Area chart maker
Show how a total changes over time and which parts it’s made of. Paste a table and switch between stacked, 100% stacked and overlapping areas.
First row = headers. First column = categories; every extra column becomes a series. Paste straight from a spreadsheet.
Labels & options
Write a caption for this chart
Get a plain-English summary with the key numbers — handy for slide notes, reports and alt text. Your data is sent to the AI only when you click.
How to make a area chart
- Paste your table: first column = time, extra columns = the parts (Heating, Appliances…).
- Choose Stacked to show the total, 100% to show the changing mix, or Overlapping to compare series.
- Turn on smooth curves if you prefer, then download.
Stacked area charts
In a stacked area chart each series sits on top of the one below, so the top edge is the total. It’s good for seeing both the overall trend and roughly how big each part is. Only the bottom layer has a flat baseline, so the middle layers are hard to compare exactly — put the most important or most stable series at the bottom (the first value column).
100% stacked areas
Choose 100% to scale every time point to 100%. The total disappears, but the changing share of each part becomes clear — for example the energy mix of a country over decades.
For a single series, a line graph is usually clearer; the area fill mainly adds emphasis.
Questions
What is the difference between an area chart and a line chart?
An area chart is a line chart with the space below the line filled in. Filling suits totals and parts of a whole; a plain line is better for comparing several separate trends.
Can area charts have negative values?
Stacked areas with negative values are misleading, so use a line graph for data that goes below zero.
How do I change the stacking order?
Reorder the value columns in your data. The first column is drawn at the bottom.