What is a text table?

A text table shows your data as plain rows and columns, the same way a spreadsheet does, with no visual encoding like color or bar length. Use it when viewers need to read exact values, scan many records, or sort by a column - not when the goal is to spot a pattern at a glance, which a chart does better.

When should I use a text table instead of a chart?

Use a text table when the audience needs to look up specific values, audit a list of records, or work with more columns than any chart type can reasonably encode. Use a chart when the goal is to communicate a pattern, comparison, or trend at a glance - tables are for reading, charts are for seeing.

Can I sort a text table?

Yes. Click any column header to sort ascending, click again to sort descending. Sorting works on both categorical and numeric columns and applies to the full dataset, not just the visible rows.

How many columns and rows can a text table have?

A text table accepts 1 to 10 dimension fields and 1 to 10 measure fields. The table itself can display far more rows than that - it uses row virtualization, so even datasets with thousands of records scroll smoothly without rendering every row at once.

Can I resize columns?

Yes. Drag the edge of any column header to resize its width, or drag the bottom edge of the header row to resize header height. This is a live, on-canvas adjustment - there is no separate width setting in the Format panel.

Can I rename column headers?

Yes. In Table Header, switch between Columns and Rows to select which set of headers you are editing, then type directly into each header's label field. This only changes the displayed label - it does not affect the underlying field or any calculations.

Does the text table support alternating row colors?

Yes. Table Body includes Row Color 1 and Row Color 2, which stripe consecutive rows automatically. The stripe changes whenever the value in the first column changes between rows, so rows that share the same first-column value are visually grouped together rather than alternating on a strict odd/even basis.

Text Table | Edilitics Docs

Show raw rows and columns in a sortable, scrollable grid. Best when viewers need to read exact values, not a visual summary.

A text table shows your data as plain rows and columns, the same way a spreadsheet does, with no visual encoding like color, bar length, or position. Drop 1 to 10 categorical or date fields into Column and 1 to 10 numeric fields into Row. Use it when viewers need to read exact values, scan many records, or sort by a column - not when the goal is to spot a pattern at a glance.

Region	Revenue	Orders
North	42,000	312
South	58,000	401
East	35,000	268
West	67,000	455
Central	49,000	339

When to Use

A text table is the right choice when the question is "what exactly is the value" rather than "what does the pattern look like." Every other chart in this module compresses data into a visual encoding - bar length, slice angle, point position - so it can communicate a pattern quickly. A table does the opposite: it shows every value exactly, in full precision, at the cost of requiring the viewer to read rather than glance.

Tables are for reading, charts are for seeing. If you find yourself trying to make a table "show a trend" by staring at a column of numbers, that's a sign the data wants a line or bar chart instead. Reach for a table when the audience's actual task is lookup, audit, or export - not pattern recognition.

Switch to a different chart when:

The goal is to communicate a comparison or trend at a glance - use Horizontal Bar or Line Chart
You want numeric cells visually shaded by value, not just listed - use Highlighted Table
You need a single headline number, not a full row-by-row list - use a KPI Card

Scenario	Dimension(s)	Measure(s)
Full order list for export or audit	Order ID, Customer name	Order value, Order date
Detailed regional performance breakdown	Region, Product line	Revenue, Units sold, Margin %
Support ticket log for review	Ticket ID, Assignee, Status	Resolution hours
Employee roster with compensation detail	Department, Employee name	Salary, Tenure (years)
Raw transaction list for reconciliation	Transaction ID, Account	Amount, Fee

Required Inputs

Field	Type	Count
Dimension	Categorical or Date	1 to 10
Measure	Numeric	1 to 10

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 table is rendering, use these controls to define how it looks and how viewers interact with it.

Style

Use the chart title to state what the table contains, especially if it will be screenshotted or exported on its own without surrounding dashboard context.

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.

Table Header controls the styling and labels of column headers. Switch between Columns (your dimension fields) and Rows (your measure fields) to style each group independently - the names are a holdover from how fields are assigned, not the table's visual layout.

Control	What it does
Columns / Rows toggle	Selects whether you are editing dimension headers or measure headers. Settings below apply only to the selected group.
Header label (per column)	Type directly into each header's label field to rename its displayed text. Does not change the underlying field name, only what viewers see.
Font size	Up to 18.
Bold / Italic	Weight and style.
Alignment	Left, center, or right within the header cell.
Font Family / Color	Typeface and text color for headers in the selected group.
Border Color	Color of the header cell borders.
Border Width	Thickness of header borders, 0 to 5.

Table Body controls the styling of data cells, separately for dimension columns and measure columns.

Control	What it does
Columns / Rows toggle	Selects whether you are editing dimension cell styling or measure cell styling.
Font size	Up to 18.
Bold / Italic	Weight and style.
Alignment	Left, center, or right within the cell.
Font Family / Color	Typeface and text color for cells in the selected group.
Border Color	Color of the cell borders.
Border Width	Thickness of cell borders, 0 to 5.
Row Color 1 / Row Color 2	Two colors that stripe consecutive rows. The stripe changes whenever the first column's value changes between rows, so all rows sharing the same first-column value are grouped under one color rather than alternating strictly every other row.

Numerical Values controls how each measure column's numbers are formatted - independently per column, since different measures often need different formats (currency for revenue, plain numbers for counts).

Control	What it does
Select Header	Choose which measure column the settings below apply to.
Number Type	Default, Scientific, Decimal, Currency - Custom, Currency - Standard, Percentage, or Custom.
Currency	Choose the currency code. Available when Number Type is Currency - Standard.
Display Unit	None, Thousand, Million, or Billion.
Decimal Places	Number of decimal places shown.
Prefix / Suffix	Custom text added before or after the value. Available when Number Type is Currency - Custom or Custom.

Enable the Toolbox when viewers need to export the table or inspect the underlying data outside the rendered grid.

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

Interacting with the Table

Unlike most chart types in this module, a text table's primary interactivity happens directly on the rendered table, not through a separate formatting panel.

Interaction	What it does
Click a column header	Sorts the table by that column, ascending. Click again to sort descending.
Drag a column header's right edge	Resizes that column's width.
Drag the header row's bottom edge	Resizes header row height.
Scroll	The table uses row virtualization, so scrolling through thousands of rows stays smooth without rendering the full dataset into the page at once.

Best Practices

Use a table when the task is lookup or audit, not pattern recognition. If you catch yourself squinting at a column of numbers trying to see a trend, that's the table telling you it's the wrong chart type for the question.

Rename headers when the underlying field names are not presentation-ready. Database column names like cust_acq_chnl should become "Acquisition Channel" before a viewer sees them - use Table Header's inline rename rather than leaving raw field names on screen.

Set Number Type per column deliberately. A revenue column in raw decimal form next to a percentage column in raw decimal form looks inconsistent and is easy to misread. Currency, Percentage, and Display Unit settings in Numerical Values exist specifically so each column communicates its own unit clearly.

Use Row Color 1 and Row Color 2 when grouped data benefits from visual separation. If your dimension produces repeated values across several rows (for example, multiple transactions under the same customer), striping by first-column value makes the grouping visible without needing a separate header row per group.

Keep column count reasonable for the dashboard width. A table with 10 columns and long header text will require horizontal scrolling on most dashboard layouts. Resize columns or reduce field count if the table needs to fit without scrolling.

FAQs

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Text Table