Sorting, Selection Pane, Mobile Layout, and Accessibility

Quick Answer: Sort visuals by clicking column headers or using the More Options (three dots) menu. The Selection pane manages visual z-order (layering) and visibility. Mobile layout (View → Mobile Layout) provides a separate phone-optimized arrangement. Alt text on every visual is required for accessibility compliance.

Sorting Visuals

Basic Sorting

Click the three dots (...) menu on any visual:

More options (...) → Sort by → Select field → Sort ascending/descending

Table/matrix sorting: Click column headers directly to toggle sort direction.

Sort by a Different Field

You can sort a visual by a field that is not displayed:

1. Add the sort field to the visual's data wells
2. Sort by that field
3. Optionally hide the field from the visual display

Top N Filtering

Show only the top or bottom N items:

Filters pane → Select the visual-level filter → Filter type: Top N
→ Show items: Top/Bottom → Enter N → By value: Select measure

Example: Show only the Top 10 Products by Revenue

Selection Pane

The Selection pane manages visual layering and visibility:

View tab → Selection pane

Features

Grouping Visuals

Select multiple visuals → Right-click → Group → Group:

• Move, resize, and show/hide the group as one unit
• Useful for complex layouts with overlapping visuals
• Combined with bookmarks for toggle visibility patterns

Tab Order (Accessibility)

The Tab order view in the Selection pane controls the keyboard navigation sequence:

• Set the order users tab through visuals
• Skip visuals that don't need keyboard focus
• Essential for screen reader accessibility

Mobile Layout

Creating a Mobile Layout

View tab → Mobile Layout

The mobile layout designer provides:

• A phone-shaped canvas (portrait orientation)
• Drag existing visuals from the desktop layout onto the mobile canvas
• Resize and reposition for optimal mobile viewing
• Each visual can be configured independently for mobile

Mobile Layout Best Practices

1. Prioritize key metrics — show KPI cards and summary charts at the top
2. Reduce visual count — fewer visuals for smaller screens
3. Use larger touch targets — ensure slicers and buttons are finger-friendly
4. Simplify complex visuals — tables with many columns don't work well on phones
5. Test on actual devices — use the Power BI Mobile app to verify

Automatic Page Refresh (Mobile)

Configure visuals to auto-refresh at intervals:

Page Settings → Page Refresh → Set refresh interval

• Minimum interval depends on capacity type
• DirectQuery sources can refresh as frequently as every second
• Import sources are limited by scheduled refresh

Accessibility

Requirements for Accessible Reports

Writing Effective Alt Text

Good alt text: "Bar chart showing 2026 quarterly revenue. Q1: $2.4M, Q2: $3.1M, Q3: $2.8M, Q4: $3.5M. Revenue grew 46% from Q1 to Q4."

Bad alt text: "Chart" or "Revenue chart"

Dynamic Alt Text

Use measures for alt text that updates with filter context:

Revenue Chart Alt Text =
"Revenue chart showing " & FORMAT(SUM(Sales[Amount]), "\$#,##0") &
" total for " & SELECTEDVALUE('Date'[Year], "all years")

Report Personalization

Personalization allows report consumers to temporarily modify visuals:

File → Options → Report Settings → Personalize visuals = On

Users can:

• Change the visual type (bar → line → table)
• Add or remove fields
• Change aggregation type
• Modify sort order
• Save their personalized view as a personal bookmark

Important: Personalization changes are temporary and per-user. They do not affect the published report for other users.

Personalized Visuals

When enabled, users see an edit icon on visuals:

• Changes only affect the current user's view
• Personal bookmarks save the customization
• Authors can allow/deny personalization per visual

On the Exam

The PL-300 frequently tests:

• Using the Selection pane for visual layer management
• Creating mobile layouts for phone optimization
• Writing meaningful alt text for accessibility
• Configuring tab order for keyboard navigation
• Enabling and understanding report personalization