By Team Edtoolkits · Charts
Show how series contribute to changing totals.
Use the guide alongside the working tool.
Open Stacked Area Chart Maker →A small dataset to try
Month,Organic,Paid,Referral
January,40,30,10
February,45,35,15
March,65,20,15The total rises from 80 to 100 over the three months. Paid falls from 35 in February to 20 in March even as the overall envelope grows, which shows why component and total trends should be read separately.
When to choose this chart
Stacked areas show how nonnegative components contribute to a changing total. They are useful for a channel mix or resource breakdown over time when every series belongs to the same whole.
Prepare and map your fields
Use an ordered X field and nonnegative component columns in matching units. Match reporting intervals and do not map an already summed total alongside its parts.
Select component series and verify the X field's ordering and spacing.
Keep the component order stable so colours retain the same meaning.
Read the outer envelope as the total, then review individual series values in the table.
Read the result correctly
The thickness of a band represents its value. Its upper boundary includes all lower components, so a rising boundary alone does not mean the component itself increased.
A mistake to avoid
Middle bands have no common baseline and are hard to compare precisely. Use ordinary lines when the question concerns each component's separate trend rather than its contribution to a total.
Export and keep your data private
Review the title, units, labels and any omitted-row warnings at the final export size. PNG is a raster image, SVG retains vector chart elements, and PDF embeds a raster image. Save the original table if you may need to revise the mapping.
Data stays in browser memory; no upload, external chart service or AI model. CSV, TSV, semicolon/pipe text, JSON and JSON Lines: 2 MB, 10,000 rows, 24 columns. Charts allow up to eight series; categorical charts 60 groups, lines/scatter/candlesticks 500 rows, pie/donut/waffle 12 categories, radar 3–12 dimensions. Blank/invalid mapped values are omitted and counted. Numeric values use a decimal point; remove currency symbols and grouping separators. Percent strings are treated as displayed numeric values (25% becomes 25). Dates use ISO format. Recommendations check data structure, not meaning or causation. PNG up to 16 MP; SVG stays vector; PDF embeds a high-resolution chart image. Review mappings, ordering, aggregation and labels before sharing.
Ready to apply this workflow?
Try Stacked Area Chart Maker →Explore a related workflow
- Line Chart Maker: Examples & Data Guide
Plot multiple series across numeric, date or ordered category axes.
- Chart Studio: Examples & Data Guide
Find suitable charts for your data and create a downloadable chart collection.
- Column Chart Maker: Examples & Data Guide
Compare categories with grouped columns and a clear zero baseline.
- Bar Chart Maker: Examples & Data Guide
Compare ranked categories with horizontal bars and readable labels.
Keep your original files and review the result. Found unclear instructions? Contact Team Edtoolkits.