Line Charts: A Comprehensive Guide

Overview

Line charts are ideal for visualizing changes in values over time, such as weekly, quarterly, or monthly trends. They work best when you have:

• One primary grouping (e.g., time periods like months or quarters)
• One or more values to display (e.g., sales, leads, or record counts)

Availability

• Editions: Group, Professional, Enterprise, Performance, Unlimited, and Developer
• Platforms: Salesforce Classic and Lightning Experience

---

Types of Line Charts

1. Standard Line Chart

• Use case: Track changes in a single metric over time.
• Example: Plotting monthly lead counts with the X-axis as “Created Month” and the Y-axis as “Record Count.”
• Missing Data Handling: Gaps appear in the line if values are null.

2. Grouped Line Chart

• Use case: Compare multiple categories over time.
• Example: Tracking sales by different product categories across quarters.

3. Cumulative Line Chart

• Use case: Display the running total of a value over time.
• Example: Showing cumulative revenue growth quarter by quarter.

4. Grouped Cumulative Line Chart

• Use case: Compare cumulative totals across multiple categories.
• Example: Visualizing cumulative sales by region over a fiscal year.

---

Customizing Line Charts

In the Chart Editor, use the Customize tab to adjust:

1. Style

• Legend position (or hide it)
• Background and border colors

2. Series

• Display data labels (with position and color settings)

3. Horizontal Axis

• Title, number formatting, gridlines, and label orientation

4. Vertical Axis

• Title, scale adjustments, tick marks, number formatting, and gridlines

---

Sample Data & Use Case

Quarter	Sales
Q1	$25,000
Q2	$60,000
Q3	$50,000
Q4	$80,000

Example Visualization:
A line chart plotting quarterly sales trends.

---

Advanced Technique: Summed Line Graph

Task: Create a line graph where one line represents the total sum of all other lines.

Steps (Using Tableau Superstore Data Example)

1. Drag “Order Date” to Columns → Right-click and select “Month (Continuous)”.
2. Drag “Sales” to Rows twice (creates two identical measures).
3. Right-click the second “SUM(Sales)” → Select “Dual Axis.”
4. Right-click the right axis → Choose “Synchronize Axis.”
5. Select the second “SUM(Sales)” on the Marks card → Drag “Category” to Color.

This creates a line chart with individual category trends and a summed total line.

---

Key Takeaways

• Line charts excel at time-series analysis.
• Use grouped or cumulative variations for multi-category or running totals.
• Customize axes, labels, and styles for clarity.
• Advanced techniques (like dual-axis charts) enable summed trend visualization.