Format top row headers alone in Matrix visual

[Kirthiga]

Hi Colleagues,

I would like to do the below formatting in OOB Power BI matrix visual,

1. Only the top level row header background colour has to be changed, if possible change the height of this as well

2. If a subcategory has blank values, then that should not be shown in the hierachy levels.

Example image for clarity:
OOB Matrix Visual:

The formatting that I am looking for:

Thanks in advance😊

[v-veshwara-msft]

Hi @Kirthiga ,

Just checking in to see if you query is resolved and if any responses were helpful. If so, kindly consider marking the helpful reply as 'Accepted Solution' to help others with similar queries. 

Otherwise, feel free to reach out for further assistance.

Thank you.

[v-veshwara-msft · Accepted solution]

Hi @Kirthiga ,

Thanks for reaching out to Microsoft Fabric Community.

Thanks for the detailed explanation and screenshots.

As already pointed out by @Elena_Kalina  and @Brianyoung , Power BI doesn’t allow applying background color to only the top-level row header. The formatting applies to all row headers at that level. Adjusting the height of just the top-level header isn’t supported either. Custom visuals from AppSource may help if more granular formatting is needed.

Regarding the blank subcategories, since they still contribute to aggregated values, the Matrix visual treats them as valid entries. You can consider adding a measure to filter out the blanks at the visual level if needed.

Hope this helps. Please consider marking the helpful reply as Accepted Solution and giving kudos to assist others with similar issues. Let us know if you need further help.

Thank you.

[Elena_Kalina]

Hi @Kirthiga 

• Power BI doesn't allow direct height adjustment for individual rows

• The background color change will apply to all headers at the same level

• For dynamic row colors, you would need to use a custom visual from AppSource

• Since subcategories are placed in rows and the column uses aggregation (sum), the matrix treats them as valid entries as long as they contribute to the aggregated value—regardless of whether their label is blank.

Here’s an example of the maximum possible customization you can apply to the matrix visual

If this post helps, then please consider Accepting as solution to help the other members find it more quickly, don't forget to give a "Kudos" – I’d truly appreciate it! 

Thank you.

[Kirthiga]

Hi @Elena_Kalina , thank you very much for the detailed explanation.

Your second points seems interesting to get to know more about it. Because when I tried to apply some background colour to row headers, it gets reflected to the entire header irrespective of the levels they are in. If you could point the steps to it, it would be more than helpful.

This is how it looks when I apply the background color to the row headers.

The Dummy data structure that I am using.

Thanks again!

[Elena_Kalina]

I'm providing some screenshots for you

[Brianyoung]

Power BI doesn’t let you format just the top row headers in a matrix separately. You can change the overall header style, but for more detailed formatting, you might need to use custom visuals or workarounds like creating your own header rows inside the data.