Bar Charts

Bar charts are useful for comparing values across categories. You can also create grouped or stacked bars to compare multiple categories, and apply styles and customizations like colors, patterns, and text labels.

Basic bar example

Example of comparing counts across categories.

Create a bar chart of <Y> by <X>.

The following example uses this prompt structure with the factory_location column from the built-in Plotly Studio dataset:

Create a bar chart of count of products by factory location.

Horizontal bar charts

Create horizontal bars by setting the orientation.

Create a horizontal bar chart of <Y> by <X>.

The following example uses this prompt structure with the factory_location column from the built-in Plotly Studio dataset:

Create a horizontal bar chart of count of products by factory location.

Grouped bar charts (side-by-side)

Create bars side-by-side to directly compare values between groups for each category.

Create a grouped bar chart of <Y> by <X>, color by <Column>.

The following example uses this prompt structure with the factory_location and delivery_location columns from the built-in Plotly Studio dataset to compare delivery destinations side-by-side:

Create a grouped bar chart of count of products by factory location,
color by delivery location.

Stacked bar charts (bars on top of each other)

Stack bars on top of each other to show part-to-whole relationships and compare totals across categories.

Create a stacked bar chart of <Y> by <X>, color by <Column>.

The following example uses this prompt structure with the factory_location and delivery_location columns from the built-in Plotly Studio dataset to show stacked bars:

Create a stacked bar chart of count of products by factory location,
color by delivery location.

Bar charts with text

Display values directly on the bars to make it easier to read exact numbers.

Create a bar chart of <Y> by <X>. Show values on bars.

The following example uses this prompt structure with the factory_location column from the built-in Plotly Studio dataset to show product counts on each bar:

Create a bar chart of count of products by factory location.
Show values on bars.

Pattern fills

Use patterns like dots, stripes, or crosses on bars to differentiate categories. This is particularly useful for accessibility and black-and-white printing.

Supported pattern shapes: forward diagonal /, backward diagonal \, vertical lines |, horizontal lines -, cross hatch x, plus/grid +, dots ., or solid (no pattern).

Create a grouped bar chart of <Y> by <X>, color by <Column>.
Use <pattern> patterns.

The following example uses the built-in Plotly Studio dataset to create grouped bars showing product counts by factory location, colored by delivery location. It filters to two delivery locations, applies diagonal patterns, and uses custom colors for the patterns and bar outlines:

Create a grouped bar chart of count of products by factory location,
color by delivery location.
Filter to Montreal and Osaka deliveries.
Use forward and backward diagonal patterns.
Use custom colors: #4472C4, #ED7D31.
Add bar outlines matching the bar colors.

Multiple bar charts within one chart

Create multiple bar charts within one chart to compare different categories or patterns across groups. These charts, often known as faceted charts or small multiples, let you display separate subplots for each category side-by-side.

Create a bar chart of <Y> by <X>. Facet by <Column>.

The following example uses this prompt structure with the delivery_location and factory_location columns from the built-in Plotly Studio dataset to show separate subplots:

Create a bar chart of count of products by delivery location.
Facet by factory location.

Bar charts with custom hover text

Add additional information on hover to provide more context about the data.

Create a bar chart of <Y> by <X>. Include <additional_info> on hover.

The following example uses this prompt structure with the factory_location column from the built-in Plotly Studio dataset to show custom hover text:

Create a bar chart of count of products by factory location.
Include average_shipping_time on hover.

Rotated bar chart labels

Rotate x-axis labels to prevent overlapping when category names are long or numerous.

Create a bar chart of <Y> by <X>. Rotate x-axis labels <angle> degrees.

The following example uses this prompt structure with the factory_location column from the built-in Plotly Studio dataset to rotate labels:

Create a bar chart of count of products by factory location.
Rotate x-axis labels 45 degrees.

Customizing bar colors

Highlight a specific bar with a different color to draw attention to it.

Create a bar chart of <Y> by <X>. Highlight <value> in <color>.

The following example uses this prompt structure with the factory_location column from the built-in Plotly Studio dataset to highlight a specific bar:

Create a bar chart of count of products by factory location.
Highlight Montreal in red.

Rounded bars

Create bars with rounded corners for a softer, more modern look.

Create a bar chart of <Y> by <X>. Use rounded corners.

The following example uses this prompt structure with the factory_location column from the built-in Plotly Studio dataset to create bars with rounded corners:

Create a bar chart of count of products by factory location.
Use rounded corners.

Interactive controls

Add dropdowns and other controls to make your bar charts interactive. Controls let users filter and explore the data dynamically.

Create a bar chart of count of products by factory location,
color by delivery location.
Add a dropdown to select delivery location
(All, Montreal, Osaka, Seattle, Singapore) - Default All.
Add a checkbox to toggle between grouped and stacked bars - Default grouped.

Sorting options

Add a dropdown to let app users change how bars are sorted.

Create a bar chart of <Y> by <X>.
Add a dropdown to select sort order (<options>) - Default <value>.

The following example uses this prompt structure with the weight and factory_location columns from the built-in Plotly Studio dataset:

Create a bar chart of max weight by factory location.
Add a dropdown to select sort order
(Ascending, Descending, Alphabetical) - Default Descending.

Prompt keywords reference

Use these keywords and phrases in your prompts to customize your bar chart.

Chart

Here are some keyword suggestions to create and customize a chart:

Keyword/Phrase	Description	Example
X	The variable to show on the horizontal axis	factory location
Y	The variable to show on the vertical axis	count of products
Color	Color bars by different groups or values	color by delivery location
Pattern shape	Map different pattern shapes to categories	use forward diagonal patterns
Facet rows	Create multiple plots stacked vertically by group	facet vertically by factory location
Facet columns	Create multiple plots side-by-side by group	facet by factory location

Data

Specify data instructions in your prompt to transform, filter, or aggregate your data before visualization.

Count products by factory location.
Calculate total value as price times quantity.

Here are some keyword suggestions:

Keyword/Phrase	Description	Example
Aggregation	Specify how to aggregate data	count products by factory location
Computed field	Create new calculated fields from existing data	calculate total value as price times quantity
Filter	Filter data to show only specific records	filter to show only defect = true

Options

Specify options in your prompt to add interactive controls that allow users to dynamically filter, transform, and visualize data without regenerating the chart.

Add a dropdown to select delivery location (All, Montreal, Osaka) - Default All.
Add a checkbox to toggle between grouped and stacked bars - Default grouped.

Here are some keyword suggestions. See App Controls for a complete list of control types and additional examples.

Keyword/Phrase	Description	Example
Dropdown	Add a dropdown menu to filter by categories	Add a dropdown to select delivery location (All, Montreal, Osaka) - Default All
Checkbox	Add a checkbox to toggle options	Add a checkbox to toggle between grouped and stacked bars - Default grouped

Chart styles

Specify chart styles in your prompt to control the visual appearance and formatting of your bar chart.

Use custom colors: #FF5733, #33FF57.
Make the chart horizontal.
Use grouped bars.
Show values on bars.

Here are some keyword suggestions:

Keyword/Phrase	Description	Example
Custom colors	Specify exact colors for bars	Use custom colors: #FF5733, #33FF57
Highlight	Highlight a specific bar with a different color	Highlight Montreal in red
Horizontal orientation	Flip bars to horizontal orientation	Make the chart horizontal
Grouped bars	Create bars side-by-side for comparison	Use grouped bars
Stacked bars	Stack bars on top of each other	Use stacked bars
Text on bars	Display values on the bars	Show values on bars
Bar width	Set the width of the bars	Set bar width to 0.8
Rounded corners	Create bars with rounded corners	Use rounded corners
Patterns	Add patterns to bars. Supported: forward diagonal, backward diagonal, vertical lines, horizontal lines, cross hatch, plus/grid, dots, or solid	Use forward and backward diagonal patterns
Hover text	What to show when hovering over bars	Show factory location on hover
Axis labels	Customize the text shown on the axes	Label x-axis as "Factory" Label y-axis as "Product Count"
Background color	Set the background color of the plot	Set background color to lightblue
Grid lines	Show or hide grid lines on the plot	Hide grid lines
Color scale	Specify color scale for continuous color mapping. See built-in color scales	Use Viridis color scale
Rotate axis labels	Rotate x-axis labels to prevent overlapping	Rotate x-axis labels 45 degrees
Sort	Sort bars in ascending or descending order	Sort bars descending
Opacity	How see-through the bars are (0=invisible, 1=solid)	Set opacity to 0.5
Axis range	Set minimum and maximum values for axes	Set y-axis range from 0 to 3000
Legend	Control legend display and position	Show legend at top right