# When drawing heatmap using "qiime feature-table heatmap", is it necessary to enter "--m-metadata-column"?

**URL:** https://forum.qiime2.org/t/when-drawing-heatmap-using-qiime-feature-table-heatmap-is-it-necessary-to-enter-m-metadata-column/7958
**Category:** User Support
**Tags:** feature-table
**Created:** [January 23, 2019, 9:29am UTC](https://forum.qiime2.org/t/when-drawing-heatmap-using-qiime-feature-table-heatmap-is-it-necessary-to-enter-m-metadata-column/7958 "2019-01-23T09:29:43Z")
**Posts on this page:** 4
**Page:** 1

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### Author: ![Yao\_Hong](https://forum.qiime2.org/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/y/f14d63/32.png) [@Yao\_Hong](https://forum.qiime2.org/u/Yao_Hong)
#### Post date: [January 23, 2019, 9:29am UTC](https://forum.qiime2.org/t/when-drawing-heatmap-using-qiime-feature-table-heatmap-is-it-necessary-to-enter-m-metadata-column/7958/1 "2019-01-23T09:29:43Z")

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Hi,

I am a new learner of qiime2 and I am now trying to make a heatmap using the "moving picture tutorial" after the taxa collapse step. As is indicated in "qiime feature-table heatmap --help", the "--m-metadata-column" is optional:

--m-metadata-column MetadataColumn[Categorical]  
Column from metadata file or artifact  
viewable as metadata. Annotate the sample  
IDs with these metadata values. When  
metadata is present and `cluster`='feature',  
samples will be sorted by the metadata  
values. **[optional]**

However, without the --m-matadata-column, the terminal returned:

Error: Missing option: --m-metadata-column

I do not need the column information in the heatmap. What should I do?

Kind regards

Hong

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### Author: ![Nicholas\_Bokulich](https://forum.qiime2.org/user_avatar/forum.qiime2.org/nicholas_bokulich/32/19937_2.png) [@Nicholas\_Bokulich](https://forum.qiime2.org/u/Nicholas_Bokulich)
#### Post date: [January 23, 2019, 1:46pm UTC](https://forum.qiime2.org/t/when-drawing-heatmap-using-qiime-feature-table-heatmap-is-it-necessary-to-enter-m-metadata-column/7958/2 "2019-01-23T13:46:07Z")

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Hi @Yao_Hong,  
Inputting a metadata file and column is indeed optional. My guess is that you are inputting a metadata file but not specifying the column... this will cause the error you are seeing. If that's the case and you do not want to use any metadata to generate this plot, just drop the metadata file from your inputs. If that's not the case, please share the full command you are using.

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### Author: ![Yao\_Hong](https://forum.qiime2.org/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/y/f14d63/32.png) [@Yao\_Hong](https://forum.qiime2.org/u/Yao_Hong)
#### Post date: [January 24, 2019, 3:52am UTC](https://forum.qiime2.org/t/when-drawing-heatmap-using-qiime-feature-table-heatmap-is-it-necessary-to-enter-m-metadata-column/7958/3 "2019-01-24T03:52:23Z")

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Hi Nicholas,

Thank you to help me!!!

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### Author: ![system](https://forum-qiime2-org.s3.dualstack.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/original/3X/2/1/21af5fe23cb6f4579467c66a9ed94e55274ca7bd.svg) [@system](https://forum.qiime2.org/u/system)
#### Post date: [February 24, 2019, 9:52am UTC](https://forum.qiime2.org/t/when-drawing-heatmap-using-qiime-feature-table-heatmap-is-it-necessary-to-enter-m-metadata-column/7958/4 "2019-02-24T09:52:24Z")

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