How does relationship affect filter context?

< 1 min read

Relationships control how filter context flows between tables.
In a star schema, filters typically flow from dimension to fact table.
For example, if I select a specific Product Category, it filters the Sales fact table.
In one project, when users selected a Date, it filtered revenue correctly because of an active relationship.
If the relationship is inactive, the filter does not apply unless we use USERELATIONSHIP in DAX.
Direction of relationship also matters.
Single direction limits filter flow, while bidirectional allows filters to move both ways.
Incorrect relationships can cause wrong totals or duplicate values in reports.

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