Choosing the Right Chart Type

Selecting the appropriate chart makes reports easier to interpret. The best visual depends on the question you want to answer.

Bar and Column Charts

Bar and column charts compare values across categories.

• Bar charts display horizontal bars.
• Column charts display vertical bars.

They are useful for comparing revenue by product, sales by region, or employee counts by department.

For example, a column chart can compare total sales across product categories. A bar chart may work better when category names are long.

Line Charts

Line charts show changes over a continuous sequence, especially time.

Common examples include:

• Monthly revenue trends.
• Daily website traffic.
• Quarterly profit growth.
• Yearly customer acquisition.

A line chart helps users identify increases, decreases, seasonal patterns, and unusual changes.

For time-based analysis, ensure that the date field is sorted chronologically rather than alphabetically by month name.

Pie and Donut Charts

Pie and donut charts show how categories contribute to a whole.

For example, a donut chart can show the percentage of total sales generated by different product categories.

These charts are most useful when the number of categories is small and the proportions are easy to distinguish. If there are many categories or values are very similar, a bar chart is often clearer.

Cards and KPI Visuals

A card highlights an important metric, such as:

• Total revenue.
• Total orders.
• Average order value.
• Total customers.

Key performance indicator (KPI) visuals can communicate performance against a target or show progress over time, depending on their configuration.

Cards are useful for displaying high-level figures near the top of a report.

Tables and Matrix Visuals

Tables display detailed records in rows and columns.

Matrix visuals support grouped rows and columns, making them useful for hierarchical analysis.

For example, a matrix can display sales by region and product category, with subtotals for each region.

Use tables when users need precise values or detailed records rather than a summarized graphical view.