Stacked Bar Charts | Visualize Compositional Breakdown by Category#

Stacked Bar Charts display how multiple subcategories contribute to a total across different categories. Ideal for illustrating part-to-whole relationships, they enable simultaneous comparison of overall values and subgroup compositions.

The Edilitics Visualization module allows users to create Stacked Bar Charts using a point-and-click interface. Charts are built on governed datasets, ensuring that all users visualize consistent logic, filters, and formatting across dashboards—no manual aggregation or design inconsistencies.

When to Use a Stacked Bar Chart#

Chart Configuration in Edilitics#

Inputs Required#

• 1 Category Field (Column)

  Used for grouping bars (e.g., Region, Department, Time Period)

• 2–10 Numeric Fields (Rows)

  Used as stacked components within each bar (e.g., Product A, Product B, Product C)

How to Configure a Stacked Bar Chart#

• Choose "Stacked Bar" from the Chart Library

• Assign 1 category field as your x-axis

• Assign 2–10 numeric fields as row-level metrics to stack

• Apply aggregations as needed

  Supported options include Sum, Count, Average, Median, etc.

• Customize formatting via the Format tab, including:

  • Bar color per row (auto-generated or manually assigned)

  • Axis configuration (labels, font, precision)

  • Gridlines and data labels

  • Legend visibility and placement

• Enable interactivity

  • Tooltips on hover with value + label display

  • Filters and drilldown capabilities

  • Segment-wise data labels (toggleable)

• Embed into dashboards

  Use multi-chart layouts to compare stacked breakdowns across entities or time.

Feature Highlights#

Legend-Based Color Mapping#

• Each numeric field (row) is assigned a color for its corresponding stack segment.

• Colors can be auto-generated via gradient or customized via theme palette.

• A live legend shows field-label mapping, with visibility toggles per metric.

Segment Label Customization#

• Bar segments support data label styling for clarity:

  • Font weight, size, and casing

  • Display units (K, M, B), prefix/suffix

  • Threshold-based visibility logic

Dynamic Tooltip Engine#

• Shows values per segment on hover with precise formatting:

  • Scientific, currency, decimal, and percentage formats supported

  • Fully theme-aware (light/dark)

  • Position auto-adjusts based on chart size and overflow conditions

Stack Ordering Controls#

• Stack segments are ordered row-wise by default but can be reordered for emphasis

• Consistent ordering across all bars ensures better comparative readability

Custom Legends & Filtering#

• Legend-driven filtering allows toggling segments on/off in real-time

• Enables focused analysis on specific contributors without changing the dataset

Data Label Placement Options#

• Labels can be shown inside or above each segment

• Supports overlap handling and cutoff limits to avoid clutter

Best Practices for Stacked Bar Charts#

📌 Learn more: Formatting & Tooltip Settings

How Edilitics Is Different#

Unlike tools that allow freeform stacking without safeguards, Edilitics ensures:

• All stacked bar charts are created from pre-cleansed, shared datasets

• Field ordering, color mapping, and formatting are standardized across users

• Legends, labels, and axes follow workspace-wide visual governance

The result is consistent, credible visualization that scales across teams and dashboards.

Stacked Bar Charts are one of the most effective ways to analyze part-to-whole relationships within categories. With governed datasets, rich formatting tools, and interactive controls, Edilitics makes it easy to produce visualizations that are both informative and presentation-ready.