How to choose a report visualization

A visualization should answer a question faster than a table containing the same data.

Change over time

Use a line or area chart for a measure changing by day, week, or month. First confirm that date is the dimension and the period is not too short.

Category comparison

Use a bar chart to compare regions, products, or segments. Limit the number of categories and sort them by the primary measure.

Exact values

A table is appropriate when exact values, detail, or later export matter. Do not replace a chart with one when the user needs to see a trend.

Verify the result

After changing chart type, confirm that the dimension, measure, and aggregation did not change. A visualization cannot fix a wrong dataset or filter.

Next step

Configure dimensions and measures if the chart does not answer the required question.