Sorting
Native configurationColumn header sorting with ascending/descending state and a defined default.
| Employee | Department | Date | Hours | Performance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anna Meijer | IT | 2026-03-20 | 37.1 h | 96% |
| Anna Visser | Operations | 2026-03-02 | 29.8 h | 95% |
| Bram Hendriks | IT | 2026-02-21 | 31.1 h | 85% |
| Bram Vos | Operations | 2026-02-07 | 30.0 h | 81% |
| Carla Jansen | Operations | 2026-02-08 | 35.8 h | 78% |
| Carla Visser | IT | 2026-02-06 | 33.2 h | 67% |
| Daan Mulder | Operations | 2026-02-24 | 37.3 h | 93% |
| Eva Dekker | Operations | 2026-03-18 | 37.0 h | 82% |
Header click sorts one column, ascending or descending.
Saved default sort, sort-by-column, locked sorting.
Which column, which direction, and how the state is shown.
Set and publish the sort; model sort-by-column for text order.
The buttons above are a prototype control. In Power BI the user sorts by clicking the column header — there is no sort toolbar.
Users sort a table or matrix by clicking a column header; the report defines the initial sort order.
Always — every table needs an explicit, intentional default sort.
Yes. Single-column sort by header click; 'Sort by column' in the model controls text ordering (for example month names).
- Name the default sort column and direction in the specification.
- Show the active sort state clearly; the arrow alone is easy to miss on dense tables.
- Do not design multi-column sort chips — Power BI sorts by one column at a time.
- Set the sort in the visual before publishing; it is saved with the report.
- Use 'Sort by column' for non-alphabetical text ordering.
- Lock sorting via the visual header settings when the order is analytically meaningful.
- First load uses the defined default sort.
- Sorting a measure column sorts on the measure value, not the formatted string.
- One sort column at a time in a standard table visual.
- Sort state is per-session and is not shared between users unless bookmarked.
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.
- 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
- 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
- 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