Map Chart

A filled map uses colors or shading on a map to represent data distribution, making it easy to spot regional patterns and hot spots.

A Map Chart—also known as a filled map—is a visualization that displays data in a geographical context. It enables users to represent metrics such as population, revenue, or sales volume across regions, countries, or states. Each designated area is colored or shaded based on the selected measure, making it easy to identify distribution patterns, regional variations, and hot spots.

This visualization provides rapid insights into how a metric is distributed geographically and allows for deeper analysis by customizing color ranges and selecting specific regions to highlight or filter.

When to Use a Map Chart

Use a Map Chart when you want to:

• Visualize data by geography (e.g., countries, states, regions).

• Show distribution, intensity, or density across areas.

• Identify regional variations and hot spots quickly.

• Compare performance across geographies, such as sales by state or revenue by country.

• Add contextual geography-based analysis in dashboards and reports.

• Mapping internet penetration rates by continent.

Examples:

• Displaying population distribution across countries.

• Comparing revenue performance by region.

• Highlighting high-growth markets in global or regional maps.

Chart Properties

General Settings

• Exclude Global Filter – Exclude this chart from report-level global filters.

View Filter

• Filter – Apply conditions to restrict which data is displayed (e.g., Region = Asia).

Range

• Dynamic Range – Enable or disable automatic color scaling based on data values.

• Min Color – Define the color for the minimum value range.

• Max Color – Define the color for the maximum value range.

Note: If Dynamic Range is disabled, the entire map reflects the Max Color by default.

Region

• Select Map – Choose the region to display (e.g., World, Asia, Europe, USA).

  • Based on the selection, the visualization adjusts to highlight the chosen region.

Insights

• Text – Add contextual commentary; highlight key terms or numbers using asterisks (e.g., 70%, High Growth Region).

• Font Size – Adjust annotation text size.

• Font Color – Choose text color.

• Text Align – Left, Right, Center.

• Position – Place annotation at Bottom or Right.

Notes:

• Disabling Dynamic Range forces the map to apply the selected Max Color across the entire map.

• Use color ranges effectively to highlight data variations (e.g., light-to-dark gradients for population density).

• Region selection changes the scope of the visualization (e.g., selecting Europe zooms into European countries).

Best Practices

• Always ensure the dimension field used for mapping matches supported region names (e.g., Country, State, Continent).

• Use contrasting Min and Max colors for better readability.

• Keep dynamic range enabled for datasets with wide variance to improve data visibility.

• Apply filters (e.g., by product line or year) for more targeted geographical analysis.