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# Area charts

> Learn to build area charts in Sigma workbooks. Create stacked or 100% stacked visuals from data elements.

You can [create a chart](/docs/create-a-data-element) from the **Add element** section of the workbook, or directly from [an existing data element](/docs/create-a-data-element).

Visualized data does not display on the page canvas until all required plot fields are defined.

Add columns to open fields and marks using either the **+** menu or dragging and dropping the column.

## Required Fields

* **X-AXIS** (1+ columns)
* **Y-AXIS** (1+ columns)

  Columns added to the Y-AXIS field are aggregated by default. Aggregation type (e.g. Sum vs Count) depends on the original column’s value type (e.g. text, number, date, etc).

  For example, a numeric column such as *Sales Amount* creates a new calculated column, *Sum of Sales Amount* with a formula like `Sum([Sales Amount])`.

## Marks

* **COLOR**
* **TOOLTIP**
* **TRELLIS**

## Stacked area chart variations

Area charts support three stack variations:

* No Stacking - Areas start from the X axis and might overlap
* Stacked - Areas stack on top of each other
* Stacked 100% - All areas add up to 100% of the area

### Create a stacked area chart

**Before you start:** This action uses the editor panel. If you have not done so already, open the editor panel from either Explore or Edit mode.

1. In the editor panel, add a column to the **Color** field.
2. (Optional) Select one of the three stack options from the top of the chart’s editor panel view.

![The Visualization panel with Area selected and the Stacked 100% stack option highlighted in a tooltip above the X-axis settings.](https://fdr-prod-docs-files-public.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/sigma.docs.buildwithfern.com/9dab929a9688a36c1bc8422f091aadea012c885c7ee2582fc8ffe5a2be14c51b/assets/docs-images/7a28136-1.png?X-Amz-Algorithm=AWS4-HMAC-SHA256&X-Amz-Content-Sha256=UNSIGNED-PAYLOAD&X-Amz-Credential=AKIA6KXJSKKNFOCF7G4B%2F20260817%2Fus-east-1%2Fs3%2Faws4_request&X-Amz-Date=20260817T043017Z&X-Amz-Expires=604800&X-Amz-Signature=f16a861f379825d6cbb0a1f402da9dded899efeeec77d24044134bcaab4821da&X-Amz-SignedHeaders=host&x-amz-checksum-mode=ENABLED&x-id=GetObject)

## Format Options

To begin editing an visualization’s format options:

**Before you start:** This action uses the editor panel. If you have not done so already, open the editor panel from either Explore or Edit mode.

1. Select <img src="https://sigma-docs-screenshots.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/Icons/element-format.svg" alt="Element format icon" /> **Element format** in the side navigation
2. Select a format option to view and edit its settings.

The following format options are available for area charts:

* [Background](/docs/customize-chart-background-and-style)
* [Title](/docs/customize-element-title)
* [X-axis](/docs/format-chart-axis-position)
* [Y-axis](/docs/format-chart-axis-position)
* [Legend](/docs/format-chart-legend)
* [Reference marks](/docs/display-chart-reference-marks)
* Area style
* [Tooltip](/docs/customize-chart-mark-tooltip-fields)
* [Reference marks](/docs/display-chart-reference-marks)
* [Trend lines](/docs/add-trend-lines)
* [Background image](/docs/customize-chart-background-and-style#configure-a-custom-background-image-for-a-chart-beta)

## Related resources

* [Intro to charts](/docs/intro-to-visualizations)
* [Create a data element](/docs/create-a-data-element)