# How to reference another column value in metricFont expression?

**URL:** <https://discuss.elastic.co/t/how-to-reference-another-column-value-in-metricfont-expression/382077>\
**Category:** Kibana\
**Created:** [September 19, 2025, 9:28am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/how-to-reference-another-column-value-in-metricfont-expression/382077 "2025-09-19T09:28:38Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![JensHaglof](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/eb8c5e/32.png) [@JensHaglof](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/JensHaglof)\
**Post date:** [September 19, 2025, 9:28am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/how-to-reference-another-column-value-in-metricfont-expression/382077/1 "2025-09-19T09:28:38Z")

</div>

Hi,  
I have a table that returns only one row with two columns: `carrier` and `sum_orders`.

I'm currently displaying `sum_orders` in a metric element. I would like to change the font color of the number based on the value in the `carrier` column, which can be one of the following: 1, 2, 3, 4, or 5.

How can I reference the `carrier` value in the expression?

Here is the query I’m using:

```kibana
kibana
| selectFilter
| essql query="
  SELECT
    case
        when delivery_string like '%Transp%' then 4
        when delivery_string like '%DH%' then 5
        when delivery_string like '%UP%' then 3
        when delivery_string like '%CO%' then 2
        when delivery_string like '%RE%' then 1
        else 4
    end as carrier,
    sum(qty_ordered) as sum_ordered

  FROM \"ehs-outbound\"
  WHERE 1 = 1
    AND order_type = 'DL1'
  GROUP BY 1
  ORDER BY 2
  LIMIT 1
"

| math "sum_ordered"
| metric "sum_ordered"

  metricFont={font align="center" color={switch {case if={eq 1} then="#fd986f"} {case if={eq 2} then="#f5cc5d"} {case if={eq 3} then="#ff0000"} {case if={eq 4} then="#ff8000"} {case if={eq 5} then="#808000"} default="#000000"} family="'Open Sans', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif" italic=false size=96 underline=false weight="normal"} 

  labelFont={font size=1 family="'Open Sans', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif" color="#000000" align="center"} metricFormat="0,0.[000]"

| render

```

The `switch` statement in the `metricFont` currently references the `sum_orders` value. How can I make it reference the `carrier` value instead?

Thanks in advance!

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![JensHaglof](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/eb8c5e/32.png) [@JensHaglof](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/JensHaglof)\
**Post date:** [September 23, 2025, 1:18pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/how-to-reference-another-column-value-in-metricfont-expression/382077/2 "2025-09-23T13:18:24Z")

</div>

No one knows?

Here’s a simplified version:

```kibana
kibana
| selectFilter
| essql query="   
  SELECT
    SUM(0) + 2 AS color_index
    SUM(0) + 400 AS sum_of_orders
  FROM \"ehs-outbound\"
"
| math "sum_of_orders"
| metric "sum_of_orders"
    
metricFont={font align="center" color={switch {case if={eq 1} then="#fd986f"} {case if={eq 2} then="#f5cc5d"} default="#000000"} family="'Open Sans', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif" italic=false size=96 underline=false weight="normal"}     

labelFont={font size=1 family="'Open Sans', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif" color="#000000" align="center"} metricFormat="0,0.[000]" | render

```

The essql query creates two columns and one row, **color\_index** and **sum\_of\_orders**. The switch statement refers to the sum\_of\_orders column.

`color={switch {case if={eq 1} then="#fd986f"} {case if={eq 2} then="#f5cc5d"} default="#000000"}`

In other words, if **sum\_of\_orders** is 1 then font color will be #fd986f.

I want it to refer to **color\_index** instead. Is that possible?

If **color\_index** = 1 then color = #fd986f.

/Jens

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![JensHaglof](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/eb8c5e/32.png) [@JensHaglof](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/JensHaglof)\
**Post date:** [September 24, 2025, 8:50am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/how-to-reference-another-column-value-in-metricfont-expression/382077/3 "2025-09-24T08:50:23Z")

</div>

Is it true that once I write:

`| math "sum_of_orders"`

all the remaining code refers only to that variable?  
Does that mean I can no longer access the table created by the `essql` query?

Is it possible to use `sum_of_orders` as the number displayed in the metric, and then use `color_index` to determine its font color?

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![JensHaglof](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/eb8c5e/32.png) [@JensHaglof](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/JensHaglof)\
**Post date:** [September 26, 2025, 1:39pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/how-to-reference-another-column-value-in-metricfont-expression/382077/4 "2025-09-26T13:39:49Z")

</div>

Wow, this forum is incredibly slow… Doesn’t anyone know the answer to this? The question has 31 views, and I thought Elastic developers were active here?

It’s not the first time I’ve posted something and had to wait a long time — or received no answer at all.

Is there a better way to get help? I also tried asking on Stack Overflow but got nothing there either.

If someone could at least point me in the right direction, I’d really appreciate it. Where should I go with questions like this? Does Elastic have an official support channel?

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![dadoonet](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/user_avatar/discuss.elastic.co/dadoonet/32/137187_2.png) [@dadoonet](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/dadoonet)\
**Post date:** [September 26, 2025, 2:14pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/how-to-reference-another-column-value-in-metricfont-expression/382077/5 "2025-09-26T14:14:25Z")

</div>

You can also try on [Slack](https://ela.st/slack) but I can not tell if there are more Kibana devs there than here.

> Does Elastic have an official support channel?

Yes. Have a look at [Elastic Support & Customer Service | Elastic](https://www.elastic.co/support)