The ALLSELECTED function in DAX is used to respect slicers and filters while maintaining visibility into the selected values. However, it can sometimes produce unexpected results due to:
- Misinterpretation of Filter Context – ALLSELECTED retains filters at higher levels but removes them at lower aggregation levels, which can lead to confusing results when used within measures.
- Interaction with Other Filter-Related Functions – When combined with ALL, REMOVEFILTERS, or CALCULATE, ALLSELECTED may behave differently, depending on the evaluation context.
- Unexpected Behavior in Nested Calculations – If used inside a measure that is referenced by another measure, the context might not be preserved as expected.
How to Debug and Fix ALLSELECTED Issues
1. Use SUMMARIZE or ADDCOLUMNS to Inspect Filtered Values
To check which values ALLSELECTED is returning, use:
SUMMARIZE( Sales, Customers[Region], "Selected Values", COUNTROWS( ALLSELECTED( Customers ) ) )
This helps verify if the function is returning the expected row context.
2. Compare ALL vs. ALLSELECTED Results
Test your measure using ALLSELECTED and ALL separately:
Measure_AllSelected = CALCULATE( SUM( Sales[Amount] ), ALLSELECTED( Customers ) )
Measure_All = CALCULATE( SUM( Sales[Amount] ), ALL( Customers ) )
This will help you understand how the function is modifying the filter context.
3. Consider Using KEEPFILTERS or REMOVEFILTERS
If ALLSELECTED is not behaving as expected, try using KEEPFILTERS to maintain applied filters:
Measure_Fixed = CALCULATE( SUM( Sales[Amount] ), KEEPFILTERS( ALLSELECTED( Customers ) ) )
Alternatively, if you need to reset filters, use REMOVEFILTERS instead.
Best Practices for Using ALLSELECTED
- Use ALLSELECTED primarily for running totals, percentage of total calculations, or comparisons across a subset of filtered data.
- Avoid using it in nested or complex measure chains where filters might be reset unexpectedly.
- Test it in a simple table visual first before applying it in complex calculations.
