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Large datasets: table vs paginated report

Native + report design

Interactive tables scroll, filter and drill. Paginated reports print, repeat headers and produce fixed-format output.

Working example
EmployeeDepartmentDateHours
Anna VisserOperations2026-03-0229.8 h
Bram VosOperations2026-02-0730.0 h
Carla JansenOperations2026-02-0835.8 h
Daan MulderOperations2026-02-2437.3 h
Eva DekkerOperations2026-03-1837.0 h
Femke SmitOperations2026-03-0836.6 h
Gijs PetersOperations2026-02-1429.5 h
Hanna BakkerRetail2026-03-0732.1 h
Ivo BosRetail2026-02-0430.6 h
Julia de VriesRetail2026-01-1838.0 h
Koen MeijerRetail2026-02-0435.0 h
Lotte HendriksRetail2026-02-1439.7 h
Mees VisserRetail2026-03-1338.7 h
Nina VosRetail2026-03-1339.9 h
Olaf JansenFinance2026-03-0635.8 h
Pien MulderFinance2026-01-2340.9 h
Quinn DekkerFinance2026-02-0340.6 h
Ruben SmitFinance2026-01-1329.2 h
Sanne PetersIT2026-01-2135.2 h
Tim BakkerIT2026-03-1637.0 h
Ursula BosIT2026-01-1929.2 h
Vera de VriesIT2026-01-0141.9 h
Anna MeijerIT2026-03-2037.1 h
Bram HendriksIT2026-02-2131.1 h
Carla VisserIT2026-02-0633.2 h

Optimised for scroll, filter, sort, drill and select. There are no page numbers — the visual scrolls virtually.

What it is

Two different products: the interactive Table/Matrix visual, and Power BI Paginated Reports (RDL).

When to use it

Choose paginated when the deliverable is a document; choose a table visual when the deliverable is exploration.

Native Power BI capability

Both are native to the platform, but they are separate report types with separate tooling.

UX considerations
  • Never design page-number controls for a standard table visual.
  • Long, printable, fixed-format lists are a paginated report requirement — say so in the spec.
BI developer considerations
  • Paginated reports are built in Report Builder, not Power BI Desktop.
  • Interactive tables rely on virtualised scrolling, not pagination.
QA considerations
  • Printed output repeats headers and paginates as specified.
  • Interactive table performance is acceptable at full row count.
Limitations
  • Standard visuals have no pagination.
  • Paginated reports have limited interactivity.
HTML prototype note

This interactive HTML example simulates the native Power BI behaviour. It is not Power BI itself and should not be interpreted as an implementation of the Power BI rendering engine.

Designer ↔ BI developer handoff
UX designer defines
  • Information hierarchy and column order
  • Required fields and measures
  • Default state (sort, filters, selection)
  • Interaction intent and what it should affect
  • Responsive priority and what may be dropped
  • Accessibility expectations and focus order
  • Empty, loading and error states
BI developer implements
  • Dataset fields, measures and relationships
  • Visual configuration in the format pane
  • Filters, sort order and interaction wiring
  • Drill-through / drill-down configuration
  • Conditional formatting rules
  • Row-level security and permissions
  • Query performance optimisation
QA validates
  • Data correctness against the source
  • Correct default state on first load
  • Sorting and filtering behaviour
  • Drill and selection behaviour
  • Permissions and row-level security
  • Empty states and responsive layout
  • Performance and export behaviour
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