Skip to main content
The right chart answers the viewer’s question with the least effort. Start from the question and the shape of the data — comparison, trend, part-to-whole, distribution, single value, spatial — and the candidate list narrows quickly. A comparison question usually points to a bar chart. Exact cell values usually point to a table. Match the visual to the read, not to what looks dense.
Bar chart example in Building BI comparing category values along a horizontal axis

Bar chart comparing categories

​
Match the question

​
Table types

A pivot table folds a hierarchy down the rows and spreads a dimension across the columns — useful when exact values and a two-way breakdown both matter.
All Down Devices pivot-style table grouping devices under Water Meter and VAV, with device name links and Floor values

Pivot table with expandable device hierarchy

​
Top N vs scrolling

Label Top N cuts so viewers know data is hidden. For interactive ops dashboards, a soft top (about 20) with a scrollbar often beats a hard cut. See Filter options and Zoom and scroll.
Chart Configuration Style tab with Scroll section expanded showing X-Axis Items set to 5 and Y-Axis Items set to 5

Scroll settings limit how many axis items show before scrolling

​
Audience and consistency

  • A chart should be valuable before you add drill-through or cross-filtering. See Drill-through filters.
  • Match the visual to the audience. An operator on a wall display needs a different chart than an analyst exploring data. See Philosophy.
  • When two types both fit, prefer the one your dashboards already use for that question.

​
Next steps

Chart types

Look up Setup fields for every widget type.

Widget customization

Style widgets and apply defaults.
Last modified on August 18, 2026