Power BI Report Builder is a paginated report authoring tool that enables users to create pixel-perfect, print-friendly reports for Power BI Report Server and Power BI Service. It is ideal for financial statements, invoices, operational reports, and formatted tables that require precise layout control. Unlike interactive Power BI reports, paginated reports are designed to fit across multiple pages and can be exported as PDF, Excel, Word, or CSV.
Getting Started with Power BI Report Builder
Power BI Report Builder allows users to design paginated reports that fetch data from SQL Server, Azure, Power BI datasets, and other sources. These reports are structured with tables, charts, and grouped data, making them perfect for business intelligence (BI) reporting and document generation.
Why Use Power BI Report Builder?
Power BI Report Builder is useful for:
- Creating print-ready reports with precise formatting.
- Developing multi-page reports with headers, footers, and page breaks.
- Exporting reports to PDF, Word, Excel, or XML.
- Fetching data from SQL Server, Azure, Power BI, and other sources.
- Embedding charts, tables, and parameters for interactive filtering.
It is best suited for financial reports, invoices, statements, and structured data summaries.
Step 1: Install Power BI Report Builder
To get started, download and install Power BI Report Builder:
- Go to the official Microsoft Power BI Report Builder (https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download).
- Click Download and install the application.
- Open Power BI Report Builder after installation.
Now you are ready to create paginated reports.
Step 2: Connect to a Data Source
To retrieve data for your report:- Open Power BI Report Builder.
- Click New Report > Table or Matrix Wizard.
- Click Create a New Dataset > Next.
- Select SQL Server, Power BI Dataset, or another source.
- Enter the server name, database, and credentials.
- Click Test Connection > OK.
Step 3: Design Your Report
To create a paginated report:
- Go to Insert > Table, Matrix, or Chart.
- Select a dataset and choose columns to display.
- Use Grouping & Sorting to organize data.
- Add Headers & Footers for page numbers and titles.
- Insert images, text boxes, and conditional formatting.
- Click Run Report to preview.
Reports can contain tables, matrices, bar charts, pie charts, and parameters for filtering.
Step 4: Apply Filters and Parameters
Adding parameters allows users to filter reports dynamically:
- Go to Report Data > Parameters.
- Click Add Parameter and set a name and data type.
- Link the parameter to a dataset (e.g., filter by Customer Name or Date).
- Use Dropdowns, Text Inputs, or Date Pickers for user selection.
- Preview the report to test parameter-based filtering.
Parameters help users customize report views dynamically.
Step 5: Export and Publish the Report
Once the report is complete, export it to different formats or publish it to Power BI Report Server.
Export the Report:
- Click File > Export.
- Select PDF, Excel, Word, CSV, XML, or PowerPoint.
- Save the report locally or share via email.
Publish to Power BI Report Server:
- Click File > Save As > Power BI Report Server.
- Enter the Power BI Report Server URL (`http://servername/reports`).
- Click Save to publish the report.
Now, users can access the report in the Power BI Report Server web portal.
Best Practices for Power BI Report Builder
To create efficient paginated reports:
- Use SQL queries or stored procedures for optimized data retrieval.
- Apply filters and parameters to reduce query load.
- Limit row counts to avoid large exports in Excel or PDF.
- Use pagination and page breaks to improve readability.
- Design reports in landscape or portrait mode based on print requirements.
- Optimize fonts, colors, and spacing for a professional look.
Following these best practices ensures fast, user-friendly reports.
Conclusion
Power BI Report Builder is an essential tool for creating paginated, print-ready reports. By integrating with SQL Server, Power BI datasets, and other data sources, users can generate detailed financial reports, operational summaries, and formatted tables. With parameters, export options, and publishing to Power BI Report Server, organizations can ensure accurate, structured, and professional reporting.
