How to Add Timeline in Power BI

Updated on:

May 12, 2026

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Use this interactive demo to learn how to create an interactive timeline slicer in Power BI.

Quick summary

Adding a timeline in Power BI lets you filter report data across date ranges using an interactive slider. You can create this by converting a date slicer into a timeline visualization through the Format pane's Slicer settings.

Steps

Open the Visualizations pane on the right side of your Power BI workspace.
Click the Slicer visualization icon to add a new slicer to your report.
Drag your Date field from the Fields list into the slicer so Power BI recognizes it as a time field.
With the slicer selected, click the Format icon (the paint roller) to open visual customization options.
In the Format pane, find and expand the Slicer settings section.
Click the slicer type dropdown and select Timeline instead of the default Dropdown option.
Your interactive timeline is ready — drag the sliders or select specific time periods to filter date ranges across your report.

📌 Why this matters

Adding a timeline slicer in Power BI transforms static date filters into an interactive, drag-to-select date range control that makes time-based analysis faster and more intuitive. This feature is especially valuable for business analysts and report consumers who need to explore trends across months, quarters, or custom date ranges without manually editing filter settings. A Power BI timeline slicer improves dashboard usability, reduces the time to insight, and gives non-technical users a self-service way to explore time-series data. It is one of the most effective ways to make Power BI reports more dynamic and stakeholder-ready.

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