Use bar, column, line, and area charts to compare values, follow trends over time, and understand how different categories contribute to a total.
This guide explains when to use each chart type and how to configure its data, appearance, labels, and axes in an Insights workbook.
In this article:
Choose the right chart type
Create a chart
Configure bars and columns
Configure lines and area charts
Work with multiple measures and axes
Add labels and check the chart before sharing
If your chart editor looks different: Open the Tab menu and select Test the new chart editor. Review the preview, then select Use the new chart editor. You can switch back from the same menu for now, but we recommend becoming familiar with this editor because it is the direction chart building in Insights is moving.
Choose the right chart type
Start with the question you want the chart to answer.
Chart type | Best for | Example in Insights |
Column | Comparing values across time periods or a small number of categories | Compare monthly accommodation revenue or occupancy by property |
Bar | Comparing categories, especially when their names are long | Compare revenue or room nights across market segments or booking channels |
Line | Following a measure across a continuous sequence, most commonly time | Follow ADR, occupancy, revenue, or pickup across stay dates |
Area | Showing a trend while emphasizing its magnitude or composition | Show how room nights or revenue accumulate over time, including the contribution of different segments |
Use a grouped chart when the individual series need to be compared directly. Use a stacked chart when the contribution of each series to a combined total matters. Use a percentage-stacked chart when the mix is more important than the absolute values.
Create a chart
Open a workbook and build or open the analysis you want to visualize.
Switch from the results table to the chart view.
Select a bar, column, line, or area mark.
Add a dimension to the category or X-axis. For a time-based chart, this is commonly Stay Date, grouped by day, week, or month.
Add the measure you want to compare to the value or Y-axis, such as Accommodation Revenue, ADR, Occupancy, Units, or Pickup.
Add a field to Color when you want to break the result into series, such as Macro Segment, Booking Channel, or Property Name.
You can drag fields between chart properties. You can also select a field already used in the chart to switch it or add another field in its place.
Configure bars and columns
Bar and column charts use the same controls but orient the categories differently:
A column chart displays categories along the horizontal axis and values vertically.
A bar chart displays categories vertically and values horizontally.
Choose how series are displayed
When the chart contains more than one series, choose the arrangement that matches the comparison you want readers to make:
Grouped places series beside one another. Use it to compare each series directly, such as this year's and last year's revenue by month.
Stacked combines series into one total while preserving each contribution. Use it to show total room nights split by segment.
Stacked % gives every bar the same overall length and shows each series as a share of the total. Use it to compare changes in channel or segment mix across periods with different volumes.
Overlay draws series in the same chart space. Use it carefully because one bar can obscure another. Reducing opacity can make overlapping series easier to read.
Control the stack order
For stacked charts, arrange the series so the categories readers follow most closely appear in a consistent, easy-to-scan position.
For example, when comparing room nights by segment across stay months, you may want the most commercially important segment at the base of every column. A consistent order makes it easier to follow how that segment changes from one period to the next.
Adjust bar appearance
Use the chart's style controls to adjust:
Opacity, which can help when series overlap or a reference line needs to remain visible over a bar.
Corner rounding, which softens the appearance of bars and columns.
Color, to keep categories consistent across related charts and dashboards.
Labels, when readers need exact values without opening a tooltip.
Rounded corners are a presentation choice rather than an analytical one. Prioritize clear scales, labels, and color distinctions before applying decorative styling.
Configure lines
Line charts are most useful for continuous sequences, particularly dates. They help readers see direction, changes in pace, peaks, troughs, and differences between series.
For example, use a line chart to follow ADR by stay month or compare current OTB with a prior period across future stay dates.
To keep a line chart readable:
Put the time dimension on the X-axis in chronological order.
Limit the number of series to those needed for the comparison.
Use distinct colors and labels for measures that readers must tell apart.
Avoid using a line for unrelated categories where the connection between adjacent points has no meaning.
Configure area charts
Area charts use the same underlying structure as line charts but fill the space beneath each line. The filled area gives more visual weight to magnitude and composition.
Use an area chart to emphasize how a measure changes over time.
Use a stacked area chart to show how categories contribute to a changing total.
Use a percentage-stacked area chart to show how the proportional mix changes over time.
For example, a stacked area chart can show how different market segments contribute to total room nights across stay months. If the exact total matters more than the composition, a line or stacked column chart may be easier to read.
Screenshot placeholder — Show a stacked area chart using a measure such as room nights or revenue split by market segment.
Work with more than one measure
When a chart contains several measures, Insights can group them through Measure values and distinguish them through Measure names.
Use these fields when you want to compare or stack measures such as current OTB, budget, and forecast in one chart:
Add the measures to Measure values.
Place Measure values on the relevant value axis.
Add Measure names to Color to distinguish the measures.
Select the Measure values field when you need to change which measures it contains.
If the measures need different marks—for example, a stacked bar with a forecast line—use chart layers. See Combine chart types using layers in Insights.
Screenshot placeholder — Show Measure values and Measure names configured with FLYR measures such as current OTB, budget, and forecast.
Use two axes carefully
A second value axis can help compare measures with different units or very different ranges, such as revenue and occupancy percentage. However, two independently scaled axes can make the relationship between series look stronger or weaker than it is.
When both axes contain positive and negative values, turn on cross-axis zero alignment. This keeps zero at the same height on both axes, so positive and negative movement is compared from a consistent baseline.
Always label both axes clearly and check that the chart remains understandable without relying on color alone.
Add labels and legends
Labels and legends help readers understand the chart without inspecting every point.
Use data labels when exact values are important and the chart has enough space to display them clearly.
Use a legend when color represents more than one category or measure.
Keep category colors consistent across related charts.
If labels overlap or make the chart difficult to scan, show fewer labels and rely on tooltips for detail.
When a chart uses layers, labels and formatting can be controlled separately for each layer.
Check the chart before sharing it
Before adding the chart to a dashboard or scheduled delivery, confirm that:
The selected chart type matches the analytical question.
Dates are in chronological order.
Stacked values represent parts of a meaningful total.
Percentage-stacked series add up to a complete and relevant whole.
Axis titles and number formats make the units clear.
Colors and labels remain readable in the dashboard tile.
The chart is understandable in a PDF or image where readers cannot use tooltips.