Microsoft Certification, PL-300, Power BI

Configure Bookmarks (PL-300 Exam Prep)

 
This post is a part of the PL-300: Microsoft Power BI Data Analyst Exam Prep Hub; and this topic falls under these sections:
Visualize and analyze the data (25–30%)
   --> Enhance reports for usability and storytelling
      --> Configure Bookmarks

Note that there are 10 practice questions (with answers and explanations) at the end of each topic. Also, there are 2 practice tests with 60 questions each available on the hub below all the exam topics.

Overview

Bookmarks in Power BI are a powerful feature used to capture and recall the state of a report page. For the PL-300 exam, this topic focuses on understanding what bookmarks store, how they are configured, and when they should be used to improve usability and storytelling.

Bookmarks are a core tool for creating guided analytics, interactive navigation, and dynamic report experiences—all without changing the underlying data model.

What Is a Bookmark in Power BI?

A bookmark captures a snapshot of a report page at a specific point in time, including selected visual states and settings. When a bookmark is applied, Power BI restores the report to that saved state.

A bookmark can store:

  • Filter and slicer selections
  • Visual visibility (shown or hidden)
  • Drill and sort states
  • Page-level settings

Bookmarks do not store the data itself—only how the report is presented.

What Can Be Configured in a Bookmark

Understanding bookmark configuration options is essential for the exam.

Key Bookmark Properties

When configuring a bookmark, you can choose whether it captures:

  • Data
    Stores filter, slicer, and highlight states.
  • Display
    Stores visual visibility, spotlighting, and focus mode.
  • Current Page
    Applies the bookmark to the active page only.

These options allow report authors to control how much of the report state is restored when a bookmark is used.

Common Use Cases for Bookmarks

Bookmarks are primarily used to enhance usability and storytelling, not for data analysis itself.

Typical Scenarios

  • Creating navigation buttons (Next, Back, Reset)
  • Toggling between summary and detail views
  • Showing or hiding visuals based on user interaction
  • Building guided presentations or walkthroughs
  • Resetting filters to a default state

If a scenario describes interactive navigation or guided user flow, bookmarks are usually the correct feature.

Bookmarks and Buttons

Bookmarks are often paired with buttons to create an app-like experience.

Examples include:

  • Page navigation buttons
  • Toggle buttons to show/hide visuals
  • “Reset filters” buttons
  • Tab-style navigation within a page

On the PL-300 exam, questions frequently describe buttons triggering report behavior, which points directly to bookmarks.

Bookmarks vs. Drillthrough

It’s important to distinguish bookmarks from similar features.

Bookmarks

  • Preserve a report state
  • Enhance storytelling and usability
  • Do not require navigation to another page

Drillthrough

  • Navigates to a detail page
  • Passes filter context
  • Focused on deeper analysis

If the goal is presentation or interaction, bookmarks are preferred.
If the goal is data exploration, drillthrough is more appropriate.

Best Practices for Configuring Bookmarks

From an exam perspective, best practices help identify correct answers.

  • Name bookmarks clearly based on purpose
  • Decide whether to include data, display, or both
  • Avoid capturing unnecessary filters
  • Use bookmarks sparingly to reduce confusion
  • Test bookmarks with slicers and interactions

Limitations of Bookmarks

Bookmarks have some important limitations that may appear in exam questions:

  • They do not refresh dynamically with new data
  • They are static snapshots of report state
  • They can become outdated if visuals change
  • They do not replace security or filtering logic

If a scenario requires dynamic or data-driven behavior, bookmarks alone may not be sufficient.

PL-300 Exam Tip

Bookmark questions are usually framed as user experience problems, not technical challenges.

Ask yourself:

“Does the user need to navigate, toggle views, or return to a saved state?”

If yes, the correct answer is almost always bookmarks.

Key Takeaways

  • Bookmarks capture and restore report states
  • They enhance storytelling, navigation, and usability
  • They can store data state, display state, or both
  • They are often triggered by buttons
  • PL-300 focuses on when and why to use bookmarks

Practice Questions

Go to the Practice Questions for this topic.

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