Power BI: Transform Hyperlinks into Icons for Better User Experience

How to Display hyperlinks as icons in Power BI reports?

Power BI is a powerful business analytics tool that allows you to visualize your data and share insights across your organization. One of the features of Power BI is the ability to include hyperlinks within your reports, which can direct users to external webpages. This article will guide you through the process of turning a text hyperlink into a clickable icon in Power BI, enhancing the visual appeal and functionality of your reports.

Step 1. Import Your Data

Begin by importing your data into Power BI. Your dataset might look something like this.

Step 2. Create a Report

Create a new report in Power BI and add a table or a matrix visual to display your data. When you drag the fields (e.g., Company Name and Website) into the values area, Power BI will initially treat the URL as plain text.

Step 3. Define the URL Field

To inform Power BI that a particular field contains URLs, follow these steps.

• Select the URL Field: Click on the field that contains the URLs (e.g., Website).
  
• Go to the Modeling Tab: In the ribbon at the top of the screen, go to the "Modeling" tab.
• Change the Data Category: With the URL field selected, look for the "Data Category" dropdown in the Modeling tab. Change the data category from "Uncategorized" to "Web URL".
  
• By setting the data category to Web URL, Power BI understands that this field contains hyperlinks.

Step 4. Display URLs as Icons

Displaying URLs as icons instead of plain text can make your report look cleaner and more professional. Here’s how to do it.

• Select the URL Field: Click on the URL field within your visual.
• Go to the Format Tab: In the visualizations pane, click on the "Format" tab (represented by a paint roller icon).
• Enable URL Icons: Under the "Values" section, look for the "URL icon" option and toggle it to "On".
  
• Now, the URLs will be displayed as clickable icons in your report. Users can click these icons to open the corresponding webpage in their.
  

Example Scenario

Imagine you are creating a report that lists various companies and their websites. Initially, the report might display the company names and their websites as plain text. By following the steps above, you can transform the URLs into icons, making your report more interactive and visually appealing.

Final Touches

Once you have turned the URLs into icons, you might want to adjust the size and style of your icons to better fit your report’s design. You can find these options in the same formatting pane where you enabled the URL icon setting.

Conclusion

Using Power BI’s feature to display hyperlinks as icons not only enhances the visual appeal of your reports but also improves user experience by making it easier to navigate to linked web pages. By following the steps outlined in this article, you can effectively incorporate clickable icons into your Power BI reports, making your data presentations more dynamic and interactive.

By making these simple adjustments, you can leverage Power BI’s capabilities to create more engaging and functional reports that provide a seamless user experience.

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