Chart settings

This feature is currently available only in Dashboard Builder and requires an Expert user account with the Dashboard Extension.

Before you start: understand the connection between tables and charts

Charts turn the results from a connected table into a visual that is easier to read in a dashboard.

Every chart uses a table as its data source. Create and configure the table first, then use the chart editor to control how the data is displayed.

This guide explains the settings available in the chart editor. It uses an Age Distribution table as an example, with Count and in % as series and age groups as categories.

How table data appears in a chart

The chart uses the connected table as follows:

• Rows become categories.
• Numeric columns become series.
• Column labels become legend entries.

For example, in an age distribution chart:

• Row values such as younger than 18 years, 18 to 34 years, and other age groups appear as categories.
• Numeric columns such as Count and in % appear as series.
• The labels Count and in % appear in the legend.

If chart values look incorrect

Chart settings change only the visual display. They do not recalculate survey results.

If a count, percentage, mean, or other value is incorrect, edit the connected table and check its filters, aggregators, base variables, or formulas.

Create a chart from a table

1. Open the dashboard report and go to the Tables tab.
2. Select the table you want to visualize.
3. Expand Connected charts in the table settings.
4. Select Create new chart from table.

Survalyzer creates a default bar chart based on the source table. You can change the chart type and customize it according to your needs.

Adjust basic chart settings

1. Chart name: It has to be unique.
2. Chart type: Choose the chart visualization. Unavailable types do not support current number of visible categories and / or series. See Chart types.
3. Disable value labels: Hides the values from the chart.
4. Disable tool tips: Turns off the extra information shown when users hover over chart elements.
5. Value labels outside: Places value labels outside columns.
6. Categories as series: Switches the chart mapping: table rows become series in the legend, and table columns become the chart categories.
7. Value format: Changes how the value is displayed – it does not affect calculations. Learn more about Custom Value format.
8. in %: Adds percentage display for values. It does not calculate percentages out of count values. This calculation is required to be present in table as separate column.

Set up series and categories

Charts are generated based on tables, which consist of two distinct layers: the calculation layer and the visual layer. This separation allows you to customize the visual presentation to your specific needs without affecting the underlying data logic. In practice, this means your table can be programmed for complex calculations, while the chart represents that data in a simplified or styled format.

Series

A series is a set of values displayed with the same visual style. In the Age Distribution example, Count and in % are two separate series.

1. Show empty series: Displays a series even if it contains no data.
2. Show legend: Shows or hides the legend with series names.
3. Series label: Changes the series label shown in the chart. It does not rename the source column in the connected table.
4. Add series: Adds another available value column from the connected table. The Add series option is unavailable when all suitable columns are already used.

Additional settings

1. More customizing options: Opens additional settings (2-6) for the selected series. Available options depend on the chart type.
2. Value column: Allows to select the specific column which numerical data you want to visualize in the column.
3. *Custom value label: Allows to customize style and content of the chart value label. For example, you can display a percentage value together with a count value retrieved from a Rich Text Editor placeholder tree and format the label using HTML.
4. *Custom tooltip: Displays custom value or text in the tooltip shown when you hover over a chart element. For example, you can show additional count value in the tooltip, when hovering over the percentage value.
5. Custom color for series: Defines a custom color for an entire data series.
6. Custom colors based on values: Applies different colors to individual data points within a series based on their values. This is useful when specific value ranges need to be color-coded, for example, according to benchmark thresholds.

*See the practical example in: Customize Value Labels and Tooltips: Step-by-Step Example

Categories

Categories are the individual groups shown along a category axis. In the example, each age group is one category.

1. Show empty categories: Keeps categories visible even when they have no value in the current data scope.
2. Limit number of shown categories: Restricts the chart to a defined number of categories. Often used for charts with many categories and descending or ascending order, e.g. to display only top 5 or bottom 5 results.
3. Order categories by value: Sorts the categories by their chart values instead of keeping the order from the source table.
4. Search: Finds a category in the editor list. It does not filter the underlying survey data.
5. Visibility (eye icon): Shows or hides an individual category. It affects the chart only and does not remove the category from the connected table.

Configure axes

Axes roles and data mapping

In Survalyzer, the Y-axis displays numerical values and is the primary axis for managing the value scale.

The X-axis displays categories, regardless of the chart’s physical orientation. This means that even in a horizontal bar chart, the X-axis refers to categories, not numerical result values.

When you use Minimum value and Maximum value on the X-axis, Survalyzer treats category positions as numerical values starting from 0:

• First category = 0
• Second category = 1
• Third category = 2
• Fourth category = 3

For example, if you set Minimum value to 1 and Maximum value to 2, the chart displays the second and third categories.

Axes settings overview

X-axis settings (category axis)

• Label: Adds a title to the X-axis.
• Minimum value: Sets the first category displayed on the axis. Categories use zero-based numbering, where 0 is the first category, 1 is the second, and so on.
• Maximum value: Sets the last category displayed on the axis using the same zero-based numbering.
• Interval: Sets how often category labels appear on the axis.

Y-axis settings (value or numeric axis)

• Label: Adds a title to the Y-axis.
• Minimum value: Sets the lowest numerical value displayed on the axis. Keep Auto to use the automatically calculated minimum.
• Maximum value: Sets the highest numerical value displayed on the axis.
• Interval: Sets the spacing between values on the axis, for example, every 10, 15, or 20 units.
• Add unit to axis values: Displays a unit, such as % or $, next to the axis values.
• Add reference line: Adds a reference line for a benchmark, target, or threshold.

Secondary Y-Axis (Combined Chart)

Use it for the second and subsequent series.

You can use an additional column configured in the table as a separate indicator in your chart. For example, you can display the mean alongside percentage-based data.

To configure an additional series:

• Add the relevant table column as a series configuring the chart.
• If needed, select a Different chart type for series.
• Adjust Custom value label, Custom tooltip, and Custom color for the series as needed.

Adjust chart dimensions

Use the Dimensions section to control the available space and spacing inside bar and column charts.

1. Height and Width: Set the chart size in pixels. Auto is recommended for responsive dashboards. Enter fixed values when a consistent aspect ratio is required.
2. Top, Right, Bottom, and Left margin: Add space around the chart content. Increase the margin on a side when axis labels, category labels, or the legend are too close to the edge or are cut off.
3. Single bar padding: Controls the spacing around individual bars, as a percentage.
4. Bar group padding: Controls the spacing between groups of bars or categories, as a percentage.
5. Custom resolution for file exports: Allows you to manually set the width and height in pixels (px) for SVG exports. Higher values increase sharpness and detail. Adjusting the width also scales the font size. This does not affect native Microsoft charts.

Edit the connected table

Expand Connected table and select Edit followed by the table name to return to the source table settings.

Update the connected table when you need to change the underlying logic of the chart, including:

• The survey variable
• Filters or segmentation
• Aggregators, base variables, or custom formulas
• The rows used as categories
• The columns available as chart series

Configure chart type-specific settings

Depending on the selected chart type, additional specialized options will appear in the settings panel:

• Pie Chart: Adjust the Inner Size slider to control the size of the opening in the center of the chart. Set it to zero for a pie chart or increase it to create a donut chart.

• Gauge: The chart supports Color Ranges (Traffic Light logic). You can define thresholds (e.g., 0-30% Red, 31-70% Yellow, 71-100% Green) to provide instant visual context for KPIs.

• Word Cloud: Control the density and quality of your cloud using Maximum number of words and Minimum word count (all words that have a smaller count than indicated will not be shown in the chart).

• Tree map: Customize the visual hierarchy using Layout Style (e.g., Squarified, Slice-and-Dice, Stripes, Strip) and define the Direction of the data flow (horizontal, vertical).

• Map: For Google Maps integrations, you can adjust the Zoom level, Center point address, and Intensity of points to highlight specific geographic clusters.

Work with segmented data (dynamic placeholders)

When working with segmented data, Survalyzer provides dynamic placeholders to keep your tables and charts organized:

• {SegmentLabel}: Use this placeholder in series labels to display the name of the current data segment.

Customize value labels and tooltips

You can show percentages in a stacked column chart and add the corresponding count to the value label or tooltip. For example, a value label can display 10% (5) instead of only 10%.

Show count in a custom value label

1. In Tables, open the table connected to the chart.
2. Find the Count column that corresponds to the percentage column used in the chart. Note its Column name, for example Count_de38-4848.

3. In Charts, select the series that you want to edit (in this example: “disagree”).
4. Select Custom value label, and then click Rich text editor.

5. In Placeholders, find the Count placeholder with the same column name.

6. Add this placeholder to the value label together with the percentage placeholder. For example:
   10% (5).

7. Click Save changes.

The chart keeps using the percentage as its value while the label also shows the corresponding count.

Show count in a custom tooltip

You can use the same approach for a tooltip:

1. Select Custom tooltip for the series.
2. Click Rich text editor.
3. Find the Count placeholder that matches the Column name from the connected table.
4. Add the placeholder to the tooltip, for example:
   Count: 5

5. Click Save changes.

When you point to the series in the chart, the tooltip shows the corresponding count.

Troubleshoot chart issues

• The chart shows no data: Select Top 50 or All data in top right switch, then verify that the connected table returns values.
• A series or category is missing: Check Show empty series, Show empty categories, the eye icons, and the source table columns and rows.
• The legend contains the wrong items: Check whether Categories as series is enabled and review the series names.
• Percentages appear as decimals or counts: Confirm that the connected table calculates the percentage, then apply the appropriate Value format or in % display setting. Formatting alone does not calculate a percentage out of count values.
• Labels are clipped: Increase the relevant margin, width, or height. You can also shorten labels or select a chart type that gives categories more space.
• The scale is misleading or hides values: Return Minimum value, Maximum value, and Interval to Auto, or enter a range that includes all valid results.
• The exported chart is too small or unclear: Enable Custom resolution for file exports and define a suitable pixel size.