Hierarchy vs. Display Folder in Power BI
Hierarchy
A hierarchy is a logical data structure that defines a drill-down path through related fields in a specific order. It creates a navigational structure for data exploration that follows a natural progression from broader to more granular levels.
Purpose & Functionality:
- Enables drill-down/drill-up navigation in visuals
- Defines a logical relationship between fields (e.g., Year → Quarter → Month → Day)
- Creates a single field in the Fields pane that expands to show levels
- Automatically appears in visuals as a single entity that users can expand
- Controls the order of drilling through data
Example: In the Contoso database, you might create a Date Hierarchy:
- Year
- Quarter
- Month
- Day
When you drag this hierarchy to a visual, users can click to drill from Year down to Quarter, then Month, then Day in that specific order.
Display Folder
A display folder is purely an organizational tool that groups related fields together in the Fields pane for better visual organization. It has no impact on functionality or data relationships.
Purpose & Functionality:
- Organizes fields into logical groupings in the Fields pane
- Reduces clutter by categorizing measures and columns
- Makes it easier to find related fields
- Has zero impact on how data works or relationships
- Purely cosmetic/organizational
Example: In a Sales table, you might create display folders like:
- "Revenue Metrics" (containing measures like Total Sales, Average Sale, Sales Growth)
- "Customer Metrics" (containing Customer Count, New Customers, Retention Rate)
- "Product Information" (containing Product Name, Category, Subcategory)
Major Differences
Aspect | Hierarchy | Display Folder |
Purpose | Functional - defines drill path | Organizational - groups fields |
Impact | Changes how data is navigated | Visual organization only |
Usage | Defines logical progression | Groups related items |
In Visuals | Single expandable field | Individual fields still separate |
Data Relationship | Creates defined relationship between levels | No relationship created |
Navigation | Enables drill-down/up | No navigation impact |
In essence: Hierarchies are about HOW users navigate data, while display folders are about HOW fields are organizedin the development environment.
Hierarchy vs. Display Folder in Power BI
Hierarchy
A hierarchy is a logical data structure that defines a drill-down path through related fields in a specific order. It creates a navigational structure for data exploration that follows a natural progression from broader to more granular levels.
Purpose & Functionality:
- Enables drill-down/drill-up navigation in visuals
- Defines a logical relationship between fields (e.g., Year → Quarter → Month → Day)
- Creates a single field in the Fields pane that expands to show levels
- Automatically appears in visuals as a single entity that users can expand
- Controls the order of drilling through data
Important: When you create a hierarchy, the original columns remain in the table at their original location. The hierarchy appears as an additional item, so you'll see both the individual columns AND the hierarchy structure.
Example: In the Contoso database, you create a Date Hierarchy with Year → Quarter → Month → Day. After creation, you'll see:
- Date table with all original columns (Year, Quarter, Month, Day) still visible
- PLUS a new "Date Hierarchy" item showing the drill-down structure
Display Folder
A display folder is purely an organizational tool that groups related fields together in the Fields pane for better visual organization. It has no impact on functionality or data relationships.
Purpose & Functionality:
- Organizes fields into logical groupings in the Fields pane
- Reduces clutter by categorizing measures and columns
- Makes it easier to find related fields
- Has zero impact on how data works or relationships
- Purely cosmetic/organizational
Important: When you assign fields to a display folder, the columns physically move into that folder. They are no longer visible in the table's main field list - they only appear inside the folder you created.
Example: In a Sales table, you create a "Revenue Metrics" display folder and add Total Sales, Average Sale, and Sales Growth measures. After creation:
- These measures are NO LONGER visible in the main Sales table field list
- They now only appear inside the "Revenue Metrics" folder
- The Sales table appears cleaner with fewer visible fields
Major Differences
Aspect | Hierarchy | Display Folder |
Purpose | Functional - defines drill path | Organizational - groups fields |
Impact | Changes how data is navigated | Visual organization only |
Original Columns | Remain in the table | Move into the folder |
Visibility | Columns visible in BOTH locations | Columns only in folder |
Usage | Defines logical progression | Groups related items |
In Visuals | Single expandable field | Individual fields still separate |
Data Relationship | Creates defined relationship between levels | No relationship created |
Navigation | Enables drill-down/up | No navigation impact |
Practical Example: Date Table
Scenario: You have a Date table with Year, Quarter, Month, and Day columns.
If you create a HIERARCHY:
Date Table
├── Year (still visible here)
├── Quarter (still visible here)
├── Month (still visible here)
├── Day (still visible here)
└── Date Hierarchy (NEW)
├── Year
├── Quarter
├── Month
└── Day
Result: You see the columns twice - original locations AND inside hierarchy.
If you create a DISPLAY FOLDER:
Date Table
└── Date Components (folder)
├── Year (moved here)
├── Quarter (moved here)
├── Month (moved here)
└── Day (moved here)
Result: The columns are ONLY inside the folder - main table appears cleaner.
In essence:
- Hierarchies = Functional navigation tool that creates a drill path while keeping original columns visible
- Display Folders = Organizational tool that physically relocates fields to reduce clutter in the Fields pane