How to Change Heatmap Colours

Colour is one of the fastest ways to notice differences across a heatmap, but it is only meaningful when you know which metric controls it. Before adjusting the palette, confirm whether the map is colouring tiles by short-term price change, longer-term performance, volatility, activity or another available measure.

Find the colour controls

Open the heatmap's display or style settings and look for the colour scheme or palette option. The precise location and available names depend on the widget. Some views provide a familiar multi-colour palette, a colour-blind-friendly option or a monochrome scale. Select the scheme that makes differences easiest for you to distinguish on your screen.

Understand the metric before the palette

In a positive-versus-negative performance view, the palette often uses contrasting hues to separate rising and falling values. Neutral values may appear muted, while stronger readings use more intense shades. A metric that only increases in one direction—such as a measure of relative activity—may use a single-hue scale instead. Do not assume that green always means a buy signal or that red predicts further declines; colours summarize the selected data, not future outcomes.

Improve legibility

• Choose a palette with clear contrast between neighbouring values.
• Try a colour-blind-friendly option if red and green are difficult to distinguish.
• Keep the legend visible so the meaning of each shade is clear.
• Use labels, tooltips and numeric values to verify important observations.
• Avoid comparing maps with different palettes as though their colours had identical meanings.

Why a tile's shade can change

A colour change can result from new market data, a different time horizon, a new colour metric, a changed filter or a recalculated range. It does not always mean that the asset's underlying price has changed by the same amount. When a tile looks different than expected, check the selected metric and legend first, then inspect the exact value.

A quick colour-check routine

1. Read the active “colour by” metric.
2. Check the period and any filters.
3. Read the legend endpoints and intermediate bands.
4. Compare the tile's displayed value or tooltip with its shade.
5. Switch palettes only to improve interpretation, not to make a pattern look more positive or negative.

Colour is a visual encoding of selected data, not a stand-alone investment signal.