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Bar chart

Configure a bar chart in Toucan AI to compare categories or rankings.

Target Audience: Non-technical users and builders configuring charts in the Library.

Bar chart example

Overview

A bar chart compares a measure across categories. Each bar’s length reflects Bar height; categories come from Bar category (vertical: horizontal axis; horizontal: category axis for rankings).

  • Dimension: Bar category plus optional Orientation (vertical or horizontal).

  • Measure: Bar height — one query column, with optional Aggregation.

  • Optional: Group bars for side-by-side bars, or a Line overlay (vertical orientation only).

In the Library, enable Manual Edit, set Type to Bars, and map columns under Data.

Shared fields (Title, Narrative, Data) are in Chart types.

When to use it

Good fit

  • Compare values across categories (sales by region, headcount by team).

  • Show rankings with horizontal bars and optional Show rank.

  • Combine bars with a second metric as a line (vertical only).

Prefer another chart

Examples: top products by revenue, department headcount, monthly sales with a target line.

Common setups

  • Vertical bars: default orientation, Bar category + Bar height.

  • Ranking: Horizontal + Show rank under More dimension options.

  • Grouped bars: Group bars under More dimension options.

  • Bar + line: vertical orientation, Line Y-Axis in the Line section.

Configuration options

Open the chart in the Library, turn on Manual Edit, select Data, then set Type to Bars. Panels: Dimension, Measure, and Line (vertical only). Advanced fields: More dimension options / More measure options.

Prerequisites: connected database, Manual Edit (how-to).

Dimension

Option
How it works

Orientation

Vertical (default) or Horizontal. Horizontal hides the Line section.

Bar category

Category axis (X when vertical, Y when horizontal).

Date granularity

When Bar category is a date: Year, Quarter, Month, Week, or Day.

Date format

How date labels appear on the category axis.

Order bars

More dimension options. Sort by a column, ascending or descending.

Group bars

More dimension options. Side-by-side bars per category value.

Show all labels

Only shown when Orientation is Vertical. More dimension options. Label under each bar.

Show rank

Only shown when Orientation is Horizontal. More dimension options. Rank numbers on the category axis.

Measure

Option
How it works

Bar height

Column for bar length. Often numeric; use Aggregation (e.g. Count rows) otherwise.

Aggregation

Reduces rows before plotting (see below).

Format number

Shown when the measure is numeric (after aggregation). Standard, Percent, Currency, decimals, Unit.

Show value on bar

More measure options. Values on bars (on by default).

Automatic y-axis scaling

More measure options. On by default; off for Min / Max.

Exclude 0 values

More measure options. Removes rows where the measure is 0, null, or empty.

Line (vertical orientation only)

Option
How it works

Line Y-Axis

Second metric as a line. Clear the column to remove the line.

Aggregation

Shown after Line Y-Axis is selected.

Show value on line

Values on line points.

Unify scales for bars and lines

On by default: bars and line share one scale.

Aggregations on Bar height and Line Y-Axis

Aggregation
Typical column types

Sum, Cumulated sum, Average

Integer, float

Minimum, Maximum

Integer, float, date

Count rows, Count distinct

All types

Standard deviation

Integer, float

The AI assistant can pre-fill these fields; use Manual Edit to adjust.

Suggested next steps: Chart types · Line chart · Customize a chart manually · Create a chart with AI

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