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Create a Custom Chart with Manually Entered or Imported Data
Create a Custom Chart with Manually Entered or Imported Data

Learn how to make a custom chart with data you enter directly into the visualization.

Jennifer Funk avatar
Written by Jennifer Funk
Updated over a week ago

The most common way to create data visualizations with your own data is by uploading it to create a layer that can be used to generate many different types of visualizations. However, there's a simpler way to create a simple chart when your data is also pretty simple. That’s by using the Custom Chart data visualization option in your reports and dashboards.

To add one, click the Custom Chart drop down.

Unlike other data visualizations, this one will not prompt you to select mySidewalk or your data. Instead, you’ll select the type of chart you want to create.

Once you've selected a visualization type, you can either manually input the data or import it from a CSV file. Keep reading for additional detail on how to build each visualization.

The data you add to these custom charts will not appear anywhere else in the platform and cannot be reused in other data visualizations. If you want to reuse a chart you’ve made, you can copy and move the custom chart to another report.

Building Different Chart Types

Vertical Bar Charts

A vertical bar chart is great for sharing data that has multiple categories and for comparing the same variable for different geographies. Here’s some guidance for how to build your own custom vertical bar chart.

Build Your Data Table:

  • Add a Row: adding a row will add a brand new category to your x-axis.

  • Add a Column: adding a column will add a new, differently colored bar to each category on your x-axis.

  • Label row and column headers: Changing the headers for rows will change the labels shown on your chart’s x-axis.

Change Chart Color:

  • Unlike normal color selection within mySidewalk, custom chart colors rely on selecting a custom HEX color number. Click into the color box to make your selection and the colors of your bars will update.

Make Customizations:

  • Include a y-axis label: checking this box will allow you to add a label to the y-axis of your chart.

  • Set a specific y-axis maximum: checking this box will allow you to add a maximum y-axis value, updating your vertical axis labels and maximum value.

  • Display as percent: checking this box will update your y-axis values to be shown as a percentage rather than a number.

  • Add static line: checking this box will add a horizontal dotted line to your chart. You can set a value for where you want this line drawn and label it as an “average” or “goal” or some other text. You can also choose a color for the line using a HEX color number.

Add Title and Source Footnote:

  • Title: Adding or changing your title will update the title shown on your chart. You can also delete the title altogether, removing it from the chart.

  • Footnote: You can use this space to add sourcing information or a description of the data being displayed in your chart.

  • Accessibility Description: This section helps people using screed readers or other assistive technology. Add a description of intent for the chart. This description will not be visually displayed on the chart.

Click “Save Changes” To Add Chart

  • When you’re happy with the way your chart looks, simply click “save changes” to add to your report. You can always edit the chart later.


Horizontal Bar Charts

A horizontal bar chart is similar to a vertical bar chart, but the bars are laid out horizontally. Here’s some guidance for how to build your own custom horizontal bar chart.

Build Your Data Table:

  • Add a Row: adding a row will add a brand new category to your y-axis.

  • Add a Column: adding a column will add a new, differently colored bar to each category on your y-axis.

  • Label row and column headers: Changing the headers for columns will change the labels shown on your chart’s y-axis.

Change Chart Color:

  • Unlike normal color selection within mySidewalk, custom chart colors rely on selecting a custom HEX color number. Click into the color box to make your selection and the colors of your bars will update.

Make Customizations:

Format:

  • Display as number (default): checking this will update your x-axis values to be displayed as numbers.

  • Display as percent: checking this will update your x-axis values to be displayed as percentages.

  • Display as USD: checking this will update your x-axis values to be displayed as US dollars ($).

Bar Size:

  • Small: checking this will change the thickness of your bars to small size.

  • Medium: checking this will change the thickness of your bars to medium size.

  • Large (default): checking this will change the thickness of your bars to large size.

Add Title and Source Footnote:

  • Title: Adding or changing your title will update the title shown on your chart. You can also delete the title altogether, removing it from the chart.

  • Footnote: You can use this space to add sourcing information or a description of the data being displayed in your chart.

  • Accessibility Description: This section helps people using screed readers or other assistive technology. Add a description of intent for the chart. This description will not be visually displayed on the chart.

Click “Save Changes” To Add Chart

  • When you’re happy with the way your chart looks, simply click “save changes” to add to your report. You can always edit the chart later.


Line Charts

Line charts are great for visualizing data across time. Here’s some guidance for how to build your own custom line chart.

Build Your Data Table:

  • Add a Row: adding a row will add a new time period or category to your x-axis (such as a new month shown above).

  • Add a Column: adding a column will add a new, differently colored line to your chart.

  • Label row and column headers: Changing the headers for rows will change the labels shown on your chart’s x-axis.

Change Chart Color:

  • Unlike normal color selection within mySidewalk, custom chart colors rely on selecting a custom HEX color number. Click into the color box to make your selection and the colors of your lines will update.

Make Customizations:

  • Include a y-axis label: checking this box will allow you to add a label to the y-axis of your chart.

  • Connect lines to end of plot: checking this box will stretch the lines on your chart so they begin directly on the y-axis instead of shifting to the right as shown above.

  • Set a specific y-axis maximum: checking this box will allow you to add a maximum y-axis value, updating your vertical axis labels and maximum value.

  • Set a specific y-axis minimum: checking this box will allow you to add a minimum y-axis value, updating your vertical axis labels and minimum value.

  • Add static line: checking this box will add a horizontal dotted line to your chart. You can set a value for where you want this line drawn and label it as an “average” or “goal” or some other text. You can also choose a color for the line using a HEX color number.

  • Display as percent: checking this box will update your y-axis values to be shown as a percentage rather than a number.

  • Only show every nth x-axis label: If you have a lot of values on your x-axis, you can choose to display only some of them. For example, add the number “2” in this section and your x-axis labels will only display every other (every “2”nd) label.

Add Title and Source Footnote:

  • Title: Adding or changing your title will update the title shown on your chart. You can also delete the title altogether, removing it from the chart.

  • Footnote: You can use this space to add sourcing information or a description of the data being displayed in your chart.

  • Accessibility Description: This section helps people using screed readers or other assistive technology. Add a description of intent for the chart. This description will not be visually displayed on the chart.

Click “Save Changes” To Add Chart

  • When you’re happy with the way your chart looks, simply click “save changes” to add to your report. You can always edit the chart later.


Pie Charts

Pie charts are best at showing categorical data for a single geography. Here’s some guidance for how to build your own custom pie chart.

Build Your Data Table:

  • Add a Row: adding a row will add a new slice or category to your chart.

  • Label row headers: Changing the headers for rows will change the labels shown in the chart’s key.

Change Chart Color:

  • Unlike normal color selection within mySidewalk, custom chart colors rely on selecting a custom HEX color number. Click into the color box to make your selection and the colors of your pie slices will update.

Add Title and Source Footnote:

  • Title: Adding or changing your title will update the title shown on your chart. You can also delete the title altogether, removing it from the chart.

  • Footnote: You can use this space to add sourcing information or a description of the data being displayed in your chart.

  • Accessibility Description: This section helps people using screed readers or other assistive technology. Add a description of intent for the chart. This description will not be visually displayed on the chart.

Click “Save Changes” To Add Chart

  • When you’re happy with the way your chart looks, simply click “save changes” to add to your report. You can always edit the chart later.


Stacked Bar Charts

Stacked bar charts are best used when showing how multiple categories add up to a larger sum. Here’s some guidance for how to build your own custom stacked bar chart.

Build Your Data Table:

  • Add a Row: adding a row will add a new category to your y-axis.

  • Add a Column: adding a column will add a new, differently colored category to each bar in your chart.

  • Label row and column headers: Changing the headers for rows will change the labels shown on your chart’s y-axis.

Change Chart Color:

  • Unlike normal color selection within mySidewalk, custom chart colors rely on selecting a custom HEX color number. Click into the color box to make your selection and the colors of your bars will update.

Make Customizations:

  • Vertical: check this box to turn your horizontal stacked bar chart into a vertical stacked bar chart.

  • Show data labels: check this box to display the data values for each section of bar right on the bar chart.

  • Each bar is 100%: check this box to make every bar in your stacked bar chart equal to 100%. With this selected, the numbers you add to your data table will be visualized as the proportion of the sum of all numbers in their row.

Add Title and Source Footnote:

  • Title: Adding or changing your title will update the title shown on your chart. You can also delete the title altogether, removing it from the chart.

  • Footnote: You can use this space to add sourcing information or a description of the data being displayed in your chart.

  • Accessibility Description: This section helps people using screed readers or other assistive technology. Add a description of intent for the chart. This description will not be visually displayed on the chart.

Click “Save Changes” To Add Chart

  • When you’re happy with the way your chart looks, simply click “save changes” to add to your report. You can always edit the chart later.

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