Using bar charts - Amazon QuickSight

Important: We've redesigned the Amazon QuickSight analysis workspace. You might encounter screenshots or procedural text that doesn't reflect the new look in the QuickSight console. We're in the process of updating screenshots and procedural text.

To find a feature or item, use the Quick search bar.

For more information on QuickSight's new look, see Introducing new analysis experience on Amazon QuickSight.

Using bar charts

Amazon QuickSight supports the following types of bar charts, with either horizontal or vertical orientation:

  • Single-measure – A single-measure bar chart shows values for a single measure for a dimension. For example, the revenue goal per region, as shown in the following image.

    
							This is an image of a single-measure bar chart.
  • Multi-measure – A multi-measure bar chart shows values for multiple measure for a dimension. For example, the revenue goal and cost per region, as shown in the following image.

    
							This is an image of a multi-measure bar chart.
  • Clustered – A clustered bar chart shows values for a single measure for a dimension, grouped by another dimension. For example, the cost for each channel in a region, as shown in the following image.

    
							This is an image of a clustered bar chart.
  • Stacked – A stacked bar chart is similar to a clustered bar chart in that it displays a measure for two dimensions. However, instead of clustering bars for each child dimension by the parent dimension, it displays one bar per parent dimension. It uses color blocks within the bars to show the relative values of each item in the child dimension. The color blocks reflect the value of each item in the child dimension relative to the total for the measure. A stacked bar chart uses a scale based on the maximum value for the selected measure. For example, the revenue goal for each segment by region, as shown in the following image.

    
							This is an image of a stacked bar chart.
  • Stacked 100 percent – A stacked 100 percent bar chart is similar to a stacked bar chart. However, in a stacked 100 percent bar chart, the color blocks reflect the percentage of each item in the child dimension, out of 100 percent. For example, the percent each segment costs per region, as shown in the following image.

    
							This is an image of a stacked 100 percent bar chart.

Bar charts show up to 2,500 data points on the axis for visuals that don't use group or color. For visuals that do use group or color, they show up to 50 data points on the axis and up to 50 data points for group or color. For more information about how Amazon QuickSight handles data that falls outside display limits, see Display limits.

Creating single-measure bar charts

Use the following procedure to create a single-measure bar chart.

To create a single-measure bar chart
  1. On the analysis page, choose Visualize on the toolbar at left.

  2. On the application bar at upper left, choose Add, and then choose Add visual.

  3. On the Visual types pane, choose the Horizontal bar chart or Vertical bar chart icon, as shown following.

    
								Image of the visual types user interface with the horizontal and vertical bar chart icons highlighted with a red square.
  4. From the Fields list pane, drag a dimension to the X-axis or Y-axis field well.

  5. From the Fields list pane, drag a measure to the Value field well.

Creating multi-measure bar charts

Use the following procedure to create a multi-measure bar chart.

To create a multi-measure bar chart
  1. On the analysis page, choose Visualize on the toolbar at left.

  2. On the application bar at upper-left, choose Add, and then choose Add visual.

  3. On the Visual types pane, choose the Horizontal bar chart or Vertical bar chart icon, as shown following.

    
								Image of the visual types user interface with the horizontal and vertical bar chart icons highlighted with a red square.
  4. From the Fields list pane, drag a dimension to the X-axis or Y-axis field well.

  5. From the Fields list pane, drag two or more measures to the Value field well.

Creating clustered bar charts

Use the following procedure to create a clustered bar chart.

To create a clustered bar chart
  1. On the analysis page, choose Visualize on the toolbar at left.

  2. On the application bar at upper left, choose Add, and then choose Add visual.

  3. On the Visual types pane, choose the Horizontal bar chart or Vertical bar chart icon, as shown following.

    
								Image of the visual types user interface with the horizontal and vertical bar chart icons highlighted with a red square.
  4. From the Fields list pane, drag a dimension to the X-axis or Y-axis field well.

  5. From the Fields list pane, drag a measure to the Value field well.

  6. From the Fields list pane, drag a dimension to the Group/Color field well.

Creating stacked bar charts

Use the following procedure to create a stacked bar chart.

To create a stacked bar chart
  1. On the analysis page, choose Visualize on the toolbar at left.

  2. On the application bar at upper-left, choose Add, and then choose Add visual.

  3. On the Visual types pane, choose the Horizontal stacked bar chart or Vertical stacked bar chart icon, as shown following.

    
								Image of the visual types user interface with the horizontal and vertical stacked bar chart icons highlighted with a red square.
  4. From the Fields list pane, drag a dimension to the X-axis or Y-axis field well.

  5. From the Fields list pane, drag a dimension to the Group/Color field well.

  6. From the Fields list pane, drag a measure to the Value field well.

  7. (Optional) Add data labels and show totals:

    1. On the menu in the upper-right corner of the visual, choose the Format visual icon.

    2. In the Format visual pane that opens at left, choose Data labels.

    3. Select Show data labels.

      Labels for each measure value appear in the chart and the option to show totals appears in the pane.

    4. Choose Show totals.

      Totals appear for each bar in the chart.

Creating stacked 100 percent bar charts

Use the following procedure to create a stacked 100 percent bar chart.

To create a stacked 100 percent bar chart
  1. On the analysis page, choose Visualize on the toolbar at left.

  2. On the application bar at upper-left, choose Add, and then choose Add visual.

  3. On the Visual types pane, choose the Horizontal stacked 100% bar chart or Vertical stacked 100% bar chart icon, as shown following.

    
								Image of the visual types user interface with the horizontal and vertical stacked 100 percent bar chart icons highlighted with a red square.
  4. From the Fields list pane, drag a dimension to the X-axis or Y-axis field well.

  5. From the Fields list pane, drag two or more measures to the Value field well.

Bar chart features

To understand the features supported by bar charts, use the following table.

Feature Supported? Comments For more information
Changing the legend display Yes, with exceptions Multi-measure and clustered bar charts display a legend, while single-measure horizontal bar charts don't. Legends on visual types in QuickSight
Changing the title display Yes Titles and subtitles on visual types in QuickSight in QuickSight
Changing the axis range Yes Range and scale on visual types in QuickSight
Showing or hiding axis lines, grid lines, axis labels, and axis sort icons Yes Axes and grid lines on visual types in QuickSight
Changing the visual colors Yes Colors in visual types in QuickSight
Focusing on or excluding elements Yes, with exceptions You can focus on or exclude any bar on the chart, except when you are using a date field as the dimension for the axis. In that case, you can only focus on a bar, not exclude it.

Focusing on visual elements

Excluding visual elements

Sorting Yes You can sort on the fields you choose for the axis and the values. Sorting visual data in Amazon QuickSight
Performing field aggregation Yes You must apply aggregation to the field or fields you choose for the value, and can't apply aggregation to the fields you choose for the axis or group/ color. Changing field aggregation
Adding drill-downs Yes You can add drill-down levels to the axis and Group/Color field wells. Adding drill-downs to visual data in Amazon QuickSight
Showing data labels Yes Data labels on visual types in QuickSight
Showing stacked bar chart totals Yes Showing totals in a stacked bar chart is only available when you choose to show data labels. Stacked bar charts