A paginated report in Power BI is a type of report designed for generating and distributing pixel-perfect, printable reports.

Unlike interactive Power BI reports, which are focused on data exploration and visualization, paginated reports are designed to closely resemble traditional printed reports.

They are especially useful for scenarios that require standardized layouts, fine-grained control over formatting, and consistent printing across various devices.

Here are some key features and characteristics of paginated reports in Power BI:

Pixel-Perfect Layout

Paginated reports allow you to design reports with precise control over layout, formatting, and positioning of elements such as tables, charts, images, and text.

Print-Ready

These reports are optimized for printing and exporting to formats like PDF, Excel, and Word. They ensure that the report's appearance remains consistent across different media.

Parameterization

Paginated reports support parameterization, enabling users to customize report content by selecting values or entering parameters before generating the report.

Data Sources

Similar to interactive Power BI reports, paginated reports can connect to various data sources, including relational databases, SQL Server Analysis Services, and Power BI datasets.

Pagination and Page Navigation

Paginated reports are divided into pages, and you can control page navigation, including the number of items per page and page breaks.

Dedicated Authoring Tool

Power BI Report Builder is the dedicated tool for creating paginated reports. It offers a design environment for laying out report elements, defining parameters, and specifying data sources.

Data Regions

Paginated reports use data regions, which are containers for displaying tabular data, charts, matrices, and more. Examples include tables, matrixes, and charts.

Expressions

You can use expressions to control content, calculations, and formatting within paginated reports, similar to formulas in Excel.

Drillthrough

Paginated reports support drillthrough actions, allowing users to navigate from one report item to another for more detailed information.

Export Options

Users can export paginated reports to various formats like PDF, Excel, Word, PowerPoint, and CSV. This is particularly useful for distributing reports to stakeholders.

Power BI Service Integration

You can upload and manage paginated reports in the Power BI service, where they can be scheduled for data refresh and viewed by users with appropriate permissions.

Consumption and Licensing

Access to paginated reports might require specific licensing, depending on the organization's Power BI subscription and usage needs.

Paginated reports in Power BI cater to scenarios where formatted, printable, and standardized reports are needed.

They offer fine control over layout, formatting, and parameterization while allowing users to generate reports in various formats suitable for printing and sharing.

Want to learn more? Check out my "What Is A...." blog series on common Power BI functionality:

What Is A Measure?

What Is A Slicer?

What Is Power Query?

What Is A Date Hierarchy?

What Is A Gateway?