How to create a quick measure in Power BI: step by step

João Barros 06 de July de 2026 4 min read

Quick measures in Power BI let you run common, powerful calculations — like a running total — without writing a single line of DAX. Power BI generates the formula behind the scenes, which is perfect for beginners who want reliable results in seconds. The task below shows how to turn a plain sales column into a total that grows over time.

Prerequisites

Power BI Desktop installed and up to date.
A model with a fact table (for example Sales) that has a numeric column, such as Total.
A calendar table (for example Calendar) with a Date column, related to the fact table.
Comfort with dragging fields in the Data pane.

Step 1: Open the "New quick measure" dialog

In the Data pane on the right, find the Sales table. Hover over it, click the three dots (...) and choose New quick measure. Alternatively, the same Quick measure button is also available on the ribbon. A panel opens with two parts: on the left you pick the calculation, on the right you set the fields.

Step 2: Choose the "Running total" calculation

In the Calculation list, open the Totals group and select Running total. This calculation adds up values cumulatively as it moves through the dates: January shows January's value, February shows January plus February, and so on. It is the simplest way to answer the question "how much have we sold so far?".

Step 3: Fill in the fields

The panel asks for three things. Drag each field from the Data pane into the matching box:

Base value: drag the Total column. Power BI applies the Sum aggregation automatically.
Field: drag the Date column from the Calendar table. This column sets the order of accumulation.
Direction: choose Ascending to accumulate from past to present.

Confirm with OK. Power BI creates a new measure with an automatic name and shows the formula in the formula bar. The result will look similar to this:

Total running total in Date =
CALCULATE(
    SUM('Sales'[Total]),
    FILTER(
        ALLSELECTED('Calendar'[Date]),
        ISONORAFTER('Calendar'[Date], MAX('Calendar'[Date]), DESC)
    )
)

The best part is that you did not write any of these functions: they were all generated for you. Even so, it is worth reading the formula carefully, because it is an excellent way to learn DAX from a real, working example.

Tip: give the measure a clear name, such as Cumulative sales. Double-click the name and type the new one. Descriptive names save a lot of time as the model grows.

Step 4: Show the measure in a visual

Add a Line chart to the report. Put the Date column on the X axis and drag the new measure into the values well. The line should rise continuously, never dropping, because a running total only grows or stays flat. If the line drops, the direction or the date column is probably wrong.

Check the result

To be sure it is correct, create a Table with three columns: Date, the original Total measure, and the new running-total measure. On each row, the cumulative value should equal the sum of all totals up to and including that date. Do a final check: the last cumulative value must be exactly equal to the grand total of sales. If the two numbers match, the quick measure is working as expected.

Conclusion

You have built a running total in Power BI without writing DAX, using only a quick measure — and you are left with a ready-made formula that doubles as study material. The next step is to explore the other calculations in the same panel, such as Year-over-year change or Average per category, and compare the DAX each one generates. Which calculation will you let Power BI write for you next?