1. Click on the Insert tab in the ribbon.
  2. Select Table and drag it onto the canvas.
  3. In the Table Data pane, drag columns from your dataset into the table cells:
    • Example: Product Name, Sales Amount, Quantity Sold.
  4. Resize columns and adjust formatting (bold, font size, color, etc.).

Step 6: Format the Report

Make your report visually appealing and readable:

Adding a Report Title

  1. Click Insert > Text Box and place it at the top.
  2. Enter the title (e.g., “Monthly Sales Report“).
  3. Change font, size, and alignment.

Adding Headers and Footers

  1. Click View > Header & Footer.
  2. Add elements like:
    • Company logo
    • Date and Time
    • Page Number (=Globals!PageNumber & " of " & Globals!TotalPages).

Applying Conditional Formatting

To highlight high or low sales, use conditional formatting:

  1. Click on a column in the table.
  2. Right-click > Text Box Properties.
  3. Select Font > Conditional Formatting.
  4. Use an expression like: =IIF(Fields!SalesAmount.Value > 10000, "Green", "Red")
    • This changes the text color to green if sales exceed $10,000.

Step 7: Add Charts for Data Visualization

  1. Click Insert > Chart.
  2. Choose a Bar, Column, or Pie chart.
  3. Drag fields from your dataset into the chart.
    • Example: Sales by Region.
  4. Adjust formatting (colors, labels, legends).

Step 8: Add Report Parameters for User Input

Parameters allow users to filter data dynamically.

  1. In the Report Data pane, right-click Parameters > Add Parameter.
  2. Enter a name (e.g., StartDate).
  3. Set Data Type (e.g., Date/Time).
  4. In your Dataset Query, modify it to use the parameter: SELECT * FROM SalesTable WHERE SaleDate >= @StartDate
  5. When running the report, users can now select a date.

Step 9: Preview and Test Your Report

Before exporting or publishing, preview the report:

  1. Click Run (▶) on the toolbar.
  2. Verify:
    • Data is loading correctly.
    • Layout and formatting are correct.
    • Pagination and page breaks work as expected.

Step 10: Export the Report

Paginated reports are often exported to PDF, Excel, Word, or PowerPoint.

  1. Click File > Export.
  2. Select a format:
    • PDF for printing.
    • Excel for data analysis.
    • PowerPoint for presentations.
  3. Choose a location and save the file.

Step 11: Publish to Power BI Service

To share your paginated report, publish it to Power BI Service.

  1. Click File > Save As > Power BI Report Server.
  2. Enter your Power BI Service URL.
  3. Click Save & Upload.
  4. The report is now available in Power BI Service under Paginated Reports.

Conclusion

By following these steps, you have successfully created a Paginated Report in Power BI Report Builder. These reports are useful for financial statements, invoices, inventory reports, and operational summaries, providing highly structured, page-formatted data for printing and export.

Would you like additional customizations, automation, or dynamic filtering?

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