Overview:
In Power BI, a report is essentially a collection of visualization visuals that represent your data insights. A report can consist of a single page with one visual, or multiple pages full of visuals[1]. You can think of each page like a slide in a presentation deck – but unlike static slides, each report page in Power BI is interactive, meaning visuals update and respond to user actions (filters, selections)[1]. In this step-by-step lesson, we will build a multi-page Power BI report using the sample dataset Lesson 4 samplevisualizationdata_country.xlsx, demonstrating how to add pages, rename them, navigate between them, organize content logically (e.g. summary vs. detail pages), and briefly introduce the Drillthrough feature for interactive page-to-page navigation. By the end, you will have taken raw data to a full report with interactive visuals.

Step-by-Step Guide

1. Start with a report page and build visuals (Summary Page): When you create a new Power BI report, it begins with at least one blank page (often called Page 1 in Power BI Desktop)[5]. This is your canvas for visuals. Using the sample dataset, add a few visuals to this first page to create a high-level summary of the data. For example, you can create a column chart showing Total Sales by Country: in Power BI Desktop’s Report view, check the fields Country and Sales (from the Fields list). Power BI will automatically plot a chart (a column chart by default for one numeric value against one category)[7]. You might also add other visuals (like a card showing total sales, or a pie chart of sales by Product Category) on this page. Arrange the visuals in a clear layout. At this point, you have a report with one page containing multiple visuals. (Behind the scenes, the collection of these visuals on this page is what forms your Power BI report[1].) All visuals on a page are interactive by default – try clicking a segment of one chart; you’ll see it highlight related data in the other visuals, confirming that your page is interactive.

2. Add a new page to the report: To add another page to your report, use the New Page function. In Power BI Desktop, click the ➕ (plus) icon at the bottom of the report canvas (next to the existing page tab)[5]. This will create a second page (e.g., “Page 2”) and display it as a new tab at the bottom. The new page will be blank, showing an empty canvas with the Fields, Visualizations, and Filters panels ready for you to add content[7]. (In the Power BI service’s web editor, a similar “+” button allows adding pages in Edit mode.) You now have multiple pages in your report, which you can see as tabs labeled Page 1, Page 2, etc., along the bottom of the Power BI window[4].

3. Build visuals on the second page (Detail Page): Now, use the new page to display more detailed information or a different perspective of your data. For instance, if Page 1 is a high-level summary, you can use Page 2 for detail or breakdown figures. With the sample data, let’s create a detailed sales detail page. On Page 2, add a visual such as a table or a chart that shows granular data. For example, select Date, Product Category, and Sales from the Fields list – this will by default create a table listing total Sales by Date and Category (you can switch the visual type to a table in the Visualizations pane if needed). Arrange this table to make sure all columns are visible. Now Page 2 contains a detailed view of the data (e.g. sales by date and category, potentially across all countries). This separation of content is intentional: you have a summary on one page and detailed data on another page, making the report easier to navigate and read. Organizing content in this way follows best practices – avoid overcrowding one page with too many visuals, which can make it busy and hard to read[5]. Instead, keep high-level metrics on a summary page and move supporting details to a different page. (For example, a first page might show a summarized results overview, while a second page can list the underlying transactions or detailed breakdowns[2].)

4. Rename each report page: It’s helpful to give your pages meaningful names, especially as you add more pages. By default, pages are named “Page 1”, “Page 2”, etc. In Editing view, double-click the page tab name at the bottom to rename it[6]. Rename Page 1 to “Summary” (since it contains the high-level visuals) and rename Page 2 to “Details” (as it shows detailed data). Press Enter after typing each new name. Renaming the pages makes it clear to any viewer what each page contains. (Power BI simply requires that you’re in edit mode and the owner of the report to rename pages[6].)

5. Navigate between pages: Now that you have two pages (Summary and Details), you can easily switch between them to view the different report sections. In Power BI Desktop (and in the service Edit view), the page tabs are displayed along the bottom of the report canvas[4]. To go to the Details page from the Summary page (or vice versa), just click on the page’s tab at the bottom. The selected page tab will be highlighted, and the canvas will show that page’s visuals. In reading or presentation mode, report page tabs typically remain visible for navigation (they may appear along the bottom or side depending on settings, but by default in the Desktop they are at the bottom)[4]. You can think of this like moving between slides in a slideshow – except here each page’s visuals are live and interactive. Try interacting with the visuals on each page to ensure they all function (for example, filters or slicers on one page won’t affect other pages unless you’ve specifically synced them, so each page is a self-contained view).

6. (Optional) Use Drillthrough for interactive page navigation: A powerful feature in Power BI for multi-page reports is Drillthrough. Drillthrough allows users to click on a data point in one page and navigate to another page that is filtered to show details for that specific context[3]. We’ll set up a simple Drillthrough to demonstrate linking our Summary and Details pages:

   • Configure the Drillthrough target: Go to the Details page (the page that will show filtered detail). In the Visualizations pane, look for the Drillthrough filters well. Drag the field Country into the Drillthrough field well on this page (since our goal is to filter details by country). For example, if you drop “Country” under “Add drill-through fields here”, you’re telling Power BI that this page can be drilled into by country[3]. Make sure the Keep all filters option is on (this maintains any other filtering context when drilling through). Once you add a drillthrough field, Power BI automatically adds a Back button on the page[3]. You can reposition this back arrow icon as needed; it will let report viewers return to the previous page after drilling through.

   • Perform a drillthrough from the Summary page: Now go back to the Summary page. On the Summary page’s chart (Sales by Country), right-click on one of the data points – for example, right-click on the bar for USA (one of the countries). In the context menu that appears, you should see an option Drill through > Details (the name of the target page). Select Details from that Drillthrough menu. Power BI will navigate you to the Details page, but now it filters the visuals on that page to show data only for “USA” (the country you clicked)[3]. In other words, you have jumped to the detailed page in the context of a specific country. The table on the Details page now shows only the sales records for USA. This is identical to the scenario where a summary page displays aggregated results and a drillthrough page shows the transaction-level details for the chosen data point[2], but now you see it in action with our sample data.

   • Return to the summary: Use the Back button (the arrow icon that Power BI created) on the Details page to go back to the Summary page. This back navigation is built-in for drillthrough pages[3], making it easy for users to return after exploring details.

   Drillthrough is an advanced feature, but even in this simple form you can see its benefit: it lets report viewers explore deeper data on demand without cluttering the main page with all the details upfront. By configuring a drillthrough page, you kept the Summary page focused and high-level, and moved granular data to a separate page that’s just one click away. (You can create drillthrough pages for other contexts too, such as drilling from a regional summary to a region detail, etc., by adding different fields to the drillthrough well.)

Organizing Content Across Pages: Best Practices

• Use logical groupings for pages: Organize your report pages by content or audience. For example, have a Summary page for key metrics or an overview, and separate Detail pages for specific breakdowns (product details, regional data, etc.). This way, each page tells a focused part of the data story, and viewers can easily find the level of detail they need. Power BI reports can contain one or many pages, so take advantage of that to improve clarity[1].

• Avoid overcrowding a single page: Don’t try to put every chart and table on one page. Power BI gives you an unlimited canvas with multiple tabs – use them! If you place too many visuals on one page, it can become busy and difficult to read[5]. Instead, break out content into multiple pages when it makes sense (as we did by moving detailed data to its own page). This is similar to having multiple slides in a presentation to cover different topics instead of one jam-packed slide.

• Name pages meaningfully: Always rename your pages from the default “Page 1”, “Page 2”, etc., to names that indicate their content or purpose (e.g., “Sales Summary”, “Detail by Country”). This makes navigation intuitive for anyone using the report. Renaming is as simple as double-clicking the tab name in edit mode and typing a new name[6].

• Think of pages like interactive slides: Each page should have a clear purpose and a title (you can add a text box as a title at the top of each page if needed). Because pages are like slides, design them with a layout that’s easy to digest. Unlike PowerPoint slides, however, remember that report pages are interactive – users can filter and highlight data on each page, and visuals will respond dynamically[1]. Encourage exploration by ensuring slicers or filters on a page are clearly visible and usable.

• Use Drillthrough or navigation buttons for connectivity: If you have pages that logically connect (such as a summary page and several detail pages per category), consider using Drillthrough as demonstrated, or use Power BI’s buttons/bookmarks features to create a custom navigation experience. Drillthrough in particular is great for a master-detail pattern – it allows users to right-click and jump to a related detail page with filters applied[3]. This keeps your report streamlined while still providing depth where needed.

Summary and Next Steps

In this lesson, we created a Power BI report with multiple pages using an example dataset. We started with raw data in an Excel file and built a set of visuals on a summary page. We then added a new page to the report[5] and populated it with detailed data visuals. We learned how to rename pages to keep our report organized and how to navigate between pages by clicking the page tabs[4]. By structuring the report as a multi-page document, we treated it like a multi-slide presentation where each page focuses on a particular level of information, but with the added benefit that each page’s visuals are interactive and update with the data[1].

We also introduced the concept of Drillthrough pages – an advanced but powerful feature that lets users click on a data point in the summary and be taken to a detailed page filtered for that context (for example, clicking on a country’s data to see that country’s details)[3]. This demonstrated how to link pages together for a more interactive experience without overwhelming the main report page[2].

By now, you’ve seen how to go from an Excel dataset to a fully-fledged Power BI report with multiple pages of interactive visuals. You can continue to enhance this report by adding more pages as needed, refining the visuals, and even incorporating other features (like slicers, filters, or bookmarks for navigation).

Congratulations – you’ve built a multi-page Power BI report, and learned to organize and present data in a clear, logical way across summary and detail pages. Use these skills to create rich, multi-perspective reports for your own datasets, enabling viewers to explore data at both high-level and granular levels in a single Power BI report. [1]