Count and Distinct Count showing the same labels in the values field well

[ferdsjoseph]

When I drag the same field (e.g. site id) twice in the values field well of a matrix visual and set one as count and the other distinct count, the labels are both showing as "count" instead of one as count and the other as distinct count. I had to right-click on the field to find out which one I set as distinct.

[v-sgandrathi]

Hi @ferdsjoseph, 

I wanted to check if you had the opportunity to review the information provided by @Ritaf1983 , @FBergamaschi. Thank you for responding to the query, Please feel free to contact us if you have any further questions.

Thank you and continue using Microsoft Fabric Community Forum.

[v-sgandrathi]

Hi @ferdsjoseph,

As we did not get a response, may I know if the above reply could clarify your issue, or could you please help confirm if we may help you with anything else?

Your understanding and patience will be appreciated.

[ferdsjoseph]

Hi @v-sgandrathi,

This wasn't really a big issue for me as I know I can rename fields in the visual and I don't normally use implicit measures except for quick checks like this one.  This was more of an fyi for Microsoft if it wants to make the behavior consistent with how it works in Excel where count and distinct count are labeled properly when added to pivot tables.  I wanted to open a ticket with MS Support but somehow landed here.  Is this a known issue/bug?

[v-sgandrathi · Accepted solution]

Hi @ferdsjoseph,

This is a known UI behavior in Power BI Desktop, especially when using implicit measures in visuals like Matrix or Table. As observed, both "Count" and "Distinct Count" appear with the same label when added to the Values field, which can lead to confusion unless they are manually renamed.

Although this is not considered a functional bug, the summarizations themselves are accurate the labeling inconsistency has been a long-standing usability concern, particularly when compared to Excel’s Pivot Table. 

There is an existing Idea thread on the Power BI Ideas forum requesting clearer labeling for implicit measures, which you may consider upvoting.

https://community.fabric.microsoft.com/t5/Fabric-Ideas/idb-p/fbc_ideas

Your feedback is valuable and helps highlight areas for improvement. If you wish, you can submit this formally through the Power BI Support channel to ensure it reaches the product team.

https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/power-bi/support/create-support-ticket

Thank you.

[Ritaf1983]

Hi @ferdsjoseph 

You can rename them maully according to your needs:

If this post helps, then please consider Accepting it as the solution to help the other members find it more quickly

[ferdsjoseph]

Thanks, Rita. I do know about renaming fields in visuals. It's just that with this issue, I have to be careful I rename the correct one since they look the same unless I right-click and check what summarization is being done. I was hoping Microsoft would fix this behavior in PBI Desktop. In Excel, this issue doesn't exist in pivot tables. Have a nice day!

[Ritaf1983]

Hi @ferdsjoseph 

The whole issue here is mostly a UI story.

Dragging fields into the Values pane is a less recommended practice, because:
A. It’s less flexible
B. It gives you less control
C. It often causes filter context issues, especially in total rows

The general recommendation is to create explicit DAX measures instead of relying on implicit ones.

There’s a detailed article on the topic:
Understanding explicit vs. implicit measures in Power BI

As for the label naming – this is a known issue.
There’s also an open idea from 2019:
Distinct count vs Count Viz Pane Difference
Feel free to vote.

If this post helps, then please consider Accepting it as the solution to help the other members find it more quickly

[FBergamaschi]

Yes, it is known

You could create an idea to chance the label in the ideas section

If this helped, please consider giving kudos and mark as a solution

@me in replies or I'll lose your thread

Want to check your DAX skills? Answer my biweekly DAX challenges on the kubisco Linkedin page

Consider voting this Power BI idea

Francesco Bergamaschi

MBA, M.Eng, M.Econ, Professor of BI