Beispiel-CSV
| Month | Organic Search | Paid Search | Direct | Referral |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 12400 | 3200 | 5100 | 1800 |
| Feb | 13100 | 3450 | 5300 | 1750 |
| Mar | 14200 | 3600 | 5250 | 2000 |
| Apr | 15800 | 4100 | 5400 | 2100 |
| May | 16500 | 4300 | 5600 | 2050 |
| Jun | 17900 | 4550 | 5800 | 2200 |
How to Create an Area Chart
A walkthrough for turning a spreadsheet of values over time into a published area chart in PlotSet, from shaping the columns to styling the fill and exporting the result.
Etwa 8 MinutenThis walkthrough covers how to create an area chart in PlotSet, moving from a spreadsheet of values over time to a published, interactive chart you can embed or export. You'll finish with the fill styled on purpose (stacked, overlapping, or a single band), a baseline that actually sits at zero, and series names that mean something in the legend, not a screenshot of someone else's example.
If your data is already one time column plus one or two measure columns, this takes about eight minutes. Add a few more if you're deciding between stacked and percentage mode, or if your source export needs reshaping from long to wide first. Budget the eight minutes below and treat the rest as buffer.
Die Daten, die Sie brauchen
One row per time point, one column per series: a date or period label first, one number per series after it. No merged cells, one header row.
Keep the date column as an actual date, not text. If a spreadsheet stores "Jan" as a plain string, PlotSet spaces the points evenly instead of by the real gap between them.
This is wide format: one column per series. If your source data is long format, a category column and a value column with one row per date and series, pivot it in your spreadsheet tool first, or the series won't split into separate bands.
Blank cells in a measure column render as a gap in that band rather than being skipped. Fill them with zero or the last known value, whichever matches what actually happened during that period.
Keep header names short. They become the series names in the legend and in the hover tooltip, so a column called "Organic Search Sessions (All Devices)" will crowd both.
Die Schritte
Der genaue Klickpfad in PlotSet, von einer leeren Vorlage bis zum fertigen Diagramm.
- 01
Open the area chart template
From the PlotSet dashboard, start a new project and choose the Area Chart template. It loads with sample data already bound, so you can see how the time column and the measure columns map onto filled bands before you touch your own file.
Jede Anleitung beginnt hier. Wählen Sie erst die Kategorie, dann die Vorlage. Das Raster ist für jeden Diagrammtyp dasselbe. - 02
Shape your sheet with time in the first column
One row per period, with the date or time label first and one column per series after it. If your source is long format, one row per date and category rather than one row per date, pivot it into wide format before uploading.
- 03
Upload the file or connect a live sheet
Use the data panel to import a CSV or .xlsx file, paste rows directly from a spreadsheet, or connect a Google Sheet if you want the chart to refresh later without a re-upload. PlotSet reads the first row as headers automatically.
Die Datenansicht, hier in einem Balkendiagramm-Projekt. Laden Sie über "Upload CSV File" eine CSV-Datei hoch, holen Sie die Zahlen mit "Magic Import" aus einem Bild oder verbinden Sie ein Google Sheet. Der Bereich sieht bei jedem Diagrammtyp gleich aus. - 04
Map the time column and your measures
Confirm which column feeds the x-axis and which numeric columns feed the bands. If the points along the axis look evenly spaced even though your periods aren't, the date column is likely being read as text rather than a date.
Die Zuordnungen legen fest, welche Spalte zur Beschriftung wird, welche die Werte liefert und welche die Farbe steuert. "Auto Binding" errät sie anhand Ihrer Spaltenüberschriften. Prüfen Sie das Ergebnis, statt sich darauf zu verlassen. - 05
Choose stacked, percentage or overlapping
Stack the series when the running total matters. Switch to percentage stacking when only the changing mix matters and the total would be a distraction. Reach for overlapping only with two or three series and real transparency on the fill.
- 06
Set the stacking order and pick colours
Drag the series order so the one you most want understood sits at the bottom, since only the bottom band has a flat baseline to read against. Give each series its own colour; a repeated colour from the default palette makes two bands look like one.
Der Tab "Preview" für ein Diagramm vom Typ "Area Chart". Alle Gestaltungsoptionen stecken im umrandeten Bereich: Aussehen, Kopfzeile, Fußzeile und die Optionen, die es speziell für diesen Diagrammtyp gibt, jeweils in einem eigenen Tab. - 07
Check the baseline and add a title
Confirm the value axis starts at zero. It should, because the fill is measured from there and a truncated axis on an area chart fills in a shape that doesn't exist. Add a title that says what's accumulating, not just the metric name.
- 08
Publish, embed or export the chart
Publish for a live, interactive chart with hover tooltips that show every series at a given date, grab the embed code to drop it into a page, or export a PNG, SVG or PDF for a deck.
Starten Sie mit der Area Chart-Vorlage samt bereits geladenen Beispieldaten und ersetzen Sie diese durch Ihre eigenen.
Vorlage öffnenVeröffentlichen, einbetten oder exportieren
Der letzte Abschnitt ist bei jedem Diagrammtyp gleich: "Share" macht aus dem Diagramm einen öffentlichen Live-Link und einen Einbettungscode, "Export" schreibt es als statische Datei heraus.
"Share": öffentlicher Link und Einbettungscode
Aktivieren Sie den Einbettungscode und den öffentlichen Link, um das Diagramm zu veröffentlichen. Den Link können Sie bedenkenlos an alle weitergeben, und der Einbettungscode fügt sich als iframe in jede Seite ein. Die Tooltips beim Überfahren mit der Maus und die volle Interaktivität bleiben erhalten. Wenn Sie das Diagramm später bearbeiten, überträgt "Recreate" die Änderungen auf Link und Einbettung.
"Export": SVG, PNG oder JPG
"Export" schreibt eine statische Kopie in der Größe heraus, die Sie brauchen. SVG bleibt in jeder Skalierung scharf und lässt sich weiterhin in einem Design-Tool bearbeiten; PNG und JPG sind die sichere Wahl für Folien und Dokumente. Der Skalierungsfaktor sorgt dafür, dass das Bild auf einem Retina-Display gestochen scharf wirkt.
Styling-Tipps für Area Chart
Put the series you most need read at the bottom
In a stacked area chart, only the bottom band sits on a flat baseline. Every band above it is judged against a wavy line, which the eye does badly, so the bottom slot should go to the series your reader most needs to track accurately.
Never move the baseline off zero
The filled region is measured from the baseline, so shifting it exaggerates or hides volume that isn't real. If you want to zoom in on a narrow range, turn on value labels and hover tooltips instead of touching the axis.
Cap stacked bands at four or five
Past that, the bands in the middle get thin, wavy and impossible to compare. Group the smaller series into an "Other" band and name it in the legend rather than letting six or seven colours fight for space.
Say so when you switch to percentage mode
A 100% stacked area looks perfectly stable even if the underlying total collapsed. Label the axis and add a line in the caption noting that the chart shows mix, not magnitude.
Häufige Fehler bei Area Chart
The x-axis spaces every point evenly, even though your periods aren't
This means the time column is being read as text rather than a date, so PlotSet is placing the labels in order rather than by calendar distance. Reformat the column as an actual date in your source sheet and re-map it.
The bands overlap into one muddy colour instead of stacking
Check two things: the chart's stacking mode may still be set to overlapping, and your data may still be in long format with one series column instead of one column per series. Switch the mode to stacked and confirm each series has its own column.
A stray total row shows up as a spike at the end of the chart
A "Total" or "Average" row left at the bottom of the sheet gets read as an extra time point, not a summary, and appears as an odd extra point past your real data. Delete it from the source file or remove the row in PlotSet's data table before publishing.
Mehr über Area Chart erfahren
Nicht sicher, ob Area Chart die richtige Wahl ist? Erfahren Sie, was es ist, wann Sie es verwenden sollten und wann nicht.
Area Chart: häufige Fragen
Wide format, with one header row: a date or period label in the first column and one number per series in the columns after it. CSV and .xlsx both work, and a pasted range from any spreadsheet tool is fine too.
Jetzt Area Chart erstellen
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