Make a workbook stat card's first-row behavior explicit

Source facts

A workbook Stat visualization can display a single value or aggregate multiple query rows. For the documented multirow time-series example, its default is the first value, not an automatic latest-value or total calculation. Selecting an aggregation applies that function to the chosen column. Tag text provides the label below the main value, and a custom tooltip can add context. Microsoft Learn.

Applicability

Review cards fed by more than one row, particularly where the heading implies a current state or an interval total. Inspect the query output order and visualization settings together before deciding what the displayed number means.

DSE recommendation

Specify whether the card should show one chosen row or an explicit aggregation, and label that meaning beside the value. Ask the workbook owner to make any selected-row ordering deliberate in the query. Use an aggregation only when its mathematical meaning fits the requested metric. Include the relevant interval or observation context in the label or tooltip so readers do not have to infer it from a large number.

Verification

Use a small synthetic result with visibly different first, last and aggregate values. Check which value the card displays under the proposed configuration, then reorder the test rows to expose an unintended first-row dependency. Compare the accepted result with the card’s label. Preserve the query and visualization settings together; styling or threshold colors should not distract from an incorrect underlying selection.

Official references

Microsoft Learn: Workbook Stat visualizations. Source reviewed September 9, 2026.