Area Chart

An area chart is a line chart with the area below the line filled in, ideal for showing trends and the magnitude of change over time.

An area chart, also known as an area graph, is a powerful visual tool for displaying quantitative data over time. It's built upon the foundation of a line chart, but it adds a critical element: the space between the line and the x-axis is filled with a distinct color or shading. This filled area is what makes the chart particularly effective, as it visually represents the volume or magnitude of the data.

The primary use of an area chart is to show trends over time. The line itself traces the data's progression, allowing you to easily spot increases, decreases, and plateaus. However, the shaded area provides additional context by emphasizing the total amount or cumulative value, making it easier to grasp the scale of the changes. For example, in a stacked area chart, you can visualize how individual components contribute to a whole over time, such as tracking the sales of different product lines to see their contribution to total revenue. This makes area charts an excellent choice for illustrating a total or cumulative sum while still showing the individual progression of the data series.

Best use case: Displaying time-series data to show trends, comparisons, or cumulative patterns.

Examples:

• Sales of a manufacturer across months or years.

• Quarter-wise revenue growth of an organization.

Variations:

• Grouped Area Chart – Overlaid lines with filled areas for comparison.

• Stacked Area Chart – Data stacked to show the contribution of categories to a whole.

• 100% Stacked Area Chart – Shows proportions as a percentage of the total.

Default Behavior

• When selected, the Area Chart plots data across one category axis (typically time) and one value axis.

• The area under the line is shaded to emphasize cumulative magnitude and patterns.

Chart Properties

You can access chart-specific properties from the Design page by clicking the Chart Properties icon.

General Settings

• Style – Choose how the areas should be displayed:

  • Overlaid

  • Stacked

  • 100% (percentage-based stacking)

• Order – Define how the categories are sorted:

  • None

  • Ascending

  • Descending

  • Manual Sort (arrange categories manually with drag/drop or arrows)

• Order By – Select the dimension or measure to order the data by.

• Limit – Enter the number of records to display.

• Exclude Global Filter – Exclude the View from any global filters applied in the report.

• Show Data Label – Display labels directly on the chart.

• Enable Base Zero – Force the value axis to start from zero.

• Show Point – Add markers at data points for visibility.

• Line Form – Choose how the line is drawn:

  • Curve

  • Segment

• Show Legend – Enable a legend for the chart.

  • Legend Style – Fixed or Floating.

  • If Fixed:

    • Legend Font Size – Adjust the size of legend labels.

    • Legend Orientation – Vertical or Horizontal.

    • Legend Checkbox – Allow toggling categories on/off using checkboxes.

View Filter

• Filter – Select a filter condition (e.g., Source) to limit or customize the chart’s data.

Note: Filters selected here are applied when the View is added to the report.

Category Axis

• Title – Provide a descriptive title for the axis (e.g., Month, Quarter).

• Axis Label – Enable/disable category axis labels.

• Label Angle – Adjust angle for better readability.

Value Axis

The Area Chart uses a single Primary Value Axis.

• Title – Add a title for the axis (e.g., Revenue, Sales Volume).

• Axis Label – Enable/disable value axis labels.

• Format Type – Choose number formatting:

  • None, Auto, Percent, Thousand, Lacs, Crore, Million, Billion, Trillion, Quadrillion

• Currency Type – Choose currency symbol (None, Rupees, Euro, Pound, USD, Yen, Cent).

• Precision – Set decimal precision (up to 5 places).

Insights

Use Insights to annotate the chart with key takeaways or highlight values.

• Text – Add insight text. Wrap any text/number in asterisks (e.g., 70%) to highlight it.

• Font Size – Set the size of the insight text.

• Font Color – Select the text color.

• Text Align – Left, Right, or Centre.

• Position – Bottom or Right.

Notes & Best Practices

• Area charts are ideal when showing cumulative trends and emphasizing the magnitude of values.

• Use Stacked Area for category contributions and 100% Stacked for proportions.

• Avoid using too many categories at once; overlapping fills can reduce readability.

• Use Insights sparingly to highlight the most important patterns.