Choosing a visualization
Who this page is for
| Audience | Why it matters to you |
|---|---|
| Analysts | Make reports clear |
| Executives | Understand charts |
Choosing a Visualization
Different charts tell different stories. Pick the right one.
Freeform table
When: You need exact numbers, many dimensions Example: Top 50 pages with visitors, page views, bounce rate Pros: Precise, shows all data Cons: Hard to see patterns, too much info
Line chart
When: Show trends over time Example: Visitors per day over last 30 days Pros: Easy to see up/down, patterns, seasonality Cons: Too many lines = spaghetti chart
Bar chart
When: Compare values across categories Example: Revenue by product category Pros: Easy to compare, highlight top/bottom Cons: Limited to ~10-15 categories
Pie chart
When: Show composition (part of a whole) Example: Traffic by source (organic 40%, paid 35%, direct 25%) Pros: Shows percentages intuitively Cons: Hard to compare slices, avoid >5 slices
Cohort
When: Measure retention over time Example: 100 visitors on Day 1, how many return Day 2? Day 3? Pros: Show how users stick around Cons: Need time-based data
Fallout
When: Show funnel/drop-off Example: Home → Product → Checkout → Purchase Pros: See where people leave Cons: Only shows sequential paths
Map
When: Geographic breakdown Example: Visitors by country Pros: Intuitive for location data Cons: Only useful for geo-dimensions
Data rules for charts
Before choosing:
- How many categories? (bars need <15)
- Is this a trend? (line chart)
- Is this a composition? (pie chart)
- Is this a funnel? (fallout)
- Are you comparing? (bar > pie)
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Next: Getting data out