Chart layers let you show different measures in the same chart while controlling how each one is drawn. You can stack a segmented total as bars, keep forecast or capacity as reference lines, and give each measure its own color, labels, and formatting—all within one consistent view.
For example, a revenue manager can show OTB room nights by market segment as a stacked column, then overlay forecast, budget, and capacity as lines. The result makes it easier to see both the composition of current business and its position against important reference points, including in a dashboard export where tooltips are not available.
In this article:
How layers work
How to move an existing chart to the layers editor
How to build a stacked-bar-and-reference-line chart
How to control aggregation, stacking, and layer order
How to configure colors, labels, legends, and axes
Common limitations and troubleshooting
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. The steps are explained in more detail below.
Understand how layers work
Every measure plotted on the left or right axis becomes a layer. Each layer can use its own:
Mark: area, bar, line, or scatter
Stacking: stacked, stacked percentage, grouped, or overlaid
Color: one color or a field that divides the layer into segments
Size: a fixed size or a measure controlling point size on scatter layers
Label: the values displayed directly on the chart
This lets one measure appear as bars while another appears as a line. Measures can share an axis when they use the same unit, or use separate left and right axes when their units or ranges are different.
The first layer in the list draws on top. Drag layers by their handles to change which series remains visible where marks overlap.
Separate layers do not stack on top of one another. A bar layer colored by Macro Segment can stack its own segments, but two independent measure layers cannot form one stack. To stack or group several measures together, combine them in one Measure values layer.
Move an existing chart to layers
Moving an existing bar, line, area, or scatter chart to layers creates a copy of the workbook tab. The original tab and chart remain unchanged, so you can compare both versions before deciding which one to use.
Open the workbook tab containing the chart.
Select Tab, then Test the new chart editor.
Review the preview, which shows the current chart and the layers version.
Select Use the new chart editor.
Open the copied tab and review its fields, sorting, colors, labels, and analytics before using it on a dashboard.
During conversion, measures that use the same mark may be grouped into a Measure values layer. Review the result carefully because:
Only the first grouped measure keeps its labels, regression line, or moving average.
Manually selected colors may move within the chart palette.
Legends and tooltips may look different.
An automatically sorted text field on the X-axis may follow the order of the analysis results.
You can return a layers chart to the previous editor from the Tab menu. This changes that chart in place rather than creating another copy, and settings that the previous editor cannot represent may be removed. We recommend adjusting the layers version instead whenever possible.
Build a stacked bar with reference lines
The following example shows OTB room nights split by market segment, with forecast, budget, and capacity as reference lines.
Prepare the analysis
Include:
A time dimension such as Stay Date
OTB Room Nights
Forecast Room Nights
Budget Room Nights
Capacity
A segmentation field such as Macro Segment
Run the analysis before configuring the chart so you can confirm the expected values are present.
Configure the OTB layer
Put Stay Date on the X-axis.
Put OTB Room Nights on the value axis.
Set the OTB layer's Mark to Bar.
Add Macro Segment to Color.
Set Stacking to Stacked.
The height of each column now represents total OTB room nights, while the colored segments show how each market segment contributes to that total.
Configure the reference layers
Add Forecast Room Nights, Budget Room Nights, and Capacity to the value axis.
Set each reference layer's Mark to Line.
Leave the line layers overlaid rather than stacked.
Give each line a distinct color and label.
Reorder the layer list so the lines draw above the bars.
When the measures share the same unit—room nights in this example—keep them on the same axis so the bars and reference lines use one scale. Use separate axes only when the measures have different units or ranges that cannot be read clearly together.
Control aggregation and stacking
Smart aggregation
A layered chart can display fewer dimensions than the underlying analysis. Insights rolls up the omitted detail and requests the totals needed for each layer.
In the example above, the OTB layer uses Macro Segment to create the stack, while forecast, budget, and capacity remain single reference lines. Each layer is displayed at the level needed for its role in the chart.
This is particularly useful when one measure needs a segmented view and another needs an overall total. Always compare the chart with the results table before sharing it, especially when layers omit different dimensions or use measures with different calculation logic.
Stack several measures together
To stack or group multiple measures rather than segments of one measure, place the measures in one Measure values layer:
Add the measures to Measure values.
Place Measure values on the relevant value axis.
Add Measure names to Color.
Choose Stacked, Stacked %, or Grouped.
Select the Measure values field whenever you need to change which measures it contains.
Choose a stack order
For a stacked or percentage-stacked layer, open the mark options and choose how the segments are ordered:
Label orders segments alphabetically.
Segment value orders each stack by the value of its individual segments. This is available for bars, but not area or line layers.
Overall sum orders segments by each segment's total across the full chart.
Unsorted follows the order of the analysis results.
Choose ascending or descending order where available. Use an order that keeps the category readers follow most closely in a consistent, easy-to-scan position.
Configure labels, colors, and legends
Add labels and totals
Labels are configured separately for each layer. Select Add labels to show a layer's own values, or choose another field when a different label is more useful.
For a stacked layer, turn on Simple totals to label the total of each stack. If several measures need one combined total, first place them in one Measure values layer, then turn on Simple totals for that layer.
Insights hides labels that overlap. If important labels are missing, open the layer's label options and turn on Show all, then confirm the result remains readable in both the workbook and dashboard tile.
Manage colors and legends
The Styles panel controls the chart palette and legends. A field uses one color setup across the entire chart. If two layers are both colored by Macro Segment, changing the segment colors from either layer changes them for both.
The chart creates a legend for each color or size field. Layers without their own color field share a Series legend when the chart contains multiple layers.
Legends are interactive for viewers. Selecting a legend item shows that item; Cmd+select on Mac or Ctrl+select on Windows selects more than one.
Work with two axes
Layers on the left and right axes use independent scales. This is useful when the chart compares measures with different units, such as accommodation revenue and occupancy percentage.
When both axes include positive and negative values, align their zero points so the comparison uses a consistent baseline:
Open the options for the Left-Axis or Right-Axis.
Under Zero line, select Align with other axis.
The setting may be unavailable when an axis uses a non-linear scale, when zero sits at the fixed edge of an axis, or when fixed minimum and maximum values prevent the two zero points from aligning.
Troubleshoot common issues
Measures that should stack are drawn over one another
Separate layers cannot stack together. Move the measures into one Measure values layer, add Measure names to Color, and then select a stacking option.
A percentage-stacked layer is compressed at the bottom
Every layer on the same axis must use Stacked % for that axis to use a percentage scale. Move the percentage layer to another axis or use the same stacking mode across the axis.
Changing a color in one layer changes another layer
Color settings belong to the field across the chart. Two layers colored by the same field share one color setup and one legend.
Labels are missing from a bar layer
Insights hides labels that overlap. Turn on Show all in the layer's label options, or reduce the number of labels if displaying all of them makes the chart difficult to read.
A line looks temporarily jagged or remains at the wrong level
The chart may briefly show its existing values while Insights retrieves the totals needed for that layer. If the line does not settle into the expected shape, compare it with the results table and check whether two layers each omit a different dimension; both layers cannot always receive separate totals in that configuration.
Limitations
Layers apply to bar, line, area, and scatter charts. Tables, pie charts, heatmaps, and maps do not use layers.
Separate layers cannot stack together; multiple measures must be combined in one Measure values layer to stack or group them.
A chart can contain only one Measure values field, so measures cannot form separate stacks on both axes.
Layers on the same axis share that axis's scale and title.
One field has one color setup across the chart, even when it colors more than one layer.
A percentage axis works correctly only when every layer on that axis uses Stacked %.
Point size is available only for scatter layers and is removed if the layer changes to another mark.
Two layers that each omit a different dimension cannot both receive independent totals; one layer may appear jagged.