Tableau Area Chart: Complete Guide with Examples

In today’s data-driven world, visualization plays a very important role in understanding trends and making decisions. One of the most useful and easy-to-understand visualization techniques in Tableau is the Area Chart.

If you are working with time-based data or want to show how values change over time, area charts are among the best options.

A Tableau Area Chart is a type of chart that helps you visualize the change in data over time by filling the space between the line and the axis with color.

It is similar to a line chart, but instead of just showing a line, it highlights the volume or magnitude of data. This makes it easier for users to understand trends, comparisons, and proportions in a dataset.

While working as a Sales Analyst at a retail company, I analyzed monthly sales for our three main product categories: Furniture, Office Supplies, and Technology.

To compare and visualize the sales, I created an Area chart in Tableau that shows the monthly sales of all categories.

In this Tableau Area chart, the months are shown on the x-axis and total sales on the y-axis, with each product category represented by a different color.

In this detailed guide, we will understand what a Tableau Area Chart is, its types, how to create it step-by-step, real-world use cases, advantages, limitations, and best practices.

Table of Contents

What is a Tableau Area Chart?

In Tableau, an Area chart is a type of chart that shows how values change over time, with the area between the line and the axis colored.

It works like a line chart but highlights data size with filled areas, making it easier to see the total value and trends.

In simple words, it is:

A line chart + filled area
Used to show trends over time
Helps visualize total volume and proportions

For example:

Sales growth over the months
Website traffic over time
Revenue contribution by product category

Area charts make it easier to quickly identify patterns and trends.

Types of Area Charts in Tableau

In Tableau, there are two main types of area charts: continuous and discrete. Both of these line chart types can be accessed from the Show Me menu when creating a line chart.

1. Continuous Area Chart

In a Tableau continuous area chart, the line connecting the data points on the continuous axis is called the line connecting the dots. The values on the axis are in sequence without breaks, such as days, months, or years.

For example, to track the monthly sales of two years, a continuous area chart in Tableau will show the rise or fall of sales month by month by connecting the data points.

2. Discrete Line Chart

A discrete area chart in Tableau uses separate values on the axis, like specific months, categories, or regions, rather than a continuous line across a range of values. These values are considered labels rather than a continuous flow.

To create a discrete chart, use a date or dimension field on the Columns or Rows shelf, which results in individual lines for each category.

Check out: Line Chart in Tableau

Why Use an Area Chart in Tableau?

Area charts are very popular because they provide both trend and volume information in a single view. They are especially useful when you want to understand how different categories contribute to a total over time.

Here are the main reasons to use an area chart:

To show data trends over time
To compare multiple categories
To understand part-to-whole relationships
To visualize growth or decline in values

For example:

Sales growth over the months
Website traffic over time
Revenue contribution by product category

Area charts make it easier to quickly identify patterns and trends.

Create an Area Chart in Tableau

In the examples below, we will create an area chart for both the Continuous Area chart and the Discrete Area chart.

1. Create a Continuous Area Chart in Tableau

In this example, we will create an Area chart to show sales by product category for each month.

Connect the database with the Tableau Superstore data and follow the steps below.

Add the Order Date to the Columns and Sales to the Rows.

By default, the Order date is in year format. To change it to a month format, click the Order date column and select Month.

After this, change the Marks type to the Area and add the Category to the Color card.

Now, we can see that the area chart displays sales for each month across the categories Furniture, Office Supplies, and Technology.

At last, drag the Sales to the Label card to display the sales figure on the monthly sales data point.

This way, we can create a continuous Area Chart in Tableau using the measures above.

Check out: Tableau Dual Axis Chart

2. Create a Discrete Area Chart in Tableau

Now we will create a discrete area chart, which is useful for comparing distinct categories rather than trends over time.

Connect the data with the Tableau superstore dataset and follow the steps below.

Drag the Order date to the column that defaults to Year. To show the Months, again add the order date to the column and change the format to Month.

Now, add the Sales to the Rows; this will automatically set the chart type to line. Here, change the chart type to Area.

Now, the chart will be in Area format, showing sales for 2024 and 2025. To show Sales divided by category for each month in both years, add the Category to the color palette.

As we hover over the data points in the chart, it will show sales for that specific category. This way, we can create a discrete area chart in Tableau by using the discrete dimensions.

Check out: Bullet Chart in Tableau

Frequently Asked Questions

Q1: What is an area chart in Tableau?

An area chart is a line chart with a shaded area used to show trends and volume.

Q2: When should I use an area chart?

When you want to show changes over time and the total contribution.

Q3: What is a stacked area chart?

It shows multiple categories stacked on top of each other.

Q4: Is an area chart better than a line chart?

It depends. The area chart shows volume, and the line chart shows the exact comparison.

Conclusion

ITableau Area Chart is a powerful visualization tool that helps users understand data trends and volumes in a simple, effective way.

It combines the features of line charts and bar charts to provide better insights into how data changes over time. Whether you are a beginner or an experienced data analyst, mastering area charts will help you create impactful dashboards and reports.

If used correctly with best practices, area charts can significantly improve your data storytelling and help stakeholders make better decisions.

Start practicing with real datasets and explore advanced features to fully leverage Tableau’s power.