Easy Tech TutsHow to Use Button Slicer in Power BI Easily 2026
By Impran M N
Standard checkbox or dropdown slicers can feel clunky and visually inconsistent on a polished dashboard. This guide shows how to use Power BI's Button Slicer visual to create a responsive grid of filter buttons with custom hover and selected states. You'll learn how to configure rows and columns, style each button state, and even link external icon images to your filter options.
01Add the Button Slicer visual
In the Visualizations pane, find and select the Button Slicer icon, then drag your target field into the Field bucket.
02Configure the grid layout
In the Format pane, expand Layout and choose horizontal or vertical alignment, then adjust the Rows and Columns counts to shape your button grid.
03Style the hover state
Expand the Button card, select the State dropdown, choose Hover, and set a background fill or shadow effect for visual feedback.
04Style the selected state
Switch the State dropdown to Selected and assign a distinct accent color so users can clearly see active filters.
05Add text formatting or images
Adjust typography and multi-line text in the Callout Values section, or link external icon URLs through the Images container for a more visual layout.
Frequently asked questions
How is Button Slicer different from a regular slicer?
Button Slicer lets you build a customizable grid with distinct hover and selected states, plus optional images, instead of a plain checkbox or dropdown list.
Can I add icons to my button slicer options?
Yes, the Images container in the formatting panel lets you link external icon URLs directly to individual slicer buttons.
How do I arrange buttons into multiple rows?
Adjust the Rows and Columns values in the Layout section of the Format pane to control how your buttons are arranged.
Does the button slicer filter the whole report page?
By default it filters visuals on the same page like any standard slicer, and you can sync it across pages using Power BI's slicer sync feature.
Watch the full walkthrough
The same steps, demonstrated on screen from start to finish.
