Histogram-Quick BI(Quick BI)-阿里云帮助中心

Prerequisites

You have created a dashboard. For more information, see Create a dashboard.

Chart Overview

A histogram divides a data range into a series of continuous intervals and uses rectangular bars to show the number of data points in each interval, providing a visual representation of the data distribution and the differences between data groups.

Bin: A continuous, non-overlapping interval used to divide a data range.
Frequency: The number of data points within each bin.
Bar: Each rectangular bar represents the number of data points in a bin. The width of the bar indicates the size of the bin, and the height represents the frequency of values in that bin.

Use cases

Common use cases for histograms include:

Analyze central tendency, such as the average customer satisfaction with a product or service.
Analyze data distribution, such as student scores to assess teaching effectiveness.
Analyze data dispersion, such as the temperature variation in a geographic area to understand climate stability.
Analyze data skewness, such as the product preferences of consumers at different income levels.
Identify outliers, such as monitoring the stability of product quality and detecting products that fall outside the normal quality range.

Benefits

Visualization: Supports adjusting chart styles for more intuitive display and adding supplementary configurations such as legends and tooltips.
Annotation: Supports adding custom notes and endnotes, and configuring navigation to external links for interaction between your data and other systems.
Interactivity: Supports drill down, interaction, navigation (only when a color legend is present), dimension/measure filtering, and in-table filtering.

Example

You can analyze the following from a histogram:

Skewness: An asymmetrical histogram shape indicates a skewed data distribution.
- When the long tail of the histogram is on the right, it is called right-skewed (positive skew). In this case, most of the data is concentrated on the left side of the histogram.
- When the long tail of the histogram is on the left, it is called left-skewed (negative skew). In this case, most of the data is concentrated on the right side of the histogram.
Central tendency: Central tendency is typically described by the mean, median, and mode. By observing the overall distribution shape, you can estimate their positions and understand the dataset's central tendency.
- When a histogram has a symmetrical distribution, the mean, median, and mode are approximately equal and located at the center of the histogram.
- When a histogram has a long tail on the right, most of the data is concentrated on the left with fewer data points on the right. In this case, the mean is greater than the median, and the mode is on the left side of the histogram.
- When a histogram has a long tail on the left, most of the data is concentrated on the right with fewer data points on the left. In this case, the mean is less than the median, and the mode is on the right side of the histogram.
Dispersion: Assess the dispersion of data by observing the overall width and the height differences between bars.
Outliers: Bars located far from other data points may indicate outliers.
Kurtosis: The sharpness or flatness of the peak reflects the kurtosis of the dataset. A sharp peak indicates more concentrated data, while a flat shape indicates a more uniform distribution.

Configure Chart Fields

The following example uses an analysis of order quantity for different product types to show how to configure fields.

In the Data panel, select the fields you need. Double-click or drag the fields to the corresponding sections on the Fields tab.
- In the value axis/measure section, add the primary measure for the chart.
  
  For this example, drag the order_quantity field to serve as the primary measure.
Click Update. The system automatically updates the chart.
(Optional) To analyze data by dimension, add a dimension field to the color legend/dimension section. The chart then divides the bars based on the dimension values. For example, you can break down the order quantity by product type.

In this example, drag the product_type field to break down the order quantity by product type.
(Optional) To perform multi-dimensional analysis, add a dimension field to the split by/dimension section to view data for different dimension values in facet mode.

In this example, drag the report_date(year) field to view order quantities for different years.
Note
You can add only one dimension to split by. Facet mode has the following limitations:
- Style: The overview axis is not supported in Auxiliary Display.
- Analysis: Only data interaction is supported. Advanced Settings, Analysis & Alerts, Annotation, and Smart Insights are not supported.
(Optional) To view data for a specific measure in the tooltip, add the measure to tooltip/measure.
(Optional) To filter the displayed data, drag the field you want to filter by to the filter area. For example, to filter out data from certain regions, drag the Region field to the filter area, then click the icon to select the required data in the Set Filter window.
(Optional) Auto Refresh

If you enable this option, the system automatically refreshes the chart data. For example, if you select this option, set the duration to 5, and select Minute(s) as the unit, the system refreshes the chart data every 5 minutes.

Configure Chart Style

Configure the style settings for the chart. For general Title and Card settings, see Configure the chart title area.

Chart Area

On the Style tab, in the Chart Area section, configure the style of the bars in the histogram.

Parameter	Description
Bar color	Sets the color scheme for the bars. You can also enable a gradient effect.
Bin calculation	Bins are the intervals created by grouping data. The number of bars is the group count, and the width of each bar is the bin width. You can set the bin calculation method to Default, Custom bin width, or Custom bin count. Default: The system automatically groups the data based on a grouping function. Custom bin width: Automatically calculates and generates bars based on the specified bin width and start value. The maximum number of bins is 50. Custom bin count: Automatically generates the corresponding bin width based on the specified number of bins. The maximum number of bins is 50.
Show bin range	Shows or hides the bin range and sets its position. You can display it next to the X-axis title or above the chart.

Facet

In facet mode, configure the layout and style of the charts in the Facet section.

Note

Facet mode is enabled only when a field is configured in the split by/dimension section.

Parameter		Description
Layout style		Sets the chart arrangement. Single column comparison and Grid layouts are supported.
Share axis		Enables or disables axis sharing.
Show split line		Shows or hides a split line between charts. If enabled, you can also configure the split line's color and style.
Number of columns		When the layout style is set to Grid, this sets the number of columns for the chart arrangement. The default is Auto, but you can also customize the number of columns. Note The number of columns for PC and mobile views must be configured separately. You can switch between views by using the device icon at the top of the page. The number of columns can be set from 1 to 6 for PC view and 1 to 3 for mobile view.
Min facet block width/height		Sets the minimum width and height for each chart. The available options vary by layout style. Single Row Comparison and Grid with auto columns: You can only configure the minimum width of the facet block. Grid with custom columns: You can configure both the minimum width and height of the facet block.
Row/column spacing		Sets the spacing between rows and columns of charts. The available options vary by layout style. Single Row Comparison: You can only configure the column spacing between charts. Grid: You can configure both row and column spacing between charts.
Split label	Position	Sets the display position of the dimension value label. You can place it above the chart or below the chart.
	Text	Sets the font color and style of the dimension value label.
	Align	Sets the alignment of the dimension value label.

Axes

On the Style tab, in the Axes section, configure the axis styles. By default, axes are shown.

Axis	Option	Description
X-axis	Show X-axis	Shows or hides the X-axis.
	Show title and unit	Shows or hides the Title and Unit on the X-axis. You can customize the title, the unit, and the text style.
	Show axis label	Shows or hides labels on the X-axis. If enabled, you can configure the Axis label display format and Text style. The axis label format can be set to Auto or Custom. The default is Auto. In this mode, the axis labels inherit the data display format of the measure field. In Custom mode, click the icon to configure the data format in the Data Display Format Settings dialog box. For information about the options, see Data display format > Custom.
	Show tick marks	Shows or hides tick marks on the X-axis.
	Show axis line	Shows or hides the X-axis line. If enabled, you can customize the axis style, including line type, width, and color.
	Show gridlines	Shows or hides gridlines for the X-axis. If enabled, you can customize the gridline style, including line type, width, and color.
Left Y-axis	Show left Y-axis	Shows or hides the left Y-axis.
	Invert Y-axis	Inverts the Y-axis.
	Show title and unit	Shows or hides the left Y-axis Title and Unit. You can customize the title and configure the text style.
	Show axis label	Shows or hides labels on the left Y-axis. If enabled, you can configure the Axis label display format and Text style. The axis label format can be set to Auto or Custom. The default is Auto. In this mode, axis labels are displayed as integers by default. In Custom mode, click the icon to configure the data format in the Data Display Format Settings dialog box. For information about the options, see Data display format > Custom.
	Show tick marks	Shows or hides tick marks on the left Y-axis.
	Show axis line	Shows or hides the left Y-axis line. If enabled, you can customize the axis style, including line type, width, and color.
	Show gridlines	Shows or hides gridlines for the left Y-axis. If enabled, you can customize the gridline style, including line type, width, and color.

Legend

In the Legend section, click the icon to enable the chart legend and configure its style.

Parameter	Description
Position	Sets the position and alignment of the legend. When the position is set to Top or Bottom, you can select Left, Center, or Right alignment. When the position is set to Left or Right, you can select Top, Center, or Bottom alignment. You can also set the distance between the legend and the chart content.
Text	Sets the legend text style, including font color, size, weight, and italicization.
Mobile legend	Legend settings for PC and mobile views are independent. You can switch to the mobile editing view by using the PC/Mobile toggle button () at the top of the dashboard editing page to configure a suitable legend for mobile devices, including its position and text style.

Data Labels

In the Data Labels section, configure whether to show data labels and their style.

Note

The Position and Text settings here apply to all data labels. You can configure data labels and their formats for individual measures or dimension values in Series Settings.

Parameter	Description
Show all	When you enable this option, the system intelligently adjusts label positions to prevent them from overlapping. If there are too many data labels, some may not be displayed if they extend beyond the axis area. With this option enabled, you can also select Allow Data Labels to Overlap.
Content	Sets the data content to be displayed in the chart. You can choose to display measures, percentages, or statistics. When displaying percentage data, you can also set the Percentage Decimal Places to 0, 1, or 2.
Position	Sets the display position of the data labels. Options include Auto, Outside End, Inside End, Inside Base, Center, and Inside Left.
Text	Sets the text format for the data labels.

Tooltip

In the Tooltip section, click the icon to enable tooltips and configure their style.

Parameter	Description
Display mode	Sets how tooltip content is displayed. You can choose By Single Data Point or By Dimension Value. By Single Data Point: Displays data associated with the hovered data point. By Dimension Value: Displays all data under the same dimension value.
Content	Selects the data content to display in the tooltip. The available options vary by configuration: When the display mode is By Single Data Point, Percentage is supported. When the display mode is By Dimension Value, Total and Percentage are supported. Percentage: The percentage of a data point relative to the total within the current dimension. For example, the profit amount as a percentage of total revenue for office supplies. When you choose to display percentages, you can also set the Percentage Decimal Places to 0, 1, or 2. Total: The sum of all measures under the current dimension. For example, the sum of sales for all regions in 2025.
Background color	Sets the background fill color of the tooltip.
Text	Sets the style of the text in the tooltip, including font color, size, weight, and italicization.
Mobile tooltip	Tooltips can be enabled or disabled independently for PC and mobile views. You can switch to the mobile editing view by using the PC/Mobile toggle button () at the top of the dashboard editing page to edit the mobile tooltip. Font size can be set separately for PC and mobile, while other styles are applied uniformly.

Series Settings

In the Series Settings section, configure the series style.

If a color legend field is configured in the Fields panel:

Parameter	Description
Select field	Selects the measure or dimension value whose label format you want to configure.
Alias	Sets a field name that aligns with your business scenario.
Show data labels	Shows or hides data labels and configures their position and text format.
Series value display format	Configures the display format for series values. You can select Auto or Custom. Note The series value display format configured here applies only to frequency. Auto: This is the default option. The series value inherits the display format of the Y-axis label. Custom: Click the icon to configure the data format in the Data Display Format Settings dialog box. For information about the options, see Data display format > Custom.

If no color legend field is configured in the Fields panel:

Parameter	Description
Select field	Selects the measure or dimension value whose label format you want to configure.
Show data labels	Shows or hides data labels and configures their position and text format.
Show extrema	Shows or hides labels for the maximum and minimum values in the chart. If enabled, you can set the label Position, the Display Content (Maximum/Minimum), the label Background Color, and the label Text Style.

Auxiliary Display

On the Style tab, in the Auxiliary Display section, configure the in-chart metric filter and view controls.

Parameter

Description

Enable metric filter display

Enables or disables the in-chart metric filter. If enabled, you can also set the default selected metric field.

View controls

When there is a large amount of dense data on an axis that cannot be fully displayed within the current container size, you can click the icon to enable chart view controls. This allows viewers to dynamically adjust the chart's visible range by scrolling, providing an interactive experience while maintaining data integrity and readability.

You can control the visible range on the chart axis using two types of controls: overview axis and scroll bar.

If you select overview axis, a simplified chart showing the full data trend (the overview axis) is displayed at the bottom of the main chart. Viewers can drag the selection area to quickly browse all data or focus on a specific range. The overview axis uses absolute coordinates, meaning the selected interval corresponds to a fixed number of data bars on the actual axis. This is suitable for comparative analysis or complex scenarios requiring direct navigation. By default, the overview axis is shown only when the amount of data exceeds the display width of the chart container. To always show the overview axis, select Always Show. The overview axis will then always be displayed, even if the chart data does not fill the screen.
If you select scroll bar, a horizontal scroll bar is displayed at the bottom of the chart. Viewers can drag the slider left or right to move the view window. The scroll bar uses a relative scale, where the length and position of the slider are determined by the ratio of the visible window to the total data range. This is suitable for general browsing scenarios. You can set a minimum category width for the scroll bar to limit the amount of data in the current window. This ensures that the chart content is clearly scaled and avoids visual clutter from overlapping data labels or overly dense data points. The minimum category width is 32px by default, with a range of 16-100px.

After a minimum category width is set, the scroll bar appears if the actual category width allocated for the chart is smaller than this value. When the scroll bar is enabled, chart elements and data labels are constrained to the coordinate system. Any parts that extend beyond this area (such as markers and data labels) are automatically truncated or repositioned to fit.

Note

If no view control is configured for the chart and the chart size is too small, the system automatically enables view controls, selects overview axis, and displays it only when the data volume exceeds the chart container's display width.

Configure Chart Analysis

Parameter	Option	Description
Data interaction	Drill Down	After you configure drill down fields in the Fields panel, you can set the display style for the drill-down levels here. For more information, see Drill Down.
	Interaction	When the data you need to analyze resides in different charts, you can link multiple charts through interactions. For more information, see Interaction.
	Navigation	When the data that you want to analyze resides on multiple dashboards, you can use navigation to link them together. This feature supports three navigation types: in-product navigation, in-page components, and external links. For more information, see Navigation.
Analysis and alerts	Reference Line	Use a reference line to compare the current measure value with a set value. The reference line value can be a fixed value or a calculated value. Calculated values include average, maximum, minimum, and median. For more information, see Analysis & Alerts.
Annotation	-	When data in a chart is anomalous or requires special attention, you can use color highlights, icons, comments, or data points to create an annotation, helping you identify anomalies and take appropriate action. For more information, see Annotation.

Next Steps

To let others view the dashboard, share it with them. For more information, see Share a dashboard.
To create a topic-based analysis with a navigation menu, integrate your dashboards into a data portal. For more information, see Data Portal.