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Bar Chart

Easily compare things across groups or track changes over time

Peter Novosel avatar
Written by Peter Novosel
Updated over a week ago


Plan Availability

All plan types

Permissions

Solution Creators and Workspace Admins: Add, configure, and manage Bar Charts.

Related Reading


Overview

The Bar Chart is a powerful visualization tool for comparing data across different categories. Bars are displayed horizontally, with the Y-axis representing categories and the X-axis showing numerical values.


When to Use a Bar Chart

  • Comparing Values: Ideal for visually comparing different categories.

  • Tracking Changes Over Time: Useful when variations are significant.

  • Handling Many Categories: More effective than a Column Chart for large datasets.

When Not to Use a Bar Chart

  • Avoid for data that adds up to a fixed total (Pie charts are better suited).

  • For small variations in values, a Line chart may be more effective.


Configuring Bar Chart Saved Views

1. Adding a Bar Chart

  1. Create a New Chart View (see this article to learn how).

  2. Select Chart Type: Choose Bar Chart, Stacked Bar, or 100% Stacked Bar.

  3. Specify Values for the Chart.

  4. (Optional) Select a "Group By" Field.

2. Bar Chart Types

  • Standard Bar Chart – Displays each series as separate bars.

  • Stacked Bar Chart – Combines multiple series into a single bar, stacked by category.

  • 100% Stacked Bar Chart – Represents each category as a percentage of the total (100%).

3. Specifying Bar Chart Values

  • Select a Numeric Field (e.g., Number, Currency) or count occurrences of a Text/List Field.

  • Available Aggregation Options:

    • Sum – Adds all values together.

    • Avg – Computes the average value.

    • Min – Displays the smallest value.

    • Max – Displays the largest value.

You can click Add New to include additional Values in your chart, allowing you to compare them side by side like this:

  • Use Drag-and-Drop in the legend to reorder displayed bars.

4. Grouping Data

  • Use the Group By field to cluster values into categories.

  • Ideal for comparing values over time or by type.

  • If no Group By field is selected, the Sort by Values option becomes available.

5. Chart Total

  • Displays the total value of the Pie Chart.

  • You can choose to calculate the total for a specific field, with options for MIN, MAX, and AVG values.

6. Benchmark Line

  • Allows you to set a reference line on the chart to highlight a key threshold or goal.

  • Helps track whether data values exceed or fall below important benchmarks.

7. Dynamic Filter

  • Set filters for data that can change over time with a single click, such as status, priority, or numeric fields.

8. Advanced Options

  • Provides additional customization, including the ability to show data labels, show X Axis Labels and show Y Axis Labels on the chart for better readability.


Configuring Bar Chart Widgets

Bar Charts can also be used within dashboards.

  1. Open the Dashboard View and click "Add Widget."

  2. Select "Bar Chart" from the widget options.

  3. Configure Widget Settings:

    • Widget Name: Define a title for clarity.

    • Table Selection: Choose the Table containing the relevant data.

  4. Click "Add Widget" to finalize placement on your dashboard.

Note: You can also filter data values by specific criteria within the widget view. To learn more, visit this article.


Practical Use Cases and Scenarios

1. Comparing Many Values

Scenario: A business tracks product sales across multiple categories.

Solution: Use a Bar Chart to display sales figures for each product line.

Outcome: Easily identify top-performing products and areas for improvement.

2. Data Comparison Across Categories

Scenario: A marketing team evaluates the effectiveness of different advertising channels.

Solution: Use a Stacked Bar Chart to compare lead generation sources.

Outcome: Highlights the best-performing channels for future investment.

3. Displaying Data with Many Categories

Scenario: A financial analyst wants to compare spending across multiple departments.

Solution: Use a Bar Chart to represent budget allocations and expenses per department.

Outcome: Provides a clear breakdown of where funds are allocated and spent.

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