Grid Heatmap Pro
Overview
Grid Heatmap is a Power BI visual that plots risks (or any categorized items) on a configurable matrix. Each cell on the grid represents a combination of X and Y axis values, and bubbles within each cell represent individual items. Cell color intensity reflects how many items fall in that zone, helping you quickly identify concentrations of risk.
Data Fields
| Field | Required | Description | Example Data |
|---|---|---|---|
| Risk | Yes | The name or identifier of each item (e.g., risk title). One bubble is rendered per row. | ["Vendor dependency", "Regulatory change", "Data breach"] |
| X Axis | Yes | The value that determines which column the item falls in (e.g., Impact score 1–5). | [1, 2, 5] |
| Y Axis | Yes | The value that determines which row the item falls in (e.g., Probability score 1–5). | [2, 5, 4] |
| Legend | No | A categorical field used to color-code and group items by series. | ["Operational", "Compliance"] |
| Tooltip | No | Additional fields shown in the hover tooltip. Accepts multiple values. | [{"2025-06-30", "In Progress"}, {"2025-09-01", "Planned"}, {"2025-03-15", "Complete"}] |
| Grid Cell Colors | No | A categorical field whose values map to custom cell background colors. | [{"x":1,"y":1,"color":"#0C8A2F"}, {"x":1,"y":2,"color":"#0C8A2F"}, ... {"x":5,"y":5,"color":"#D60000"}] |
| X Axis Labels | No | A single-column table whose rows provide the X axis tick labels in order. Overrides the default numeric labels. | ["Neglibible", "Minor", "Moderate", "Major", "Catastrophic"] |
| Y Axis Labels | No | A single-column table whose rows provide the Y axis tick labels in order. Overrides the default numeric labels. | ["Rare", "Unlikely", "Possible", "Likely", "Almost Certain"] |
Tip: X Axis and Y Axis values are mapped to grid columns/rows by integer position. A value of 1 maps to the first column/row, 2 to the second, and so on. Ensure your data uses integer scores that match your configured grid size.
Configuring the Grid
Navigate to Format Visual → Grid.
| Setting | Description |
|---|---|
| Horizontal Size | Number of columns (1–10). Should match the range of your X Axis data. |
| Vertical Size | Number of rows (1–10). Should match the range of your Y Axis data. |
| Max # of Risks per Cell | Maximum bubbles displayed per cell before overflow is indicated. |
| Select by Cell | When on, clicking a cell selects all items within it. When off, individual bubbles are selectable. |
| Invert Colors | Flips the heatmap color gradient (low becomes high risk, and vice versa). |
| Transparency | Controls the opacity of the cell heatmap fill. |
| Border | Toggle cell borders on/off and configure their color. |
| Separator | Adds divider lines between cells. Configure width, transparency, and color. |
Axis Labels
By default the axes display numeric labels (1, 2, 3…). You can override these in two ways:
Option 1 — Format pane: Go to Format Visual → X Axis or Y Axis and enter custom label text for each position (1st Label, 2nd Label, etc.).
Option 2 — Data field: Connect a single-column table to the X Axis Labels or Y Axis Labels data field. Rows are consumed in order and override the format pane labels. This approach allows labels to be driven dynamically by your data model.
Markers
Navigate to Format Visual → Markers.
Markers (bubbles) can be styled globally under All or per-series when a Legend field is connected.
| Setting | Description |
|---|---|
| Horizontal Size | Number of columns (1–10). Should match the range of your X Axis data. |
| Vertical Size | Number of rows (1–10). Should match the range of your Y Axis data. |
| Max # of Risks per Cell | Maximum bubbles displayed per cell before overflow is indicated. |
| Select by Cell | When on, clicking a cell selects all items within it. When off, individual bubbles are selectable. |
| Invert Colors | Flips the heatmap color gradient (low becomes high risk, and vice versa). |
| Transparency | Controls the opacity of the cell heatmap fill. |
| Border | Toggle cell borders on/off and configure their color. |
| Separator | Adds divider lines between cells. Configure width, transparency, and color. |
Legend
Navigate to Format Visual → Legend.
Connect a categorical field to the Legend data field to group items by series. Each series gets its own color and appears in the legend. Use the Legend card to configure position, font, and an optional title.
Tooltips
Navigate to Format Visual → Tooltip.
Add fields to the Tooltip data role to include them in hover tooltips. Enable Use 1st Tooltip as Risk to replace the Risk field label in tooltips with the first Tooltip field value — useful when your risk names are stored in a separate column.
Progress Arrows (Analytics Pane)
The Progress feature is found in the Analytics pane (not the Format pane). It draws directional arrows between a risk's current position and a target position, indicating movement. Configure color, line width, and whether to invert or show all risk directions.
Licensing
Grid Heatmap requires a license for use. A 14-day trial period is available on first use.
To purchase a license:Visit the support page or click Get a license in the yellow banner at the bottom of the visual.
To activate your license:
After purchase, you will receive a license token by email.
In Power BI, open Format Visual → About → License.
Paste the token into the Token field.
The yellow banner will disappear once the token is validated.
License tokens include an expiry date. When your token expires the banner will reappear with a Renew license prompt. If you have automatic renewal activated, you will receive the new token automatically. If you need to purchase a token, please follow the directions below:
