Choose the Right Chart for Your Data

First decide what insight matters most, then choose a chart type that delivers it.

In general, use bar charts for values and line charts for trends unless you have a specific reason to do otherwise.

Match the chart to the insight

To compare values, use a bar or column chart.
To show a trend over time, use a line chart.
To show composition, use a stacked bar chart, or a donut chart with no more than five slices. To compare parts across groups, use a stacked bar chart rather than multiple donut charts.
To show distribution or relationships, use a scatter plot, heat map, or bubble chart.
To support lookup, use a table.

Start the y-axis of a column or bar chart at zero so that you don't misrepresent values.
Use a single color for bars, and use a lighter or darker shade to highlight one data point.
Limit a line chart to three lines, and scale the axis so that the lines fill about two-thirds of the chart.
Order data consistently, such as ascending, descending, or alphabetically.
If a chart needs a long title or caption to make sense, reconsider whether it's the right chart.

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