Power BI paginated reports are pixel-perfect, print-ready reports built in Power BI Report Builder. They are designed for multi-page documents such as invoices, statements and regulatory reports, not for interactive dashboards. A paginated report renders the same way on screen, as a PDF and on paper, which a standard Power BI report does not guarantee.

Paginated Reports vs. Standard Power BI Reports

A standard Power BI report is built for interactive exploration: slicing, filtering and drilling into visuals on screen. A paginated report is built for a fixed, formatted document that spans multiple pages and holds its layout no matter how it is rendered or printed. Use a paginated report when the output itself, not the exploration, is the deliverable.

Who Can Publish and View Paginated Reports

Publishing and viewing a paginated report depends on license type and workspace capacity:

• Free users can publish a paginated report only to their own My workspace.

• Pro or Premium Per User (PPU) users can publish to a shared workspace.

• Viewers need a Pro or PPU license too, unless the workspace sits on a Fabric F64 or larger capacity, or a Premium P capacity.

Our guides to Power BI Premium capacity and Power BI license cost cover what each tier includes and what it costs.

Key Features

• Detailed data presentation. Tables, charts and other elements can span multiple pages, suited to financial statements, invoices and operational reports.

• Customizable layouts. Full control over margins, headers, footers and page size in Power BI Report Builder.

• Parameters. Readers can filter the report dynamically while the layout stays fixed.

• Multiple export formats. Export to PDF, Word, Excel or CSV.

• Power BI service integration. Publish and manage paginated reports alongside regular reports and dashboards.

• Consistent rendering. Formatting holds across screen, PDF and print, which is what makes them suited to compliance and audit use.

• Reuses existing datasets. A paginated report can connect to a dataset already published in the Power BI service, or directly to SQL Server or Azure SQL Database, including any row-level security defined on it.

• Wider reach. A paginated report can be shared with people who do not have a Power BI dashboard or report license, since it is delivered as a document.

How to Create a Paginated Report

1. Install Power BI Report Builder, a free, standalone download from Microsoft.

2. Connect to a data source, such as SQL Server, Azure SQL Database, or a dataset already published in the Power BI service.

3. Design the layout in Report Builder's drag-and-drop canvas: add tables or matrices for detailed data, charts where useful, text boxes for titles and headers, and parameters for dynamic filtering.

4. Preview the report, then publish it to a workspace in the Power BI service.

For the full walkthrough of the Report Builder interface, see our guide to Power BI Report Builder.

Best Practices for Using Paginated Reports

• Define the report's purpose and audience before you start designing.

• Optimize the underlying queries. A slow query means a slow report, regardless of layout.

• Keep formatting consistent across reports: the same fonts, colors and layout conventions.

• Review reports on a set schedule and update them as source data or requirements change.

Common Challenges

• Setup feels complex at first. Start with a small dataset and a simple layout before adding parameters and multiple pages.

• Users are used to interactive dashboards. Show how a paginated report complements a dashboard rather than replacing it: one for exploration, one for the fixed document a stakeholder needs to file or print.

FAQs

What is the difference between a paginated report and a standard Power BI report?

A standard Power BI report is interactive and built for exploring data on screen. A paginated report is a fixed, formatted document, built to render identically on screen, as a PDF and on paper.

Do I need Power BI Report Builder to create a paginated report?

Yes. Report Builder is the design tool for paginated reports and is a free download from Microsoft.

Can a free Power BI user view a paginated report?

Only if it is published to that user's own My workspace, or to a shared workspace on Fabric F64 or larger capacity, or a Premium P capacity. Otherwise the viewer needs a Pro or Premium Per User license.

Sources

• Paginated reports in Power BI - Microsoft Learn

• Power BI license types - Microsoft Learn