topic Re: Conditional formatting on matrix visual in Custom Visuals Development Discussion

Conditional formatting on matrix visual

Nidhi09031992 — Wed, 12 Nov 2025 14:13:37 GMT

This is the data i have suppose i creating a matrix now , rows : Group, Metric .... Column : Account ,,,,values :kpi value , this table is created in bi now issue is i am not able to do conditional formatting on any metric level coz all values coming from kpi value column frombackend . I tried it with simple matrix with backend tableand one with customized table in BI .

Re: Conditional formatting on matrix visual

GeraldGEmerick — Wed, 12 Nov 2025 15:48:15 GMT

@Nidhi09031992 A bit hard to decipher the issue you are having. You can create a measure that returns a text color code like "#FF00FF" for example that is based on whatever logic you desire within the DAX code. For example:

Color = VAR _Metric = SELECTEDVALUE( 'Table'[Metric] ) VAR _Value = SELECTEDVALUE( 'Table'[Value] ) VAR _Return SWITCH( TRUE(), AND( _Metric = "Gap", _Value > 1000 ), "#FF0000", AND( _Metric = "Gap", _Value < 1000 ), "#00FF00", AND( _Metric = "Total order", _Value > 3000 ), "00FF00", "FFFFFF" ) RETURN _Return

Re: Conditional formatting on matrix visual

Nabha-Ahmed — Thu, 20 Nov 2025 07:52:13 GMT

Hi,

This is a common limitation in Power BI. When all values are in a single column (like KPI Value), conditional formatting cannot directly differentiate metrics because Power BI applies formatting on the aggregated value of the column, not per category inside it.

Solutions:

1. Create separate Measures for each Metric

e.g., Sales KPI, Profit KPI…

Add them to the Values section → now conditional formatting can be applied per Measure.

2. Use a Field Value Measure for formatting

Create a DAX Measure that returns a color code based on the Metric and KPI value.

Apply conditional formatting → Background Color → Field Value → choose this measure.

Either approach allows you to conditionally format per metric in a Matrix even when all values come from a s

ingle backend column.

Re: Conditional formatting on matrix visual

Olufemi7 — Wed, 17 Dec 2025 16:28:55 GMT

Hello @Nidhi09031992,

The reason you can’t apply conditional formatting at the metric level in your matrix is because all values (Target, Actual, Gap, etc.) are stored in a single KPI value column. Power BI treats them as one field, so formatting rules can only be applied to the field as a whole, not to individual metrics.

Workarounds:

Create separate measures for each metric using DAX, for example:

TargetOrder = CALCULATE(SUM('Table'[KPI Value]), 'Table'[Metric] = "Target order") TotalOrder = CALCULATE(SUM('Table'[KPI Value]), 'Table'[Metric] = "Total order") GapOrder = CALCULATE(SUM('Table'[KPI Value]), 'Table'[Metric] = "Gap")

Reshape the data so each metric is a separate column (Target Order, Total Order, Gap, etc.). This makes conditional formatting straightforward since each column is independent.
Advanced option: Use Calculation Groups in Tabular Editor to dynamically switch metrics while controlling formatting logic.

Supporting Microsoft Documentation
Apply Conditional Table Formatting in Power BI
“Conditional formatting is only available for values in tables and matrices, not for columns or rows in a matrix.”
Matrix Visual Format Settings
Explains customization options for matrix visuals and confirms that formatting applies to values, not row labels.

with the current “single KPI column” setup, conditional formatting per metric isn’t possible.

You’ll need either separate measures or a pivoted data structure to unlock metric‑level formatting.