If you build or consume Power BI reports, you already know the frustration: you’re looking for a specific Customer ID or Product Code, and you have to endlessly scroll through a traditional dropdown slicer to find it. It’s tedious, time-consuming, and honestly, a bit outdated.
Well, Microsoft has finally solved this pain point. The Power BI Input Slicer (previously known as the "text slicer" during its preview phase) is now Generally Available (GA).
Whether you’re dealing with hundreds of customers or thousands of order IDs, this new visual lets you simply type or paste values directly into the slicer.
In this guide, I’ll walk you through exactly what the Input Slicer does, real-world scenarios where it shines, and a quick step-by-step tutorial on how to set it up today.
What is the Power BI Input Slicer?
Unlike traditional slicers that force you to select from a pre-populated list, the Input Slicer acts as a dynamic search bar for your report. You can type in exactly what you’re looking for, hit "Enter", and instantly filter your data.
Here is what makes it an absolute game-changer for data visualization in 2026:
- Type or Paste Multiple Values: Have a list of 10 specific Order IDs in Excel? Just copy them and paste them into the slicer. Each value becomes a neat little "pill," filtering your dashboard instantly.
- Partial Match Searching: Don't remember the exact account name? Just type a few letters. You can use operators like Contains or Starts with to find records instantly.
- Collect Free-Form Input: You can actually use this visual without connecting it to a data column. This allows you to capture user comments, approval notes, or data writebacks using Power BI's translytical task flows.
3 Real-World Scenarios Where the Input Slicer Shines
Still wondering how to apply this to your daily workflows? Here are three ways this feature will immediately upgrade your reports:
1. The "Needle in a Haystack" (Sales & Account Management)
Imagine a sales manager who needs to review 15 specific accounts out of a database of 10,000. Instead of hunting them down one by one in a dropdown, they can simply paste the 15 Account IDs into the Input Slicer. By setting the filter operator to "Is any" (exact match), the report instantly isolates only those 15 accounts.
2. The Partial Memory Search (Customer Support)
A support agent is looking for a ticket but only remembers that the customer's last name started with "John." By setting the slicer to "Starts with any," they can type "John" and immediately see data for Johnson, Johnston, and Johnstone. No heavy DAX required!
3. In-Report Data Writebacks
Reporting is no longer just a one-way street. By adding an Input Slicer with no data column attached, users can type in text (like an approval note or a reason for a metric drop). Coupled with a button triggering a translytical task flow, that text can be sent straight back to your underlying database.
How to Set Up the Input Slicer in Power BI (Step-by-Step)
Ready to try it out? Open up Power BI Desktop and follow these quick steps:
Step 1: Add the Visual
Head over to your Visualizations pane and select the Input Slicer icon. Drag the field you want to filter (e.g., Product Name or Order ID) into the slicer’s Field well.
Step 2: Start Typing
Click into the input box on your report canvas, type a value, and hit Enter. You’ll see the value turn into a pill shape, and your visuals will update automatically. Keep typing and hitting enter to add more filters!
Step 3: Customize Your Filter Operators
By default, the slicer uses the Contains any logic. However, you can click the dropdown arrow on the slicer to change the behavior. Options include:
- Contains all / Contains any
- Starts with any / Does not start with any
- Is any (Exact match) / Is not any
(Pro Tip: As a report creator, you set the default operator, but your end-users can change it on the fly while viewing the report!)
Step 4: Restrict to Single Values (Optional)
Want users to only search one thing at a time? Go to Format > Slicer settings > Options and toggle off Accept multiple values.
Final Thoughts
The transition of the Input Slicer to General Availability marks a massive shift in how we interact with Power BI reports. It makes dashboards feel less like static spreadsheets and more like modern, interactive web applications.
If you are dealing with high-cardinality columns (lists with thousands of unique values), swapping your traditional dropdowns for the Input Slicer is the #1 UX upgrade you can make this week.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Is the Power BI Input Slicer the same as the Text Slicer?
Yes! The Input Slicer was known as the "Text Slicer" while it was in preview mode. Now that it is Generally Available, Microsoft has officially named it the Input Slicer.
Can I paste multiple values from Excel into the Input Slicer?
Absolutely. You can copy a column of values from Excel or a text document and paste them directly into the Input Slicer to instantly create multiple filter "pills."
Does the Input Slicer work in the Power BI Service?
Yes, the Input Slicer is fully supported in both Power BI Desktop and the Power BI Service for report consumers.
Have you tried the new Input Slicer yet? Let me know in the comments below how you are using it to clean up your dashboard layouts!