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Format axis labels as dates or currencies in a paginated report (Power BI Report Builder)

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APPLIES TO: Power BI Report Builder Power BI Desktop

When you show properly formatted DateTime values on an axis in a Power BI paginated report, a chart automatically displays these values as days. To specify a date/time interval for the x-axis, such as an interval of months or an interval of hours, you must format the axis labels and set the type of axis interval to a valid date or time interval.

Note

In column and scatter charts, the horizontal, or x-axis, is the category axis. In bar charts, the vertical, or y-axis, is the category axis.

To format time intervals correctly, the values displayed on the x-axis must evaluate to a DateTime data type. If your field has a data type of String, the chart won't calculate intervals as dates or times. For more information, see Charts (Power BI Report Builder).

When a numeric value is added to the y-axis, by default, the chart doesn't format the number before displaying it. If your numeric field is a sales figure, consider formatting the numbers as currencies to increase the readability of the chart.

Format x-axis labels as monthly intervals

  1. Right-click the horizontal, or x-axis, of the chart, and select HorizontalAxis Properties.

  2. In the HorizontalAxis Properties dialog box, select Number.

  3. From the Category list, select Date. From the Type list, select a date format to apply to the x-axis labels.

  4. Select Axis Options.

  5. In Interval, type 1. In Interval type property, select Months.

    Note

    If you do not specify an interval type, the chart will calculate intervals in terms of days.

  6. Select OK.

Format y-axis labels using a currency format

  1. Right-click the vertical, or y-axis, of the chart, and select VerticalAxis Properties.

  2. In the VerticalAxis Properties dialog box, select Number.

  3. From the Category list, select Currency. From the Symbol list, select a currency format to apply to the y-axis labels.

  4. Select OK.

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