What is a combo chart?

A combo chart - also called a mixed chart or bar and line chart - overlays a bar series and a line series in the same chart using dual Y-axes. The left Y-axis scales the first measure; the right Y-axis scales the second. This lets you show two measures with very different numeric ranges side by side without one series dwarfing the other. Use it when one measure tracks volume (revenue, orders, headcount) and another tracks a rate or ratio (margin %, conversion rate, cost per unit).

When should I use a combo chart?

Use a combo chart when you need to show the relationship between two measures that have different units or very different numeric scales. For example: revenue (millions) and profit margin (percentage), or order volume (count) and average order value (currency). When both measures share the same unit and similar scale, a grouped bar chart is cleaner.

How many measures does the combo chart support?

Exactly two. The combo chart requires exactly 2 numeric fields in Row and exactly 1 categorical or date field in Column. It cannot be used with one measure or more than two.

Can I choose which measure is the bar and which is the line?

Yes. Mixed Chart Settings shows the two measure names from your Row fields and lets you set each one to Bar or Line. The two series are always complementary - if you set the first to Bar, the second becomes Line automatically.

Does the combo chart use dual Y-axes?

Yes, always. The first measure (series 1) plots against the left Y-axis. The second measure (series 2) plots against the right Y-axis. The dual axis is automatic - you cannot disable it or merge both measures onto a single Y-axis. This is the key feature that makes the combo chart useful for measures with different units or scales.

What happens if I only assign one measure to the combo chart?

If only one measure is assigned, the chart auto-generates a companion line series using the same data as the bar series. You will see a bar and a line that are identical in value, plotted on two separate Y-axes. This is a fallback to ensure the chart renders - assign a second distinct measure to get meaningful dual-series output.

What does Smooth Line do?

Smooth Line replaces the straight line segments between data points with a curved spline. Use it when the trend shape matters more than the exact value at each point. Turn it off when the data has sharp peaks or drops that viewers need to see clearly - smoothing can make sudden changes look gradual.

Why does my line series look flat when the bar series has much larger values?

This should not happen on a combo chart because each series has its own Y-axis. If the line appears flat, check that both measures are assigned and that neither measure has a constant value. If one measure is genuinely constant (e.g., a target line), the line will be flat by design.

What are the Shape options for the line series?

Shape sets the marker symbol at each data point on the line series. Options are Circle, Rectangle, Triangle, Diamond, Pin, and Arrow. Circle is the default and most readable. Use larger or distinctive shapes when data points are sparse and you want viewers to identify each point clearly.

Combo Chart | Edilitics Docs

Overlay a bar series and a line series on dual Y-axes to compare two measures with different scales - best when one tracks volume and the other a rate.

A combo chart - also called a mixed chart or bar and line chart - overlays a bar series and a line series on the same X-axis using dual Y-axes. The left Y-axis scales the first measure; the right Y-axis scales the second. Drop one categorical or date field into Column and exactly two numeric fields into Row. Use it when you need to show the relationship between two measures that have different units or very different numeric scales in a single view.

When to Use

The combo chart solves one specific problem: two measures that matter together but cannot share a Y-axis. Revenue in millions and profit margin in percentage cannot be plotted on the same scale - one would collapse to a flat line against the other. The dual Y-axis gives each measure its own scale so both are readable simultaneously.

Dual Y-axes can create misleading correlations. When a bar series and a line series appear to move together, viewers naturally infer causation or correlation. But the relationship is partly an artifact of how the two Y-axis scales are set. If the scales are chosen to make the two series align visually, the chart tells a story that the data may not support. Always label both Y-axes clearly and state the relationship explicitly in the chart title.

Switch to a different chart when:

Both measures share the same unit and similar scale - use Grouped Bar or Line Chart
You need to show more than two measures - use Grouped Bar or a Stacked Bar with a separate line chart
The question is about composition, not comparison - use Stacked Bar
Your dimension is not categorical or time-based - use Scatter Plot

Scenario	Dimension	Measure 1 (Bar)	Measure 2 (Line)
Revenue vs. profit margin by month	Month	Sum of revenue	Average profit margin %
Order volume vs. average order value by week	Week	Count of orders	Average order value
Headcount vs. attrition rate by quarter	Quarter	Count of employees	Attrition rate %
Ad spend vs. conversion rate by channel	Channel name	Sum of ad spend	Conversion rate %
Support tickets vs. resolution rate by team	Team name	Count of tickets	Resolution rate %

Required Inputs

Field	Type	Count
Dimension	Categorical or Date	Exactly 1
Measure	Numeric	Exactly 2

The two measures are assigned to series 1 (left Y-axis) and series 2 (right Y-axis) in the order they appear in Row.

For step-by-step build instructions, see Build Your First Chart.

Formatting Options

The Format tab unlocks after at least one field is assigned. Once your chart is rendering, use these controls to define how it looks and how viewers interact with it.

Style

Reach for Mixed Chart Settings first. This panel determines which measure renders as a bar and which renders as a line. The two series are always complementary - setting one to Bar automatically sets the other to Line.

Control	What it does
[Measure 1 name]	Set to Bar or Line. Defaults to Bar. This measure plots against the left Y-axis.
[Measure 2 name]	Set to Bar or Line. Defaults to Line. This measure plots against the right Y-axis. Automatically set to the opposite of Measure 1.

The axis assignment is fixed: series 1 always uses the left Y-axis, series 2 always uses the right Y-axis. Switching a measure from Bar to Line changes its visual type but not its axis.

Use the chart title to state the relationship between the two measures explicitly. On a combo chart with dual axes, viewers need the title to understand what the bar represents and what the line represents before they read the legend.

Control	What it does
Show Chart Title	Shows or hides the title. The text is preserved when hidden so you can toggle it back without re-entering.
Enter Chart Title	Title text. Maximum 50 characters.
Font family	Font applied to the title.
Font size	5 to 30.
Bold / Italic	Weight and style.
Alignment	Left, center, or right within the chart container.

These controls style the bar series only. Use them after Mixed Chart Settings to polish the bar appearance.

Control	What it does
Bar Color	Fill color of the bars.
Bar Gap	Space between bars, 0 to 5. At 0, bars touch each other. Keep between 1 and 3 for most layouts.
Background Color	A secondary color filling the full category height behind each bar, like a track. Use to show remaining capacity against a target. Leave off if there is no reference value.
Border Color	Color of the bar outline.
Border Width	Thickness of the bar outline, 0 to 3. At 0, no outline is drawn.
Corner Radius (top-left, bottom-left, top-right, bottom-right)	Rounds bar corners independently, 0 to 10 each. On a vertical bar, the top edge is the tip - rounding top-left and top-right gives a rounded top. Do not push all corners to 10 on narrow bars.

These controls style the line series only. Use them to visually separate the line from the bar series.

Control	What it does
Smooth Line	Replaces straight line segments with a curved spline. Use when the trend shape matters more than precise point values. Turn off when sharp peaks or drops need to be clearly visible.
Line Color	Color of the line.
Shape Color	Color of the marker symbol at each data point.
Shape	The marker symbol at each data point: Circle, Rectangle, Triangle, Diamond, Pin, or Arrow. Circle is the default. Use a distinct shape when data points are sparse and need to be individually identifiable.

Data labels print values on the bars or at each data point on the line. On a combo chart, enable data labels only when viewers need exact values and the tooltip is not available - two sets of labels on the same chart create visual noise.

Control	What it does
Show Data Labels	Shows or hides value labels.
Font family	Font applied to data labels.
Font size	Maximum 18. Keep small on dense charts.
Bold / Italic / Color	Text styling.
Position	Vertical and horizontal alignment of the label. For bar series: Top places labels above each bar tip. For line series: Top places labels above each marker.
Number Type	Default, Scientific, Decimal, or Percentage.
Display Unit	None, Thousand, Million, or Billion. Match to the relevant Y-axis Display Unit.
Decimal Places	0 to 6. Available when Number Type is not Default.

The legend identifies which series is the bar and which is the line. Keep it visible - without it, viewers cannot distinguish the two measures.

Control	What it does
Show Legend	Shows or hides the legend. On by default.
Vertical position	Top, middle, or bottom alignment of the legend block.
Horizontal position	Start, center, or end alignment.
Show Name	Default: labels always visible. On Hover: labels appear only when viewer hovers the legend. Use Default on shared or exported dashboards.
Orientation	Vertical or Horizontal legend layout. Horizontal works best for two series.
Item Gap	Spacing between legend items.
Font Size	Legend label font size.
Color	Legend label text color.

Axes

On a combo chart, naming both Y-axes is critical. The left Y-axis scales the bar series; the right Y-axis scales the line series. Without named axes, viewers cannot tell which scale belongs to which series and may misread the relationship between them.

Select X, Y (left), or Y Right before making changes. Settings apply to the selected axis only.

Control	What it does
Show Axis Name	Shows or hides the axis name label.
Axis name text	Label text. Maximum 20 characters. Defaults to the field name.
Font family	Font applied to the axis name.
Font size	5 to 30.
Bold / Italic	Weight and style.
Offset (%)	Distance between the axis name and the axis line. Increase if the axis name overlaps the axis labels.
Alignment	Start, center, or end along the axis.

Leave these at their defaults unless you are building a minimal dashboard layout.

Select X or Y before making changes. Axis Line controls apply to the left Y-axis only - the right Y-axis line is not independently configurable.

Control	What it does
Show Axis Line	Shows or hides the axis line. Hiding it also hides ticks.
Line Color	Color of the axis line.
Line Width	Thickness of the axis line, 0 to 5.
Line Type	Solid, Dashed, or Dotted.
Show Ticks	Shows or hides tick marks on the axis line.
Tick Color	Color of the tick marks.
Tick Length	Length of the tick marks, 5 to 10.
Boundary Gap	Adds padding at both ends of the category axis so the first and last bars do not sit flush against the chart edges. On by default.

Select X, Y (left), or Y Right before making changes. Hiding axis labels also hides the axis name.

Control	What it does
Show Axis Label	Shows or hides labels along the axis.
Font family	Font applied to axis labels.
Font size	Label font size.
Bold / Italic / Color	Text styling.
Rotation	Angle of label text. Useful on X-axis when category names are long and overlap.
Text case	Title Case, Uppercase, or Lowercase. Available on the categorical axis (X) only.
Display Unit	Auto, None, Thousand, Million, or Billion. Available on value axes (Y left, Y right) only. Match the Display Unit to the measure scale - use Million for a revenue axis, None for a percentage axis.

Grid lines on a combo chart apply to the left Y-axis by default. Keep left Y-axis grid lines on to give both series a shared reference grid.

Select X or Y before making changes.

Control	What it does
Show Gridlines	Shows or hides grid lines for the selected axis.
Grid Color	Color of the grid lines.
Left / Right / Top / Bottom	Plot area margins as a percentage. Increase Left when Y-axis labels are clipped. Increase Right when right Y-axis labels overflow the chart boundary.

Interactivity

Set Tooltip Trigger to Axis on a combo chart - it shows both measure values for the hovered category in one pop-up, which is essential when two series share the same X position.

Control	What it does
Show Tooltip	Shows or hides the tooltip on hover.
Trigger	Item: tooltip shows data for the specific hovered series only. Axis: tooltip shows both measure values for the hovered category. Use Axis.
Pointer	When Trigger is Axis: Line, Shadow, Cross, or None. Shadow highlights the full column at the hovered position.
Background Color	Tooltip background color.
Headers / Values tabs	Separate styling for the category label row (Headers) and the measure value rows (Values). The Values tab includes Number Type, Display Unit, and Decimal Places.

Keep animation on for presentations. Turn it off on dashboards that auto-refresh.

Control	What it does
Enable Animation	Turns the build animation on or off.
Duration	How long the animation runs, 0 to 3000ms. Default is 1000ms.
Delay	Time before the animation starts after the chart loads, 0 to 2000ms.
Easing Function	The motion curve. Cubic Out (the default) gives a natural deceleration.

Enable Data Zoom when the category count exceeds around 20 to 24 points - beyond that, bars become too narrow and line markers start overlapping. On a combo chart with a date dimension, Data Zoom is the preferred way to let viewers drill into a specific time range without pre-filtering in Transform.

Control	What it does
Show Data Zoom	Shows or hides the zoom control.
Zoom Type	Slider: a draggable range bar below the chart. Inside: scroll-to-zoom on the plot area. Use Slider. Avoid Inside on trackpad-scrolled dashboards.
Slider Size (px)	Height of the slider bar, 10 to 100.
Position	Position of the slider relative to the chart.
Alignment	Alignment of the slider control.
Orientation	Horizontal for a combo chart - scrolls through the category list on the X-axis.
Show Detail Label	Shows range values at the slider handles.
Background Color	Slider background.
Filler Color	Color of the selected range inside the slider.
Border Color	Slider border.
Handle Color	Color of the drag handles.
Brush Selection	Enables click-and-drag to zoom into a range.

Avoid Zoom Type "Inside" on dashboards that viewers scroll with a trackpad. Scroll events captured by the chart zoom the chart instead of scrolling the page.

Use emphasis to help viewers distinguish the hovered series when bar and line overlap at the same X position.

Control	What it does
Show Emphasis	Enables or disables the hover effect.
Focus Type	Item: highlights the hovered data point and dims others. Series: highlights all points in the hovered series and dims the other series - use this on a combo chart to let viewers trace one series at a time. None: no visual change on hover.
Enable Scale	Scales the hovered bar or marker slightly.
Scale Size	How much it scales. Keep at 1.1 or below to avoid visual overlap.

Enable the Toolbox when viewers need to export the chart or verify exact values behind both series.

Control	What it does
Show Toolbox	Shows or hides the toolbox icon bar.
Save as Image	Adds a download icon that saves the chart as a PNG.
Data View	Adds an icon that opens the underlying data table in the chart area.

Best Practices

Only use a combo chart when the two measures genuinely have different scales or units. If revenue and cost are both in the same currency and similar range, a grouped bar chart is cleaner and easier to read. The dual Y-axis is the combo chart's key feature - if you do not need it, you do not need the chart type.

Always name both Y-axes. The left Y-axis scales the bar series; the right scales the line. Without named axes, viewers cannot tell which scale belongs to which series and may misread the relationship between them. Set both axis names in Axis Name before publishing.

Use Axis tooltip trigger, not Item. One hover should show both measure values for the hovered category. Item trigger forces viewers to hover the bar and the line point separately to see both values.

Use Series focus in Emphasis. On a combo chart with two series overlapping at the same X position, Series focus highlights one series at a time and dims the other - much easier to follow than a single highlighted point.

Match Display Unit to each axis independently. If the bar series is in millions and the line is a percentage, set Y-axis Display Unit to Million and Y Right Display Unit to None. Mismatched units on the two axes make both scales harder to read.

FAQs

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Combo Chart