Bar Charts

Learn how to build bar charts using X-Axis values and Series

Bar charts use vertical bars to represent data values, allowing for straightforward comparison of different categories or groups within a dataset.

When to use Bar Charts

Bar charts are ideal when you want to:

• Compare values across different categories

• Show rankings or top performers

• Display discrete data that doesn't need continuity

• Make side-by-side comparisons easy to read

Configuring Your Bar Chart

Setting the X-Axis

The X-Axis represents your categories or groups. Choose a field that contains distinct values you want to compare:

Best practices for X-Axis:

• Categorical fields: Status, Department, Product Name, Region

• Single option select: Priority Level, Stage, Category

• Text fields: Customer Name, Project Name

• Date fields grouped by time period: When comparing totals across time periods (select a date field like "Order Date", then group by Year, Quarter, or Month)

Using date fields for time periods: To compare totals across time periods, select a date field (like "Order Date" or "Created Date"), then choose how to group: Year, Quarter, or Month. This is different from line charts—here you're comparing period totals side-by-side rather than showing trends over time.

Example: For comparing sales by product category, set your X-Axis to the "Product Category" field.

Adding Series (Y-Axis Values)

Series represent the numeric values you're measuring for each category. Bar charts can display multiple series side-by-side for comparison.

For each series, you'll configure:

1. Y-Axis Value: The numeric field to measure (e.g., Revenue, Quantity, Hours)

2. Aggregation Method: How to calculate the bar height

   • Sum: Total of all values in the category

   • Count: Number of records in the category

   • Average: Mean value for the category

   • Min/Max: Lowest or highest value in the category

3. Series Label: A descriptive name for what this bar represents

Example Configuration

Scenario: Compare revenue and profit by product category

X-Axis Configuration:

• Field: Product Category

Series 1:

• Label: "Revenue"

• Y-Axis Value: Revenue field

• Aggregation: Sum

Series 2:

• Label: "Profit"

• Y-Axis Value: Profit field

• Aggregation: Sum

This creates a bar chart with grouped bars showing revenue and profit side-by-side for each product category.

Single vs. Multiple Series

Single Series Bar Charts

Perfect for simple comparisons:

• Top 10 customers by revenue

• Task count by status

• Employee hours by department

Multiple Series Bar Charts

Ideal for side-by-side comparisons:

• Actual vs. Budget by department

• This year vs. Last year sales (X-Axis: Order Date grouped by Quarter, Series filtered by year)

• Planned vs. Completed tasks by project

Common Use Cases

Performance by Category

• X-Axis: Department or Team

• Series: Revenue (Sum), Number of Deals (Count)

Status Distribution

• X-Axis: Status (Open, In Progress, Closed)

• Series: Count of Records (Count)

Regional Comparison

• X-Axis: Region or Location

• Series: Sales (Sum), Customers (Count)

Top Performers

• X-Axis: Salesperson Name

• Series: Total Sales (Sum), Deals Won (Count)

Tips for Better Bar Charts

1. Limit categories: For readability, limit to 10-15 categories. Use filters or sorting to show top/bottom items

2. Choose appropriate aggregation: Use Count for frequency, Sum for totals, Average for typical values

3. Label clearly: Ensure your series labels clearly describe what's being measured

4. Use colors effectively: When using multiple series, the colors will automatically differentiate them

5. Consider a Stacked Bar Chart: If you want to show part-to-whole relationships instead of side-by-side comparisons