<p>There is a report on the developers community that explains that behavior: <a href="https://developercommunity2.visualstudio.com/t/Cannot-set-styling-rule-for-parent-field/1169228?space=21&amp;entry=problem" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Cannot set styling rule for parent field</a></p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-03-09T20:05:47.407Z
2022-03-09T20:05:47.407Z
Shamrai Aleksander
<p>According to the documentation (<a href="https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/devops/boards/boards/customize-cards?view=azure-devops" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Customize cards on a Kanban board</a>), you can use <code>Parent</code> only to show <code>Parent Title</code>:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>To show the Title of the parent work item, choose the Parent field.
Choosing the Parent title from a card opens the parent work item. To
change the parent work item, open the child work item and remove the
link and add a different parent work item. You can filter your board
based on parent work items, whether the Parent field is added to cards
or not.</p>
</blockquote>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-03-07T07:08:55.780Z
2022-03-07T07:08:55.780Z
Shamrai Aleksander
<p>We аre trying to implement items on a board in Azure DevOps which are colored in case they have no &quot;Parent&quot; associated with them. Currently, we are struggling with the correct value clause here.</p>
<p>We have tried different things like &quot;does not contain&quot; &quot;*&quot; or &quot;[Any]&quot; however this is not working. What would be the correct Operator and Value we need to use here?</p>
<p><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/PiRkW.png" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/PiRkW.png" alt="Azure DevOps Board Styles" /></a></p>

<azure-devops>
Azure DevOps boards styles - Parent field empty
user3347232
# Azure DevOps boards styles - Parent field empty

(Asked by: username_0 on 2022-02-09)

We аre trying to implement items on a board in Azure DevOps which are colored in case they have no "Parent" associated with them. Currently, we are struggling with the correct value clause here.

We have tried different things like "does not contain" "\*" or "[Any]" however this is not working. What would be the correct Operator and Value we need to use here?

[![Azure DevOps Board Styles](https://i.sstatic.net/PiRkW.png)](https://i.sstatic.net/PiRkW.png)

**Tags:** azure-devops


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## 2 answers

### Answer by username_1 on 2022-03-09. Score: 0

There is a report on the developers community that explains that behavior: [Cannot set styling rule for parent field](https://developercommunity2.visualstudio.com/t/Cannot-set-styling-rule-for-parent-field/1169228?space=21&entry=problem)


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### Answer by username_1 on 2022-03-07. Score: 0

According to the documentation ([Customize cards on a Kanban board](https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/devops/boards/boards/customize-cards?view=azure-devops)), you can use `Parent` only to show `Parent Title`:

> To show the Title of the parent work item, choose the Parent field.
> Choosing the Parent title from a card opens the parent work item. To
> change the parent work item, open the child work item and remove the
> link and add a different parent work item. You can filter your board
> based on parent work items, whether the Parent field is added to cards
> or not.


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