1 minute read

Declutter Your Power BI Visuals with Dynamic TOPN

Tired of over-crowded visuals that don’t say much?

One of the most common issues in Power BI reports is a bar chart (or table) overflowing with category values — sometimes dozens. Sure, the data is technically complete… but is it really helping the user focus?

Probably not.

When visuals are too busy, they lose clarity and purpose. That’s where Dynamic TOPN comes in.

🎯 What is Dynamic TOPN?

Instead of showing every single category, you can show only the Top N performing values — where N is defined by the user, using a slicer or dropdown.

For example:

  • Show Top 5 Products by Sales
  • Let users switch to Top 10, Top 20, or even All
  • Keep visuals clean and focused — without hardcoding the logic

🧰 What You’ll Learn

In my latest YouTube video, I walk through exactly how to create a Dynamic TOPN experience in Power BI using:

  • A parameter table for the user-defined N value
  • A simple but powerful DAX measure to apply the ranking dynamically

🎥 Watch the full tutorial here:
👉 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qybaOgLtfoM&t

🔍 Why Use Dynamic TOPN?

Here’s why it works:

  • ✅ Improves performance by reducing the number of rendered elements
  • ✅ Enhances user control with adjustable granularity
  • ✅ Tells a clearer story — focused on what matters

✅ Pro Tips

  • Pair with field parameters to let users choose between metrics (e.g., Sales, Profit, Quantity)
  • Use tooltips or drillthroughs to dig deeper into items outside the Top N
  • Add a line chart below to track trends of the selected Top N over time

💬 Final Thoughts

This small technique can drastically improve the readability and flexibility of your Power BI reports. It’s one of those underrated tricks that feels small but has a huge impact.

If you’ve tried something similar — or want to explore Bottom N or Top N by different metrics — drop a comment or reach out. I’d love to hear how you’re using this in your own work!

✍️ Written by: Manpreet Ragi
📺 YouTube Channel: Bite Analytics
🌐 More on the blog: https://bite-analytics.com/blog

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