We can leverage Bookmarks capability in Power BI and take our reports to the next level. Using the bookmarks concepts, we can add an information panel as shown below.

Create an Image

Now, to achieve this information bar for your reports, make a picture as shown below.

You will have to create an image of the size 16:9 as our reports also have the same size. This can vary if you have modified your report page size. Now you can align the bubble clouds as per your visual placing and decide on the text you wish to write in it.

You can use any image editing tools to make a picture like this below which aligns with your report. Alternatively, you can use Microsoft PowerPoint or Canva as they are the easiest tool to use.

To design such an image in Microsoft PowerPoint, open a new PowerPoint and add a screenshot of your report to the slide covering the whole slide.  This should happen seamlessly without any pixelation of the image as the PowerPoint page size and the report page size have the same page ratio.

Goto to the Insert ribbon and select Shapes. Insert bubble cloud/callouts of your choice from the shapes provided. Add text that is required to go along with your reports.

After designing, the slide should look something as shown below.

Subsequently, delete the report screenshot to result in the image as shown below.

Now, add a rectangular box from the shapes in Insert Ribbon. Further, we have to edit the shape and make it transparent.  To do so, go to the format image shape and goto shape styles and click the downward arrow.

A window will pop up as shown below.

Select any preset of your choice.

Once done, group all the elements in the slide including the callout and this rectangular box. Then right-click on the grouped element and choose Save as Picture. This way the image will be saved with transparent background.

Bookmarks in Power BI

Let’s switch to Power BI and set up the bookmark.

First, add a button that you can use to switch between the bookmarks. You can go with the information button as it seems apt. Alternatively, you can use a button of your choice and requirement.

Once the button is added, bookmark this page and name it as InfoPanelClose. To create a bookmark goto to the Bookmarks in the View Ribbon.

Then choose Add.

Goto to the Insert ribbon.

Insert the image created in the previous step and cover the full page with it as shown below. Bookmark this page as well and name it as InfoPanel.

Now switch back to the InfoPanelClose bookmark again and from the selection pane hide the Image and update the bookmark.

All the required bookmarks are created and updated. Lastly, we will have to add actions to our information button and the image to switch between these bookmarks.

 Navigate to InfoPanelClose bookmark. Select the information button. Go to the Format image and set up its action.

• Select the Type as Bookmark.
• Bookmarks as the InfoPanel, as when we will click on this button we will be transferred to the InfoPanel Bookmarked page.

Similarly set up the action for InfoPanelClose. Goto the InfoPanelClose bookmark page. Select the inserted image and configure the bookmark action to InfoPanel.

Once done with all the above steps, save your changes.

You are good to go now!!!

Pragya Verma
Data Analyst
Addend Analytics