Tooltip for Specific Columns in Table Visual - One Column with Data Tooltip, Another with Static Tex

[Akshaymanjunath]

I'm working with a Table visual that includes the following fields:

> Category (column)

> T_id (column)

> PerformanceNote (measure)

❓ What I’m Trying to Achieve:

When hovering overT_id, I want a tooltip that displays the respective Source and Channel (both are columns from the same table).

When hovering over PerformanceNote (a measure), I want a tooltip that displays a static message like "Performance note is having certain rules."

🔧 What I’ve Tried:

I created a tooltip page with a UnifiedTooltip measure using SWITCH() and ISINSCOPE() logic like this:

DAX:

UnifiedTooltip = SWITCH( TRUE(), ISINSCOPE('MyTable'[T_id]), "Source: " & SELECTEDVALUE('MyTable'[Source]) & ", Channel: " & SELECTEDVALUE('MyTable'[Channel]), "Performance note is having certain rules." )

The tooltip page is configured correctly (tooltip enabled, page size set to Tooltip, card visual used).

The table visual has the tooltip page assigned in the format pane.

But the tooltip only shows forT_id, and does not show anything when hovering on PerformanceNote — presumably because PerformanceNote is a measure, not a column.

🤔 My Question:

Is there any way to:

Display a tooltip only for specific columns in a table visual?

Or detect when a measure (like PerformanceNote) is being hovered?

Or apply some kind of logic to show a static message when hovering on a measure?

Any workaround suggestions or best practices would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks in advance!

[DataNinja777]

Hi @Akshaymanjunath ,

Achieving your goal of displaying different tooltips for specific columns within a single table-like visual in Power BI requires a nuanced approach due to the platform's design. The core challenge you've encountered is that a standard Table visual applies a single tooltip context across the entire row, making it difficult to isolate a hover event on a specific column, particularly a measure. Your use of ISINSCOPE is logical for context detection, but in a simple Table visual, the context of the entire row often remains in scope, which explains why the tooltip doesn't trigger uniquely for your PerformanceNote measure.

The most effective and recommended solution is to pivot from the Table visual to a Matrix visual. The Matrix visual provides the necessary granular control to assign different tooltips to different data points. To implement this, you would first convert your table to a matrix. In the Matrix visual's configuration, place your Category and T_id fields into the "Rows" well and your PerformanceNote measure into the "Values" well. This setup will visually replicate your original table. The key difference lies in the formatting options. You can create two separate report pages, enabling the "Tooltip" option under "Page information" for each. One page will be for your dynamic T_id tooltip, and the other for your static PerformanceNote message.

For the T_id tooltip page, you would use a card visual with a measure to display the source and channel information. The DAX for this measure would be:

T_id_Tooltip_Measure =
"Source: " & SELECTEDVALUE ( 'MyTable'[Source] ) & ", Channel: "
    & SELECTEDVALUE ( 'MyTable'[Channel] )

On the second tooltip page, for the PerformanceNote, you would simply add a text box containing your static message: "Performance note is having certain rules." The final step is to assign these pages correctly. Select the Matrix visual, navigate to the "Format visual" pane, and under "Specific column," choose your PerformanceNote measure from the series dropdown. Here, you can assign the static text tooltip page specifically to this measure. Then, in the general "Tooltip" settings for the entire visual, you would assign the dynamic T_id tooltip page as the default. This configuration ensures that hovering over the PerformanceNote values shows the static message, while hovering over the row headers like T_id displays the dynamic source and channel information.

While the Matrix visual is the best practice, a more complex and less ideal workaround exists by layering transparent shapes or buttons over the columns of your original Table visual. You would create a transparent shape for the T_id column and another for the PerformanceNote column, carefully positioning them over the data. Each transparent shape can then have its own respective tooltip page assigned to it. However, this method is fragile, difficult to maintain if the table layout changes, and can interfere with user interactions like sorting or selecting text. Therefore, leveraging the inherent capabilities of the Matrix visual is the superior and more robust approach.

Best regards,