Power BI Paginated Reports – Comprehensive Guide

Power BI Paginated Reports are designed for pixel-perfect, highly formatted, and print-friendly reports. Unlike interactive Power BI reports, paginated reports display tabular-style data that can span multiple pages, making them ideal for financial statements, invoices, or operational reports.

1. What Are Power BI Paginated Reports?

Definition

Paginated reports are formatted reports that fit perfectly on a page and are optimized for printing or exporting. They are called “paginated” because they automatically adjust to multiple pages when the data extends beyond a single page.

Key Features

✔ Exact formatting – Control over page size, layout, and headers/footers.
✔ Multi-page support – Automatically paginates large datasets.
✔ Export to multiple formats – PDF, Word, Excel, CSV, XML, and PowerPoint.
✔ Data sources – Works with Power BI datasets, SQL Server, Azure Synapse, and other data sources.
✔ Printing-friendly – Unlike standard Power BI reports, paginated reports are ideal for print and document generation.

2. Prerequisites for Creating Paginated Reports

Before creating paginated reports, ensure you have:

Power BI Premium License (Paginated reports require Power BI Premium Per User or Premium Capacity).
Power BI Report Builder (A separate tool to design paginated reports).
Access to Power BI Service for publishing and sharing reports.

3. Installing Power BI Report Builder

Paginated Reports are created using Power BI Report Builder, a separate desktop application.

Step 1: Download Power BI Report Builder

Go to the Microsoft Download Center.
Click Download and install Power BI Report Builder.

Step 2: Open the Application

Launch Power BI Report Builder.
You will see a blank design canvas where you can create paginated reports.

4. Connecting to Data Sources

Before designing a report, you must connect to a data source.

Step 1: Open Data Source Connection

Click “Data Sources” in the Report Data pane.
Click “Add Data Source”.

Step 2: Select a Data Source

You can connect to: ✔ Power BI Datasets
✔ SQL Server Database
✔ Azure Synapse Analytics
✔ SharePoint Lists
✔ Excel Files
✔ Analysis Services Models

For example, if connecting to a Power BI Dataset:

Select Power BI Service as the data source.
Sign in to your Power BI account.
Choose a published dataset from your workspace.

5. Creating a Paginated Report

After connecting to a data source, follow these steps to design the report.

Step 1: Create a Dataset

Click “Datasets” in the Report Data pane.
Click “Add Dataset”.
Choose the data source you connected.
Write an SQL query or DAX expression to retrieve data.
Click OK.

Step 2: Add a Table to the Report

Click “Insert” > “Table” from the toolbar.
Drag and drop a table onto the canvas.
Assign data fields (e.g., Customer Name, Sales Amount).
Resize columns and format text for better readability.

Step 3: Add a Header and Footer

Click “Insert” > “Header/Footer”.
Add page numbers, report title, or logos in the header.
In the footer, add date and time or a copyright statement.

Step 4: Adjust Page Settings

Click “Report Properties”.
Set page size, margins, and orientation (portrait/landscape).

6. Formatting and Styling the Report

To make reports more readable and professional, apply formatting.

✔ Change Fonts & Colors: Use the Properties pane to modify font styles.
✔ Add Conditional Formatting: Highlight values using expressions (e.g., bold negative values).
✔ Sort & Group Data: Click on the group pane to add row/column grouping.
✔ Insert Charts & Visuals: Click “Insert” > “Chart” to display data graphically.

7. Previewing the Report

Before publishing, test how the report looks.

Click “Run” in the top menu.
Review the report pages.
Check for formatting errors, page breaks, and layout issues.

8. Exporting Paginated Reports

You can export paginated reports into different formats.

Step 1: Click “Export”

After previewing the report, click “Export” from the top menu.

Step 2: Choose Export Format

Available formats: ✔ PDF – Best for sharing and printing.
✔ Excel – Exports raw data for further analysis.
✔ PowerPoint – Converts report pages into slides.
✔ Word – For document-style reports.
✔ CSV/XML – Ideal for data processing.

9. Publishing Paginated Reports to Power BI Service

Once the report is finalized, publish it to Power BI Service.

Step 1: Sign in to Power BI Service

Click “File” > “Publish” in Power BI Report Builder.
Sign in to your Power BI account.

Step 2: Choose a Workspace

Select a Power BI Premium workspace (paginated reports require Premium).
Click “Publish”.

Step 3: Access the Report in Power BI Service

Go to Power BI Service.
Navigate to the workspace where the report was published.
Click the Paginated Report to open and view it.

10. Scheduling Report Subscriptions

To automate report delivery, schedule email subscriptions.

Step 1: Open the Paginated Report

Go to Power BI Service.
Click on the paginated report.

Step 2: Set Up a Subscription

Click “Subscribe”.
Enter recipients’ email addresses.
Select export format (PDF, Excel, etc.).
Choose delivery frequency (Daily, Weekly, Monthly).
Click “Save”.

11. Best Practices for Paginated Reports

✔ Optimize Performance – Avoid querying large datasets directly. Use stored procedures or summarized views.
✔ Use Dynamic Parameters – Allow users to filter data for customized report views.
✔ Apply Row-Level Security (RLS) – Restrict access to data based on user roles.
✔ Schedule Data Refresh – Keep reports updated with the latest data.
✔ Test Before Publishing – Ensure the report format looks correct before deployment.

Final Thoughts

Power BI Paginated Reports are powerful tools for creating print-ready, structured reports. Unlike standard Power BI reports, paginated reports excel at handling large datasets and detailed tabular reports. By following the steps above, you can design, format, and share paginated reports efficiently.

Would you like a real-world example or a sample paginated report template?