> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://learn.nextedy.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.
# Add Header Tooltips
> Configure descriptive tooltip text on column headers to provide inline guidance about what data to enter in each column, reducing the need for external documentation and training.
export const LastReviewed = ({date}) => {
if (!date) return null;
const formatted = new Date(`${date}T00:00:00Z`).toLocaleDateString("en-US", {
year: "numeric",
month: "long",
day: "numeric",
timeZone: "UTC"
});
return
Last reviewed on {formatted}
;
};
## Add a Tooltip to a Column
Add the `headerTooltip` property to any column definition in your sheet configuration:
**Step 1.** Open your sheet configuration sheet configuration.
**Step 2.** Add the `headerTooltip` property to the target column:
```yaml theme={null}
{
"columns": [
{
"id": "sev",
"header": "S",
"bindings": "severity",
"type": "rating:severity_scale",
"headerTooltip": "Severity (S): Rate the severity of the failure effect on a scale from 1 (minor discomfort) to 10 (loss of life)."
}
]
}
```
The tooltip text appears when the user hovers their cursor over the column header area.
## Add Tooltips to Multiple Columns
Apply tooltips across your FMEA risk assessment columns to create a self-documenting table:
```yaml theme={null}
{
"columns": [
{
"id": "sev",
"header": "S",
"bindings": "severity",
"type": "rating:severity_scale",
"headerTooltip": "Severity: Rate the potential harm from 1 (negligible) to 10 (fatal)."
},
{
"id": "occ",
"header": "O",
"bindings": "occurrence",
"type": "rating:occurrence_scale",
"headerTooltip": "Occurrence: Rate the likelihood of the failure cause from 1 (remote) to 10 (almost inevitable)."
},
{
"id": "det",
"header": "D",
"bindings": "detection",
"type": "rating:detection_scale",
"headerTooltip": "Detection: Rate the ability to detect the failure before it reaches the end user from 1 (certain) to 10 (undetectable)."
},
{
"id": "rpn",
"header": "RPN",
"formula": "commonRpn",
"headerTooltip": "Risk Priority Number: Calculated as S x O x D. Values above 150 require mitigation action."
}
]
}
```
Tooltips are especially valuable for columns with abbreviated headers (like "S", "O", "D", "RPN"). The short header saves table width while the tooltip provides full context on hover.
## Tooltip Content Guidelines
Write effective tooltip text by following these guidelines:
| Guideline | Example |
| ------------------------------------------- | ----------------------------------------- |
| Start with the full column name | "Severity (S): ..." |
| Explain the expected value range | "Scale from 1 to 10" |
| Describe the business meaning | "Rate the potential harm to the end user" |
| Keep text concise (1-2 sentences) | Avoid multi-paragraph explanations |
| Include threshold guidance where applicable | "Values above 150 require mitigation" |
## Current Limitations
Header tooltips appear on column headers only. Per-cell tooltips (showing help text when hovering over individual data cells) are not currently supported. If you need cell-level guidance, consider using [conditional formatting](/risksheet/guides/styling/conditional-formatting) to visually highlight cells that need attention.
In Nextedy RISKSHEET versions before 24.3.3, header tooltips could block the sort and filter buttons on narrow columns. **Workaround**: widen the affected column by dragging the column border before sorting or filtering. This issue was fixed in version 24.3.3.
## Complete Example
A full FMEA column configuration with tooltips across all risk parameters:
```yaml theme={null}
{
"columns": [
{
"id": "failureMode",
"header": "Failure Mode",
"bindings": "title",
"headerTooltip": "Describe the way in which the system element could potentially fail to perform its intended function.",
"level": 2
},
{
"id": "failureEffect",
"header": "Effect",
"bindings": "description",
"headerTooltip": "Describe the consequence of the failure mode on the system, subsystem, or end user.",
"level": 2
},
{
"id": "sev",
"header": "S",
"bindings": "severity",
"type": "rating:severity_scale",
"headerTooltip": "Severity: Rate potential harm from 1 (negligible) to 10 (loss of life). Per ISO 26262.",
"level": 2
},
{
"id": "cause",
"header": "Cause",
"bindings": "title",
"headerTooltip": "Identify the root cause or mechanism that leads to the failure mode.",
"level": 3
},
{
"id": "occ",
"header": "O",
"bindings": "occurrence",
"type": "rating:occurrence_scale",
"headerTooltip": "Occurrence: Rate failure likelihood from 1 (remote) to 10 (almost certain).",
"level": 3
},
{
"id": "det",
"header": "D",
"bindings": "detection",
"type": "rating:detection_scale",
"headerTooltip": "Detection: Rate ability to detect before delivery from 1 (certain detection) to 10 (undetectable).",
"level": 3
},
{
"id": "rpn",
"header": "RPN",
"formula": "commonRpn",
"headerTooltip": "Risk Priority Number = S x O x D. Threshold: >150 = Medium, >250 = High priority.",
"level": 3
}
]
}
```
## Verification
After saving your configuration changes and reloading the Risksheet page, you should now see:
* A tooltip popup appearing when you hover over any column header that has `headerTooltip` configured
* The tooltip text matching exactly what you entered in the configuration
* Sort and filter buttons remaining accessible (on version 24.3.3 or later)
## See Also
* [Configure Cell Styles](/risksheet/guides/styling/cell-styles) -- visual styling for grid cells and headers
* [Apply Conditional Formatting](/risksheet/guides/styling/conditional-formatting) -- highlight cells based on values
* [Control Column Visibility](/risksheet/guides/columns/column-visibility) -- show and hide columns
* [Styling and Formatting](/risksheet/guides/styling/index) -- overview of all styling options