Creating Dashboard Charts

Overview

Charts are a powerful way to visualize and interpret data, turning raw numbers into actionable insights.

Whether you're tracking performance, identifying trends, or analyzing complex datasets, the right chart can make your findings clearer and more impactful.

This article, Creating Dashboard Charts, walks you through the process of building various chart types to meet your analytical needs.

From the simplicity of bar charts layers of heatmaps, each chart type serves a unique purpose.

Common Steps for All Chart Types

Access the Dashboard

On the Web App, navigate to your dashboard folder. If you don’t have a dashboard yet, click on the yellow icon Create Dashboard.

Once inside your dashboard, click on the plus (+) button under Add Chart.



Choose the Chart Type

A dialog box will appear prompting you to select the type of chart you wish to create from a dropdown menu.



Add Chart Tag

Input a unique chart tag related to your chart's content (e.g., total_sales, user_distribution). Use underscores for multi-word tags.



Add Chart Title

Provide a title that accurately represents what the chart is about (e.g., "Total Sales Per Day").



Add Chart Description

Write a description to help users understand the chart's purpose (e.g., "This chart shows daily sales").



Configure Chart Options

Adjust various options such as:

Force Display in Full Width: Toggle this on if you want the chart to extend across the full width.

Percentage Display: Toggle this on if you want to show values as percentages.

Additional options may vary per chart type (e.g., cumulative or normalized settings for histograms).



Choose Type of X Axis

Select "Text" for categorical data or "Time" for time-series data based on your dataset.

Add a Query

Input a query that fetches data for the chart.

Ensure it returns values aliased as "x" for the horizontal axis and "y" for the vertical axis. Test your query to confirm it produces expected results.

Add Filters Accordingly

Refine the data displayed in your chart by adding any necessary filters.

Chart Types and Specific Features

While the creation process is largely the same, each chart type offers unique features to highlight your data effectively:

1. Bar Chart

Purpose: Compare values across categories.

Additional Features:

Enable heatmap colors for emphasis.

Add scorecards for quick insights.

2. Histogram

Purpose: Visualize numerical data distribution.
Additional Features:

Define minimum and maximum values.

Adjust the number of bins for data grouping.

3. Calendar Chart

Purpose: Track trends over time.
Additional Features:

Select aggregation metrics (e.g., daily sales).

Use color gradients for variation.

4. Scorecard

Purpose: Provide a summarized view of key metrics.
Additional Features:

Add units (e.g., USD, percentages).

Highlight changes with conditional formatting.

5. Stacked Bar Chart

Purpose: Compare multiple categories within a single bar.
Additional Features:

Customize stack colors for better visibility.

Use subqueries for more precise data segmentation.

6. Multiple Line Chart

Purpose: Compare trends across datasets over time.
Additional Features:

Adjust line styles for distinction.

Enable hover effects for detailed data insights.

7. Heatmap

Purpose: Represent data intensity across dimensions.
Additional Features:

Use contrasting gradients for better visibility.

Add legends to explain color variations.

8. Line Chart

Purpose: Highlight trends over time.
Additional Features:

Configure area filling for emphasis.

Adjust axis scales for better focus.

9. Horizontal Bar Chart

Purpose: Compare categories side by side.
Additional Features:

Rotate labels for readability.

Add legends for category context.

10. Pie Chart

Purpose: Visualize proportions among categories.
Additional Features

Enable exploded view for emphasis.

Choose legend positions for clarity.

Updated on: 07/04/2025