Hi, I'm Tom Blessing. I'm an expert at helping small to mid-sized companies adopt Power BI. I'm also a recovering investment banker, with deep experience applying technology to otherwise manual data problems. I have dual degrees in Finance and Technology Management from Indiana University.

Resources to help build your fundamentals: Learning Power BI? Data fundamentals are critical for this process to be easier. I've assembled a few DataCamp courses to help. I earn a small commission if you click and purchase.

Introduction to Power BI course: Master Power BI basics and learn to build impactful reports.

Exploratory Data Analysis in Power BI course: Learn about Power BI's Exploratory Data Analysis (EDA) and enhance your reports.

Introduction to SQL course: Learn how to create and query relational databases using SQL in just two hours.

Introduction to DAX course: Learn the fundamentals of Data Analysis Expressions (DAX) such as calculated columns, tables, and measures.

Database Design course: Learn to design databases in SQL to process, store, and organize data in a more efficient way.

The Filled Map visual in Power BI allows you to display data in a geographical context, making it easy to analyze and interpret trends based on location.

In this blog post, I'll explore how to take your Power BI reports to the next level by configuring your Filled Map as a slicer, a feature that enables you to interactively filter and explore data through maps.

What Is a Filled Map Slicer?

A Filled Map slicer is a Power BI feature that combines the functionality of a slicer with the visual appeal of a filled map.

It allows you to create a dynamic and interactive filter that can be applied to various visuals on your report.

By selecting specific geographical regions on the map, you can filter the data displayed in other visuals, providing a seamless and engaging way to explore your data.

How to Create a Filled Map Slicer in Power BI:

• Data Preparation: To use a Filled Map slicer effectively, ensure your dataset contains geographical information, such as country, state, city, or latitude and longitude coordinates. This data is essential for mapping and filtering. I use this address-to-geocode-converter if you need one: https://www.geoapify.com/tools/geocoding-online 

• Insert a Filled Map Visual: Start by adding a Filled Map visual to your Power BI report. You can find it in the Visualizations pane. 

• Your Map Becomes Your Slicer: Your map becomes your slicer for any related table. You can select data in a region on the map and your related table becomes filtered based on the selected region! But - you need to add a selection device called a Lasso. Go to Format Your Visual in the Visualizations Pane, then toggle on the Lasso Button.  

•  Customize Your Filled Map Slicer: Customize the appearance of your Filled Map by adjusting colors, legends, and tooltips. This step enhances the user experience and makes your report more visually appealing.

• Interact with Your Filled Map Slicer: Now, when you select specific regions or areas on the map, the slicer will dynamically filter the data displayed in other visuals on your report, providing a powerful way to explore your data. 

  • Before slicer is applied: 
  • After Lasso / slicer is applied:

Benefits of Using a Filled Map Slicer:

1. Enhanced Interactivity: Filled Map slicers offer a dynamic and engaging way for users to filter and explore data by geographical regions.

2. Contextual Insights: By visualizing data on a map, users can gain a better understanding of regional trends and patterns, which can be particularly valuable for location-based analysis.

3. Improved User Experience: Filled Map slicers enhance the overall user experience of your Power BI reports by providing an intuitive and visually appealing filtering mechanism.

4. Storytelling: Use Filled Map slicers to tell a compelling data story by allowing users to focus on specific areas of interest.

Conclusion

The Filled Map slicer is a powerful tool in Power BI that combines the benefits of interactivity and geographical context.

By following the steps outlined in this blog post, you can create engaging and informative reports that allow users to explore data in a meaningful way.

Incorporating a Filled Map slicer into your Power BI reports is a great way to elevate your data visualization game and provide valuable insights to your audience.