> AI agents: this is one page from Mammoth Analytics documentation. The index of all pages as Markdown is https://mammoth.io/docs/llms.txt. Append `.md` to any docs URL, or send `Accept: text/markdown`, to get Markdown.

# Build a Motion story that plays a chart through time

> Build a Mammoth Motion story: a slide deck where one chart plays through time, with narration beats, events and captions locked to your data.
>
> Applies to: Roles: Anyone who can edit the dashboard. Where: Dashboard editor › Design › Format › Slides › Motion

A Motion story is a deck where one chart plays through time, with captions that narrate what changes. Pick **Motion** as the page structure of a [slide deck](https://mammoth.io/docs/learn/dashboards/slide-decks/). It needs a date column; without one, the **Motion** card is disabled:

| Motion card shows |
| --- |
| "Needs a date field — this dataset doesn't have one." |

## Set up a Motion story

1. Switch the format to **Slides** and pick **Motion** as the page structure.
2. Under **Design** → **Format**, use the **Motion chart** picker to pick a chart type. A type that doesn't fit your data shows why, for example "Needs a location column".
3. Click the narration on the canvas to open the **Motion story** panel ("Narration that paces the playhead").

## Motion story panel options

| Group | Controls |
| --- | --- |
| **Chart** | Bar, Bars, Ranking, Line race, Bubble, Scatter, Map, Globe, Treemap, Surface. Unavailable types say what they need (a date, category, location or number column, or two category columns). |
| **Data** | **Measure** (or **X axis**, **Y axis** and **Size** for bubble and scatter), **Breakdown** and **2nd breakdown**. |
| **Timeline** | **Date column**, **Granularity**, **Each frame shows** (Auto, **Running total**: everything up to that date, **Each period**, or **Rolling**: the last three periods together), and **Plays** **From** / **To** or **Full range**. It shows how many frames the story has. |
| **Storytelling** | **Follow** (one entity, or "Nobody — show everyone"), **Start speed** (0.5×, 1×, 2×, 4×), **Pause on key moments**, **Same time last year** (needs at least a year of data), **Camera**, **Show trails** and **Show legend** (bubble and scatter only), **3D depth**, a size control (Small, Medium, Large), and **Date label** (Automatic, Centre watermark, With narration, Hidden). |
| **Events** | **Add event** with an **Event date** and a short **Event** text (up to 80 characters), for example "Price change". **Delete event** removes it. An event outside the story's dates won't show. |
| **Narration** | Beats. Each beat covers a stretch of time (from and to) and has a caption: what the viewer should watch. Use **Add beat**, **Move beat up**, **Move beat down** and **Delete beat**. |

The value chips in captions are locked to your data: edit the words, not the numbers.



To share a published Motion story as a video, use **Share as video**. See [Publish and share a dashboard](https://mammoth.io/docs/learn/share-and-export/share-a-dashboard/).

## Limits

- Motion stories need a date column. **Same time last year** needs at least a year of data.
- Motion events: up to 80 characters of text.
- A cover isn't offered on Motion boards.

## Related

- [Edit a slide deck](https://mammoth.io/docs/learn/dashboards/slide-decks/): the other deck types.
- [Publish and share a dashboard](https://mammoth.io/docs/learn/share-and-export/share-a-dashboard/): **Share as video**.
- [Dashboard chart types](https://mammoth.io/docs/learn/dashboards/chart-types/): the charts behind the Motion picker.

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