How to Add Data Labels in Power BI: 1-Min Guide

How to Add Data Labels in Power BI

Updated on:

June 5, 2026

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Use this interactive demo to learn how to display data labels on your Power BI visuals.

Quick summary

Adding data labels in Power BI lets you display exact values directly on your chart visuals, making reports easier to read at a glance. You enable them through the Format visual pane and can customize their position and density to suit your dashboard layout.

Steps

Select your visual in Power BI to make it active.
Open the Visualizations pane on the right side of the screen.
In the Visualizations pane, click Format visual to access formatting options.
Scroll down or search for Data labels, then toggle the switch On.
Once enabled, customize the position and density of the data labels to fit your visual.
Your data labels are now visible on the Power BI visual — repeat for any other charts in your report.

📌 Why this matters

Data labels in Power BI make reports significantly more readable by displaying exact values directly on charts, eliminating the need for viewers to cross-reference axes or hover for tooltips. This feature is especially valuable for business users who share dashboards with stakeholders who need clear, at-a-glance insights from bar charts, line graphs, and other visuals. Enabling and customizing data labels takes only a few clicks through the Format visual pane, making it one of the fastest ways to improve the clarity and professionalism of any Power BI report.

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