Line/Bar/Column/Scatter Chart

This guide will walk you through setting up a Line Chart, configuring data series, customizing chart elements, and utilizing advanced options for a tailored visualization experience.

A Line Chart is a powerful visualization tool that helps track trends, changes, and comparisons over time. It is ideal for analyzing time-series data, identifying patterns, and making data-driven decisions with ease.

What is a Line Chart?

A Line Chart is a type of data visualization that connects data points using lines. It is primarily used to show trends over time, making it ideal for time-series data or continuous data sets.

When to Use a Line Chart

• Tracking trends over a period (e.g., sales growth over years)

• Analyzing continuous data (e.g., temperature variations over time)

• Comparing multiple series (e.g., revenue and expenses over months)

• Identifying patterns and seasonality in data

How to Customize a Line Chart

Changing or Updating Data Series

1. Click on the data series section in the chart editor.

2. Click Add Data Series to include a new series or select an existing one to modify.

3. Use the dropdown to choose a different series for the X or Y axis.

4. Click APPLY.

5. If necessary, you can add Filters, Pivot or Order By settings.

Customizing Chart Options

1. Click Advanced Editor to access customization settings.

2. Save the settings once changes are complete.

Using Secondary Axes (When to Use)

A secondary Y-axis can be used when comparing multiple data series with different scales. To enable:

1. Open the Advanced Editor.

2. Navigate to the Y-Axis Settings.

3. Enable Secondary Y-Axis for the series that require it.

4. Customize axis labels and scales to align data representation.

Customizing Each Series

Each data series can be customized by selecting the Series Accordion in the customization panel:

• Change Colors: Assign a unique color for better differentiation.

• Line Styles: Adjust thickness and type (solid, dashed, dotted).

• Markers: Enable or disable point markers.

• Tooltip Formatting: Modify how tooltips display data on hover.

The customization options available for Line Charts also apply to Smooth Line, Area, Bar, Scatter and Column Charts. Whether adjusting colors, modifying axis settings, or enabling secondary axes, these settings remain consistent across these chart types. For example, an Area Chart shares the same configuration as a Line Chart but fills the space beneath the line, while Bar and Column Charts use similar data series selections but display data as vertical or horizontal bars. Smooth Line Chart

A Smooth Line Chart is ideal when you want to visualize trends over time with a more fluid and polished appearance. Unlike a standard Line Chart, which has sharp angles at data points, a Smooth Line Chart creates curved connections between them, making it easier to follow patterns without abrupt changes. This type of chart is particularly useful for displaying long-term trends, financial data, or performance metrics where gradual fluctuations are more important than precise individual data points. It enhances readability in cases where sharp transitions may be visually distracting.

Area Chart

An Area Chart is best used when you need to show cumulative values over time while also highlighting the magnitude of change. It functions similarly to a Line Chart but fills the area beneath the line with color, making it useful for comparing multiple datasets and emphasizing volume or trends. This type of visualization works well for representing stacked data, such as revenue contributions from different product categories, total sales over time, or population growth across regions. If you need to illustrate part-to-whole relationships or how different variables contribute to a total, an Area Chart is a great choice.

Bar and Column Charts

Bar and Column Charts are essential for comparing discrete categories rather than continuous data over time. Column Charts (vertical bars) are typically used when comparing categories with a natural progression, such as monthly sales, age groups, or survey responses. Bar Charts (horizontal bars) are better suited for longer category labels or when comparing a large number of items, such as top-performing employees, regional comparisons, or industry benchmarks. These charts are particularly effective when presenting ranking-based data, categorical trends, or distributions where clear distinctions between values are needed.

Scatter Charts

• Identifying Correlations: Helps determine if two variables have a positive, negative, or no correlation (e.g., temperature vs. ice cream sales).

• Analyzing Data Clusters: Useful for spotting groups, trends, and outliers in large datasets.

• Comparing Two Continuous Variables: Best for datasets where both axes represent numeric values (e.g., height vs. weight, ad spend vs. revenue).

• Spotting Outliers: Highlights unusual data points that deviate from general trends.

• Measuring Distribution Density: Useful when determining whether data points are evenly spread or concentrated in specific areas.