3.3Slicers, filters & visual interactions
The essentials in 30 seconds
- Slicers are the user's visible filters; the Filters pane carries the author's constraints, with three scopes: visual, page, report.
- Interactions between visuals are adjustable: by default everything filters everything, but each pair is configured (filter, highlight, none).
- A global KPI can ignore clicks on a histogram — it is the setting that avoids the "why does my KPI change when I click here?".
Running mini-case — Zineb equips her page with smart filters
Zineb's summary page, in Algiers, fills up with slicers and becomes unreadable: one slicer per column, and the slightest click makes all the figures jump. She reorganises according to the section: she keeps two useful axes — City (as buttons) and a date range — and puts the rest in the Filters pane, including a page filter that quietly excludes a test category without cluttering the canvas. For her "Total sales" KPI card, she opens Format → Edit interactions and sets it to "None" from the histogram: the total sales stay global when exploring the bars. Finally, she duplicates the page and syncs the City slicer between the two (View → Sync slicers).
Standalone case for this section: it returns in the course, the diagram, the script and the 48h challenge of section 3.3.
1. Three levels of interactivity
Interactivity is driven at three levels. The slicers: the visible filters offered to the user — list, dropdown, date range. The Filters pane: the restrictions placed by the author, with three scopes (visual, page, report). And the interactions between visuals: by default everything filters everything, but each pair is adjusted.
2. Edit interactions
The setting Format → Edit interactions avoids the classic "why does my KPI change when I click here?": for each pair of visuals, you choose between filter, highlight or none. A global KPI can thus ignore clicks on a histogram and keep telling the right story.
3. Restraint with filters
Beware of restraint: too many slicers kill the report. Aim for 2 to 4 useful filtering axes, not one slicer per column. What the user often manipulates stays visible; what they rarely adjust goes in the pane; what they must not change is locked. Zineb remembers: slicers = user, pane = author.
🔎 Concrete example — 🔎 Concrete example — A KPI that ignores clicks
Zineb adjusts her interactions to keep a global KPI:
Select the « Total revenue » KPI card
→ Format → Edit interactions
→ set it to « None » from the Cities histogram
= the KPI stays global when exploring the bars.Reading: the "None" action cuts the filter link between the histogram and the card: the KPI no longer moves when you click.
Lesson: each pair of visuals is adjusted (filter / highlight / none) — the choice is conscious, not suffered.
Section vocabulary
- Slicer
- The interactive filter placed ON the page: list, dropdown, date range, buttons — the report's user interface.
Simple example: Zineb places a City slicer as buttons at the top of her page.
What it is not: an author filter hidden in the pane.
Reflex: the user often adjusts it → visible slicer.
- Filters pane
- The author's filters: on THIS visual, on THIS page, or on the WHOLE report — invisible or visible depending on the setting.
Simple example: Zineb excludes a test category there with a page filter.
What it is not: a slicer the user manipulates.
Reflex: author constraint → Filters pane.
- Interactions
- The cross behaviour of visuals: Format → Edit interactions → for each pair, filter / highlight / none.
Simple example: Zineb sets the "Total sales" KPI card to "None".
What it is not: an automatic filtering you do not drive.
Reflex: a KPI that jumps → moderate the interaction.
- Cross-highlighting
- The default mode of some visuals: the selected share is highlighted instead of filtering — can be changed to "filter" if needed.
Simple example: Zineb highlights a city without reducing the others.
What it is not: a filtering that hides everything else.
Reflex: show without hiding → highlight.
- Slicer sync
- View → Sync slicers: the same slicer acts on several pages — navigation consistency.
Simple example: Zineb syncs the City slicer between two duplicated pages.
What it is not: a slicer specific to a single page.
Reflex: several pages → sync the slicers.
In practice — In practice — Equip the page with smart filters
- Add two useful slicers: City (Tile/buttons style) and a date range (Between style) — test their effect on the whole page, as with Zineb.
- Filters pane: place a PAGE filter (e.g. exclude a test category) — note that it acts without being visible on the canvas.
- Select your "Total sales" KPI card → Format → Edit interactions → set it to "None" from the histogram: the KPI stays global when exploring the bars.
- Duplicate the page and sync the City slicer between the two (View → Sync slicers).
Step-by-step script — equip the page like Zineb (7 min)
1) Add two useful slicers: City in buttons style and a date range in Between style. 2) Test their scope on the whole page. 3) In the Filters pane, place a PAGE filter that excludes a test category: it acts without being visible on the canvas. 4) Select the "Total sales" KPI card → Format → Edit interactions → set it to "None" from the histogram. 5) Duplicate the page and sync the City slicer (View → Sync slicers).
A KPI that changes when you click a bar? It is not a bug: it is an interaction to adjust.
Copy-paste template — my filters page
Slicers (user) : City (buttons) + date range (Between)
Filters pane (author) : PAGE filter = exclude the test category
Interactions : « Total revenue » KPI card → None from the histogram
Synchronization : City slicer shared between pages
Rule: 2-4 useful axes, not one slicer per column.City slicer
Zineb offers a City slicer as buttons: the user filters the whole page in one click.
Hidden page filter
Zineb excludes a test category in the Filters pane: the constraint acts without cluttering the canvas.
Global KPI
Zineb sets the "Total sales" card to "None": it resists clicks on the histogram.
Synced slicers
Zineb syncs the City slicer between two pages: the selection follows the navigation.
✓ Best practices
- Distinguish slicers (user) and the Filters pane (author): two roles.
- Consciously choose a filter's scope (visual/page/report).
- Set "Edit interactions" so that a global KPI ignores clicks.
✗ Common pitfalls
- Multiplying slicers (one per column kills the report).
- Letting all visuals filter each other without thinking.
- Forgetting that a page filter acts without being visible on the canvas.
Key takeaways
- Slicers = the user's filters; Filters pane = the author's constraints: two distinct roles.
- The scope of filters (visual/page/report) is a conscious choice every time.
- "Edit interactions" adjusts each pair of visuals: a global KPI can ignore clicks.
- Too many slicers kill the report: 2-4 useful filtering axes, not one per column.
48h challenge — apply it tomorrow
Equip a page like Zineb: two useful slicers (City + dates), a page filter in the pane, then set the "Total sales" KPI card to "None" from the histogram. Verify that the KPI stays global when you click a bar.
- I distinguish slicers (user) and the Filters pane (author).
- I choose a filter's scope: visual, page or report.
- I set "Edit interactions" for a global KPI.
Frequently asked questions
Filter or slicer: what to choose for the end user?
The criterion is frequency of use. What the user manipulates OFTEN becomes a slicer visible on the page; what they adjust RARELY stays in the Filters pane, left accessible; what they must NOT change becomes a locked or hidden filter. This hierarchy (slicer for the frequent, pane for the occasional, lock for the forbidden) keeps the report clear and reliable.
Can I prevent the reader from modifying my filters?
Yes. In the Filters pane, each filter has a padlock (lock: active and visible but frozen) and an eye (hide: invisible, it acts behind the scenes). In Reading mode, the reader can no longer alter these settings: this is how a report is bounded to its legitimate scope.
What is "Edit interactions" for?