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Power BIbi_tool~5 mins

Dashboards vs reports in Power BI - Compared

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Introduction
Dashboards and reports help you see your data clearly. Reports show detailed data and multiple pages. Dashboards give a quick view of key info on one page.
When you want to explore data deeply with many charts and tables, use a report.
When you need a quick summary of important numbers, use a dashboard.
When sharing insights with others who want to see many details, use a report.
When you want to monitor key metrics at a glance, use a dashboard.
When you want to combine visuals from different reports in one place, use a dashboard.
Steps
Step 1: Open
- Power BI Desktop
You see the report canvas where you can create detailed reports.
Step 2: Create
- Report canvas
Add multiple visuals like charts and tables on different pages.
Step 3: Publish
- Power BI Desktop, Home tab, click Publish
Your report is uploaded to the Power BI Service online.
Step 4: Go to
- Power BI Service, Workspace
You see your published reports and dashboards.
Step 5: Create
- Power BI Service, New > Dashboard
A blank dashboard page opens.
Step 6: Pin
- Report visual, click Pin icon
The visual appears on your dashboard.
Step 7: Arrange
- Dashboard page
You organize visuals to see key info at a glance.
Before vs After
Before
Report with multiple pages and detailed charts in Power BI Desktop; no dashboard created.
After
Dashboard in Power BI Service with key visuals pinned from reports, showing summary info on one page.
Settings Reference
Pin Visual
📍 Report visual toolbar in Power BI Service
Add report visuals to dashboards for quick access.
Default: Pin to existing dashboard
Dashboard Tiles
📍 Dashboard page in Power BI Service
Customize dashboard layout to highlight important data.
Default: Default size and position
Report Pages
📍 Report canvas in Power BI Desktop
Organize detailed data into multiple pages.
Default: One page
Common Mistakes
Trying to create dashboards in Power BI Desktop.
Dashboards can only be created in Power BI Service, not in Desktop.
Publish your report to Power BI Service, then create dashboards there by pinning visuals.
Expecting dashboards to have multiple pages like reports.
Dashboards are single pages designed for quick overview, not detailed multi-page analysis.
Use reports for detailed multi-page data exploration; use dashboards for summary views.
Summary
Reports show detailed data with multiple pages and visuals.
Dashboards show key visuals from reports on a single page for quick insights.
Create reports in Power BI Desktop and dashboards in Power BI Service by pinning visuals.