Easy Tech TutsHow to Use Drill Through in Power BI Easily 2026
By Impran M N
Cramming every level of detail onto one dashboard page overwhelms viewers and clutters your design. This guide shows how to use Power BI's drillthrough feature to build a dedicated details page that automatically filters based on what a user clicks on the summary page. You'll also learn the newer tooltip-based drillthrough shortcut for faster discoverability.
01Create a details page
Add a new page, rename it something like Product Details, and build granular visuals such as detailed transaction tables.
02Set the drillthrough field
In the Visualizations pane, scroll to the Drillthrough section and drag your matching category field, such as Product Category, into the filters well.
03Note the automatic back button
Power BI automatically adds a Back button in the top-left corner of your details page so users can return to the summary.
04Enable the tooltip shortcut
Optionally, select your main visual, go to Format, General, Tooltips, and toggle on the Actions footer for a hover-based drillthrough option.
05Test the interaction
On your summary page, right-click a data point, hover over Drillthrough, and click your target page name to confirm it filters correctly.
Frequently asked questions
How do I return to the summary page after drilling through?
Power BI automatically adds a styled Back button to the top-left of the details page that returns users to their previous view.
Can I drill through using a hover tooltip instead of right-click?
Yes, enabling the Actions footer under Tooltips lets users drill through directly from a hover menu instead of the right-click context menu.
What field should I use for the drillthrough filter?
Use a categorical field or unique ID column that matches between your summary and detail pages, such as Product Category.
Does drillthrough carry over other active filters?
Yes, the rendering engine automatically bundles active slicer states and passes them along with the drillthrough filter to the target page.
Watch the full walkthrough
The same steps, demonstrated on screen from start to finish.
