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# Dashboard chart types: which chart to use for what

> All 44 Mammoth dashboard chart types by family (compare, trend, parts, single value, distribution, time, map): what each is best for and the fields it needs.
>
> Applies to: Where: Dashboard editor › Add › Chart › All 44

Mammoth dashboards have 44 chart types, listed here by the category chip they sit under in the chart picker (**Add** → **Chart**, scope **All 44**). "What it needs" is the fields you set in the chart's **Data** section; see [Choose the chart's fields](https://mammoth.io/docs/learn/dashboards/edit-a-chart/#choose-the-charts-fields-measure-by-split-by-and-show). To add one, see [Add a chart](https://mammoth.io/docs/learn/dashboards/charts/).

## Charts to compare categories

Compare a number across categories: regions, products, teams. Under **Common**, Marimekko, Pareto and Radar are left out.

| Chart | Best for | What it needs |
|---|---|---|
| **Bar** | Comparing a number across categories with vertical bars | A category (**By**) and a **Measure** |
| **Bar (H)** | The same with horizontal bars. Suits long names and rankings | A category and a measure |
| **Ranking (dots)** | Ranked values as a dot on a stem, with less ink than bars | A category and a measure |
| **Diverging** | Positive and negative values either side of zero | A category and a measure with +/- values |
| **Grouped bar** | Side-by-side bars per category, for a second breakdown or several measures | A category and one or more measures |
| **Stacked bar** | Bars split into segments by a second field | A category, a **Split by** field and a measure |
| **100% stacked** | The mix within each category, with every bar at 100% | A category, a **Split by** field and a measure |
| **Marimekko** | Bar width shows each category's size, segments show its mix | A category, a **Split by** field and a measure |
| **Pareto** | Sorted bars with a cumulative % line, for the 80/20 read | A category and a measure |
| **Radar** | One measure across several categories on spokes | A category and a measure |

## Charts to show a trend over time

Show how a number changes over time. Under **Common**, Bump and Candlestick are left out.

| Chart | Best for | What it needs |
|---|---|---|
| **Line** | Change over time | A date (or category) and a measure |
| **Area** | Change over time with the volume filled in | A date and a measure |
| **Stacked area** | How each part's contribution changes over time | A date, a **Split by** field and a measure |
| **Bump (ranking over time)** | How ranks change from period to period | A date, a category and a measure |
| **Slope** | Change between two points (before and after) for each category | A category and two measures |
| **Combo** | Bars and a line together, on two axes if needed | A date or category and two or more measures |
| **Sparkline** | A tiny trend line with no axes | A date and a measure |
| **Candlestick** | Open, high, low and close for each period | A date and four measures |

## Charts to show parts of a whole

Show how a total splits into its parts. Under **Common**, Sunburst, Waterfall and Funnel are left out.

| Chart | Best for | What it needs |
|---|---|---|
| **Donut** | Share of a total, as a ring | A category and a measure |
| **Composition** | Share of a total, as one segmented bar | A category and a measure |
| **Treemap** | Share of a total, as rectangles sized by value | A category and a measure |
| **Pictograph** | Counts drawn as repeated icons ("people", "homes") | A category and a measure |
| **Sunburst** | A two-level share of a total, as rings | Two categories and a measure |
| **Waterfall** | How positive and negative steps build to a total | A category and a measure |
| **Funnel** | Drop-off through ordered stages | A stage field and a measure |

## Charts for a single headline number

One headline number. The same five types appear under **Common** and **All 44**. Only Bullet has a **By** field.

| Chart | Best for | What it needs |
|---|---|---|
| **KPI** | One number with a label and its change | A measure |
| **Big number** | One large headline number, with an optional change caption | A measure |
| **Gauge** | One number against a scale, with optional red/amber/green zones | A measure (set the **Max value**) |
| **Bullet** | One number against a target | A category and a measure (set the **Target**) |
| **Icon stat** | One number with an icon | A measure |

For a row of KPI cards across the top of a page, see [KPI cards](https://mammoth.io/docs/learn/dashboards/kpi-cards/).

## Charts to show distribution, relationships and flow

How values spread out, and how two things relate or flow. Under **Common**, Beeswarm, Dumbbell, Sankey and Network are left out.

| Chart | Best for | What it needs |
|---|---|---|
| **Scatter** | The relationship between two measures | Two measures (**X** and **Y**) |
| **Bubble** | A scatter with a third measure as bubble size | Three measures |
| **Histogram** | How values spread across ranges (bins) | One measure (no **By**) |
| **Box plot** | Median, quartiles and outliers per group | A category and a measure |
| **Beeswarm (every point)** | Every value as a dot, grouped | A category and a measure |
| **Dumbbell** | The gap between two values per category | A category and two measures |
| **Heatmap** | A measure across two categories, as shaded cells | Two categories (**Rows** and **Columns**) and a measure |
| **Sankey** | Flow from one category to another | Two categories and a measure |
| **Network** | Links between the values of two categories | Two categories |

## Calendar and Gantt charts

Dates laid out as a calendar or a schedule. These two only appear under **All 44**, behind the **Time** chip, or through search.

| Chart | Best for | What it needs |
|---|---|---|
| **Calendar heatmap** | A daily measure laid out as a calendar grid | A date and a measure |
| **Gantt** | Spans between a start and an end date for each item | Two date fields and a category |

## Map chart of countries or US states

The **Map** chart shades regions by a measure, for countries of the world or US states. Find it under **All 44** → **Map** chip, or search "map". It isn't in the **Common** set.

What it needs: A location field and a measure. A text field counts as a location field when most of its values are country names or US state names.

- Common spellings work, such as USA, US, America, UK, Britain, UAE and Russian Federation.
- Mammoth uses the world map or the US map, whichever fits your values better.
- Cities and postcodes don't count. Without a location field, the tile shows "Needs a location field".

Two options control how the map looks. Set them in the chart's edit panel.

| Option | Choices | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| **Projection** | **Equal Earth** (default), **Mercator**, **Albers USA** | "How the globe is flattened onto the map. Equal Earth keeps country sizes honest; Mercator is the familiar web-map look; Albers USA zooms to the United States." |
| **Binning** | **Continuous** (default), **Quantile**, **Equal** | How values map to colour: a smooth ramp, buckets with the same number of regions in each (quantile), or bands of equal width. |

**Color scale** sets the base colour; darker regions are higher values. **Number format** works as on other charts.



## Tables and text blocks

Under **All 44**, the **Table** and **Text** chips add a table or a text block (a note, caveat, source and more). See [Tables](https://mammoth.io/docs/learn/dashboards/tables-kpis-text/) and [Text blocks](https://mammoth.io/docs/learn/dashboards/text-blocks/).

## Related

- [Add a chart to a dashboard](https://mammoth.io/docs/learn/dashboards/charts/): the picker, search and switching type.
- [Set up a chart](https://mammoth.io/docs/learn/dashboards/edit-a-chart/): set the fields each type needs.
- [Chart options](https://mammoth.io/docs/learn/dashboards/chart-options/): options per chart type.
- [Custom charts](https://mammoth.io/docs/learn/dashboards/custom-charts/): a chart the library doesn't have.

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Source: https://mammoth.io/docs/learn/dashboards/chart-types.md · Updated: 2026-11-08