Overview
Column and bar charts represent data values using vertical and horizontal bars respectively, where the length of each column or bar corresponds to the magnitude of a value.
Column and bar charts are simple and versatile, making them ideal for visualizing single series of data where straightforward comparisons between categories or changes over time are needed. When independent variables consist of long text labels or categories, bar charts provide more space for labels to remain readable. Column charts work well for time-based data or where only a few data points need to be displayed, leaving more space for text.
For more complex datasets with multiple series, consider using stacked or grouped column and bar charts instead.
Because the margin sets the space between the chart axes and the edge of the container, ensure you add enough margin for any axis ticks or labels. If needed, use options in the Axes section such as Limit Tick Width, Limit Tick Characters, and Rotate Ticks to constrain the size of tick and label text.
Connecting to Datasets
In the
Dataset section, you can select the
dataset for your chart element. If you need to add a dataset, this can be done by selecting
New Dataset in the
Project tab.
If you are on the Pro plan, you can upload your own files (in csv format) to use as datasets, by clicking New Dataset and then Upload Dataset.
After you have selected a dataset, you can optionally enable the Prefilter Dataset switch, which lets you filter the data that is supplied to the chart. The filter is a "prefilter" because it is applied before the visualization is generated; end users are unable to adjust the filter dynamically.
Next, the Data Format is displayed, which is set to Long Data. Column and bar charts only display a single data series, so there is no option to select Wide Data format (wide data format supports multiple series of data being added to a chart as additional columns).
Finally, choose the Fields that should be used to construct the chart:
- Horizontal Axis Field (for columns) or Vertical Axis Field (for bars): A text or date field for the chart's independent variable. Each unique value is displayed as an individual column or bar; any repeated values are merged, with their corresponding values aggregated.
- Value Field: The chart's dependent variable, which is a number, percent, or currency field corresponding to the size of each column or bar.
Connecting to Filters
You can establish connections to filter elements under the Chart tab, in the Connections section, by making a selection under Filter.
A
Filter element can be styled as a series of checkboxes, a dropdown menu, or a slider. Values from the specified
Filter Field appear as individual checkboxes, dropdown menu items, or (for numeric filtering) slider values. A given chart can be connected to one or more filters, and the same filter can be connected to multiple charts or other elements.
When a filter element is connected to a chart, it dynamically controls the dataset records displayed in the chart based on the user's selections. Filters can also adjust the chart's axis range dynamically, provided one of the chart's axis fields is the same as the filter's Filter Field and the Minimum and Maximum Range values of that axis are set to auto.
Additionally, filter elements can inherit color formatting from a chart, provided that the chart's
Color Field is the same as the filter's
Filter Field. For more information, see the
Color Formatting section of the documentation for filter elements.
Typically, the
Filter element you connect to will use the same
Dataset as the chart element. However, this is not strictly necessary. If the filter and chart elements use different datasets, the filter will only affect the chart if the chart's dataset contains a field (column) with the same name as the
Filter Field in the filter element. In this case, the values in these fields must at least partially align for the filter to take effect. Any non-matching values between the fields will be ignored during filtering.
Colors
Color formatting is defined in the Colors section under the Chart tab.
In column and bar charts, you can specify a
Color Field, which can be a text field or numeric (number, currency, percent, number) field from the selected dataset. If you select a text field, each unique value in that field will be treated as a category and can be assigned a color. For numeric fields, you can configure a
Color Gradient,
Domain Minimum and
Maximum, and
Color Scale. These features are explored in greater detail in our
Colors page.
A Fixed color formatting option is also available alongside the Variable formatting options described above. The option applies a single color to all chart elements and is supported for bar charts, column charts, arrow plots, and scatter plots.
Annotations
In the Annotations section under the Chart tab, you can toggle on Display Bar Totals, which displays the value of each bar directly on the chart. By default, annotations appear inside the bars, but you can select Total Outside Bars to place them outside. Use the Hidden Annotation Values setting to hide annotations for bars with values within a specified range (e.g., for small bars where space is insufficient for text).
