How to Create Charts in Coda

Summary

Charts in Coda turn raw table data into visual bar, line, pie, or scatter graphs that update automatically as your rows change. They're a core free-plan feature, making it easy to spot trends in project timelines, budgets, or task lists without leaving your doc.

Step-by-step guide

1. Step 1

   Open your doc and find a blank line

   Go to the Coda doc where your data lives and click on an empty line in the canvas. Charts in Coda are inserted as blocks, so you need clear space below or beside your existing content.

2. Step 2

   Insert the Chart block

   Type /chart and press Enter, or click the plus (+) icon that appears on the left of the blank line and select Chart from the insert menu. A configuration panel opens where you'll pick the data source.

3. Step 3

   Choose your data source

   Select the table or existing view you want the chart to pull from. If you haven't built your table yet, follow the guide to create a table first, then add the columns you plan to chart with the steps in add columns to a table.

4. Step 4

   Pick a chart type

   In the format panel, choose from bar, column, line, pie, or scatter chart styles depending on what you're comparing. Bar and column charts work well for comparing categories, while line charts suit trends over time.

5. Step 5

   Set the category and value fields

   Assign one column as the category (X-axis, like a status or date) and another as the value (Y-axis, like a number or amount). You can group by additional columns to break the chart into series, and use a formula column if you need calculated totals — see create basic formulas for help building those.

6. Step 6

   Filter, sort, and group your data

   Use the filter controls in the chart settings to limit which rows appear, such as showing only tasks marked 'In Progress'. Sorting and grouping options let you control the order categories appear along the axis.

7. Step 7

   Resize and position the chart

   Drag the chart's corner handles to resize it, and reposition it by dragging the block within your doc's canvas. Charts update live, so any new rows you add to the source table appear automatically.