Charts / Glossary
Category
A chart word, with the charts that use it.
Definition
A category is a named group a mark belongs to, such as a plan or a region. Categories have no order of their own, so you choose one: by value, by name or by meaning.
Updated Nov 2, 2026
- 01The categoriesEach plan is one category, with one colour.
- 02The legendNames every category and its colour.
Where you see it
001 · BarsCompare items · Fintech data
002 · Grouped barsCompare items · SaaS data
007 · Horizontal barsCompare items · Logistics data
Common mistakes
Too many categories
Past six or seven, colours repeat and the legend gets long. Group the small ones into Other.
Categories sorted by chance
Sort them by value or by a meaningful order, so the chart reads at once.
Questions
How many categories can one chart hold?
Up to about six with colour. More fit as rows, as in horizontal bars.
Is a category the same as a series?
A series is the set of values for one category, drawn together.
Every chart word, A to Z.
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