Power BI provides multiple ways to explore data interactively. Two of the most commonly confused features are drilldown and drill-through. While both allow users to move from high-level insights to more detailed data, they serve different purposes and behave differently.
This article explains what drilldown and drill-through are, when to use each, how to configure them, and how they compare.
What Is Drilldown in Power BI?
Drilldown allows users to navigate within the same visual to explore data at progressively lower levels of detail using a predefined hierarchy.
Key Characteristics
- Happens inside a single visual
- Uses hierarchies (date, geography, product, etc.)
- Does not navigate to another page
- Best for progressive exploration
Example
A column chart showing:
- Year → Quarter → Month → Day
A user clicks on 2024 to drill down into quarters, then into months.
Here is a short YouTube video on how to drilldown in a table visual.
When to Use Drilldown
Use drilldown when:
- You want users to explore trends step by step
- The data naturally follows a hierarchical structure
- Context should remain within the same chart
- You want a quick, visual breakdown
Typical use cases:
- Time-based analysis (Year → Month → Day)
- Sales by Category → Subcategory → Product
- Geographic analysis (Country → State → City)
How to Set Up Drilldown
Step-by-Step
- Select a visual (bar chart, column chart, etc.)
- Drag multiple fields into the Axis (or equivalent) in hierarchical order
- Enable drill mode by clicking the Drill Down icon (↓) on the visual
- Interact with the visual:
- Click a data point to drill
- Use Drill Up to return to higher levels
Notes
- Power BI auto-creates date hierarchies unless disabled
- Drilldown works only when multiple hierarchy levels exist
Here is a YouTube video on how to set up hierarchies and drilldown in Power BI.
What Is Drill-through in Power BI?
Drill-through allows users to navigate from one report page to another page that shows detailed, filtered information based on a selected value.
Key Characteristics
- Navigates to a different report page
- Passes filters automatically
- Designed for detailed analysis
- Often uses dedicated detail pages
Example
From a summary sales page:
- Right-click Product = Laptop
- Drill through to a “Product Details” page
- Page shows sales, margin, customers, and trends for Laptop only
When to Use Drill-through
Use drill-through when:
- You need a separate, detailed view
- The analysis requires multiple visuals
- You want to preserve context via filters
- Detail pages would clutter a summary page
Typical use cases:
- Customer detail pages
- Product performance analysis
- Region- or department-specific deep dives
- Incident or transaction-level reviews
How to Set Up Drill-through
Step-by-Step
- Create a new report page
- Add the desired detail visuals
- Drag one or more fields into the Drill-through filters pane
- (Optional) Add a Back button using:
- Insert → Buttons → Back
- Test by right-clicking a data point on another page and selecting Drill through
Notes
- Multiple fields can be passed
- Works across visuals and tables
- Requires right-click interaction (unless buttons are used)
Here is a short YouTube video on how to set up drill-through in Power BI
And here is a detailed YouTube video on creating a drill-through page in Power BI.
Drilldown vs. Drill-through: Key Differences
| Feature | Drilldown | Drill-through |
|---|---|---|
| Navigation | Same visual | Different page |
| Uses hierarchies | Yes | No (uses filters) |
| Page change | No | Yes |
| Level of detail | Incremental | Comprehensive |
| Typical use | Trend exploration | Detailed analysis |
| User interaction | Click | Right-click or button |
Similarities Between Drilldown and Drill-through
Despite their differences, both features:
- Enhance interactive data exploration
- Preserve user context
- Reduce report clutter
- Improve self-service analytics
- Work with Power BI visuals and filters
Common Pitfalls and Best Practices
Best Practices
- Use drilldown for simple, hierarchical exploration
- Use drill-through for rich, detailed analysis
- Clearly label drill-through pages
- Add Back buttons for usability
- Avoid overloading a single visual with too many drill levels
Common Mistakes
- Using drilldown when a detail page is needed
- Forgetting to configure drill-through filters
- Hiding drill-through functionality from users
- Mixing drilldown and drill-through without clear design intent
Summary
- Drilldown = explore deeper within the same visual
- Drill-through = navigate to a dedicated detail page
- Drilldown is best for hierarchies and trends
- Drill-through is best for focused, detailed analysis
Understanding when and how to use each feature is essential for building intuitive, powerful Power BI reports—and it’s a common topic tested in Power BI certification exams.
Thanks for reading and good luck on your data journey!
The Data Community 