# iv.Forced Selection

The **Forced Selection** option ensures that at least one item is always selected in the visual by default when it is opened. This prevents scenarios where no selection is made, improving performance and user experience.

Steps to Configure Forced Selection:

Enabling the **Forced Selection** option ensures that at least one item is always selected by default when the visual is opened.

{% stepper %}
{% step %}
Add a **Facet Filter** or **Hierarchy Filter** to the visual.
{% endstep %}

{% step %}
Navigate to the **Format Pane** → **Display Settings** → **Appearance Section**.
{% endstep %}

{% step %}
Enable **Forced Selection**.
{% endstep %}

{% step %}
In a **Hierarchy Filter**, the first item in the index is automatically selected.
{% endstep %}

{% step %}
In a **Facet Filter**, the first item in each category is preselected.
{% endstep %}
{% endstepper %}

<figure><img src="https://2237530339-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2FPIvQSuyE40UC9wv5uGgW%2Fuploads%2FPW6PrCBP08m2wY0A3N2U%2FScreenshot%202025-03-06%20103448.png?alt=media&#x26;token=981b68be-8f2d-4958-a138-08b149c89e9e" alt="" width="375"><figcaption><p>Image 1: Facet Filter when forced is enabled.</p></figcaption></figure>

{% hint style="warning" %}
This applicable only for **Facet Filters** and **Hierarchy Filters**.
{% endhint %}

### **Why Use Forced Selection?**

Power BI developers enable this feature to **optimize report performance**, especially for large datasets. By ensuring that a selection is always active, it prevents the report from loading the entire dataset at once, improving efficiency and responsiveness.