> For clean Markdown of any page, append .md to the page URL. > For a complete documentation index, see https://help.sigmacomputing.com/llms.txt. > For AI client integration (Claude Code, Cursor, etc.), connect to the MCP server at https://help.sigmacomputing.com/_mcp/server. # Combo charts > Combo charts are a type of visualization that uses a mixture of chart types. Sigma combo charts support bars, lines, areas and scatter plots. Combo charts are a type of chart that uses a mixture of chart types. Sigma combo charts support bars, lines, areas, and scatter plots. ## Requirements * You must be assigned an [account type](/docs/account-type-and-license-overview) with the **Edit Workbook** and/or **Explore Workbook** permission enabled. * You must be the workbook owner or be granted **Can explore** or **Can edit** [workbook permission](/docs/folder-and-document-permissions). If you're granted **Can explore** access to the workbook, you can create and modify visualization properties and formatting in **Explore** mode, but you cannot publish your changes. ## Plot a combo chart To plot a combo chart, configure the following properties in the **Element properties** tab: | **Chart** | Chart type displayed in the workbook | | ---------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ | | **X-axis** | Source column that defines the x-axis (horizontal axis) categories or variable | | **Y-axis** | Source column that defines the y-axis (vertical axis) categories or variable | The chart is empty until all properties are configured. ### Add a combo chart to a workbook 1. Open a workbook in **Explore** or **Edit** mode and [add a new chart element](/docs/create-a-data-element). 2. In the **Chart** property, click the dropdown field and select **Combo** from the list. ### Define the x-axis categories Configure a source column to define the x-axis categories. 1. In the **X-axis** property, click **Add column** and select an option from the menu: * To generate categories based on distinct values in an existing column, search or scroll the **Select column** list and select the preferred column name. * To generate categories based on a custom formula, select **New column** and enter the formula in the toolbar. You can also select or replace an existing column by dragging and dropping a column name from the **Columns** list to the **X-axis** property. 2. \[optional] Control how the source column data is categorized and displayed in the chart: 1. Hover over the source column name, then click the caret () to open the column menu. 2. Hover over any of the following items, then select the preferred option: | | | | :---------------- | :------------------------------------------------------------------ | | **Truncate date** | Categorize date values by the selected interval or unit of measure. | | **Transform** | Convert the column to the selected data value type. | | **Format** | Display axis and data labels in the selected format. | Availability of column menu items and corresponding options varies depending on the column’s data value type (for example, **Truncate date** is available for date values only). ### Define the y-axis variable Configure a source column to define the y-axis variable. Sigma automatically aggregates values associated with the same x-axis category, and the aggregation type depends on the data type of the column. By default, the first column placed on the y-axis is displayed as a bar chart and all additional columns are plotted as lines. 1. In the **Y-axis** property, click **Add calculation** and select an option from the menu: * To aggregate values of an existing column, search or scroll the **Aggregate column** list and select the preferred column name. * To calculate values based on a custom formula, select **New column** and enter the formula in the toolbar. * To count the number of rows associated with each category, select **Row count**. You can also select an existing column by dragging and dropping a column name from the **Columns** list to the **Y-axis** property. 2. \[optional] Control how the source column data is calculated and displayed in the chart: 1. Hover over the source column name, then click the caret () to open the column menu. 2. Hover over any of the following items, then select the preferred option: | | | | :---------------- | :--------------------------------------------------------- | | **Set aggregate** | Calculate values based on the selected aggregation method. | | **Transform** | Convert the column to the selected data value type. | | **Format** | Display axis and data labels in the selected format. | To plot the source column data without aggregating values, clear the **Aggregate values** checkbox in the **Y-axis** property. If this results in an incomplete chart that exceeds the 25,000 data point limit, reaggregate the values or apply data filters to reduce the number of data points. You can also use the toolbar to change the aggregation method (using the formula) and data label format. 3. \[optional] Repeat the previous steps to configure multiple y-axis source columns. Sigma plots each further column as a separate line series on the chart, but you can change the shape of any plotted column from the column menu. See [Change the chart type for a plotted column)](#change-the-chart-type-for-a-plotted-column). 4. \[optional] Sigma auto-generates source column names and chart titles to reflect the visualized data, but you can customize these fields as needed: * To rename a source column, double-click the column name in the **X-axis** or **Y-axis** property, then enter a new name. Changes are reflected in the default chart title. * To edit the chart title, double-click the title in the chart, then enter a new title. Sigma auto-generates the default chart title. After the title is customized, it no longer reflects changes to source columns and their names. ![Combo chart showing a bar chart with a line chart superimposed over the bars, with a different y-axis.](https://fdr-prod-docs-files-public.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/sigma.docs.buildwithfern.com/ee8bc83365e12b8bc8c5abcdaff398f8423fd36bfdd63ac3137b06f7e151b97c/assets/docs-images/e522f53-combo-nice.png?X-Amz-Algorithm=AWS4-HMAC-SHA256&X-Amz-Content-Sha256=UNSIGNED-PAYLOAD&X-Amz-Credential=AKIA6KXJSKKNFOCF7G4B%2F20260727%2Fus-east-1%2Fs3%2Faws4_request&X-Amz-Date=20260727T233740Z&X-Amz-Expires=604800&X-Amz-Signature=21730b37b61e172a63f89e2d9854f8d3974ae11e29597ba63967079003a80261&X-Amz-SignedHeaders=host&x-amz-checksum-mode=ENABLED&x-id=GetObject) ## Combo chart properties You can configure the following properties for combo charts: * [Set up colors](#configure-a-chart-color-by-category). * [Customize tooltip fields and values](/docs/customize-chart-mark-tooltip-fields). * Use a [trellis format](/docs/create-and-format-trellis-charts). ### Configure a chart color by category If your combo chart includes bars, you can set a column to use as a category and split the bar colors by category. Configure combo chart colors in the **Element properties** > **Marks** > **Color** tab. You can use color to differentiate data, highlight specific column values, and split the chart bars by category. | | | | | ---------------- | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | **Single color** | For each data series, enter a hex code or select an option from the color palette or color picker. | ![Color mark option with single color displaying for bar series and a drop down available to set the color, and a separate section for other series and a dropdown to set the relevant colors.](https://fdr-prod-docs-files-public.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/sigma.docs.buildwithfern.com/166549493332f952ae3f2fe81696031ed5da66dee091e377b310492a74d70a85/assets/docs-images/9541a8600835521377d252a7cec021bf3273cc8beff59dcd69dcde0fd41d8210-combo-color.png?X-Amz-Algorithm=AWS4-HMAC-SHA256&X-Amz-Content-Sha256=UNSIGNED-PAYLOAD&X-Amz-Credential=AKIA6KXJSKKNFOCF7G4B%2F20260727%2Fus-east-1%2Fs3%2Faws4_request&X-Amz-Date=20260727T233740Z&X-Amz-Expires=604800&X-Amz-Signature=98c543bec47a173c236d40f4d02635fe0dffa1fd57497918898bff4a40636647&X-Amz-SignedHeaders=host&x-amz-checksum-mode=ENABLED&x-id=GetObject) | | **By category** | If your combo chart includes bars, select a source column to define color categories for the bar series, then select or customize a color palette for the resulting stacks or clusters. Setting a color by category is not possible for line or other series that do not use bar. | ![Color mark option with by category displaying for bar series and a drop down available to set the color scale for the series, and a separate section for other series and a dropdown to set the relevant colors.](https://fdr-prod-docs-files-public.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/sigma.docs.buildwithfern.com/bdf4e5e8be5abaa5ed1567d65e6a532630cf55f8693082b7889117b52a23bf11/assets/docs-images/f69fd65b3b693c923a859232fe28b2d7b154ed826bd06bb82e64d351b5c619ad-combo-by-category.png?X-Amz-Algorithm=AWS4-HMAC-SHA256&X-Amz-Content-Sha256=UNSIGNED-PAYLOAD&X-Amz-Credential=AKIA6KXJSKKNFOCF7G4B%2F20260727%2Fus-east-1%2Fs3%2Faws4_request&X-Amz-Date=20260727T233740Z&X-Amz-Expires=604800&X-Amz-Signature=2c770050f3d559b941b9d2791fcddf078214ea725ba47048ff9f31a32bed898a&X-Amz-SignedHeaders=host&x-amz-checksum-mode=ENABLED&x-id=GetObject) | ![Combo chart showing total products as a count of SKU number compared to quantity sold for each year, split by product type](https://fdr-prod-docs-files-public.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/sigma.docs.buildwithfern.com/3b8408b1d212476986b269bcfb78060f22dd77014d1f25b110cb199d8b26f135/assets/docs-images/0833b940bb0ef1e5a69a0672bf67107655d23b57337ad1780b98a3b736f1104a-combo-split-by-color.png?X-Amz-Algorithm=AWS4-HMAC-SHA256&X-Amz-Content-Sha256=UNSIGNED-PAYLOAD&X-Amz-Credential=AKIA6KXJSKKNFOCF7G4B%2F20260727%2Fus-east-1%2Fs3%2Faws4_request&X-Amz-Date=20260727T233740Z&X-Amz-Expires=604800&X-Amz-Signature=a3419aa17ed4517ca4c27c5583e4c01a2e733822f6c3698b07b825c1881771f3&X-Amz-SignedHeaders=host&x-amz-checksum-mode=ENABLED&x-id=GetObject) Multiple variables in the y-axis result in a stacked or clustered bar series in which each data series represents a measure of a different variable. The **By category** color setting can also generate bar stacks or clusters, but the resulting series represent sub-categories within the configured chart categories that measure the same variable. ## Change the chart type for a plotted column The chart type for a column plotted on a combo chart can be one of four options: bar, line, area, or scatter. **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. See [Workbook modes](/docs/workbook-modes-overview). To change the chart type, do the following: 1. In the editor panel, hover over the column and click the caret .\ The column menu opens. 2. In the **Shape** submenu, choose **Bar**, **Line**, **Area**, or **Point**.\ ![Column details menu as described with shape option open to show options of bar, line, area, or point.](https://fdr-prod-docs-files-public.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/sigma.docs.buildwithfern.com/78aa822f178d92683e670f1a0e9a34ec96e5e7193a1e88bc35982ed199e9939d/assets/docs-images/5ff3589-combo-line-chart-choose.png?X-Amz-Algorithm=AWS4-HMAC-SHA256&X-Amz-Content-Sha256=UNSIGNED-PAYLOAD&X-Amz-Credential=AKIA6KXJSKKNFOCF7G4B%2F20260727%2Fus-east-1%2Fs3%2Faws4_request&X-Amz-Date=20260727T233740Z&X-Amz-Expires=604800&X-Amz-Signature=498186afb81f6a0278bc49a6406f5a309b7896d5838ff5e1f9860c65e8a47bdb&X-Amz-SignedHeaders=host&x-amz-checksum-mode=ENABLED&x-id=GetObject) ## Format options To begin editing a chart'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; see [Workbook modes](/docs/workbook-modes-overview). 1. Select **Element format** in the side navigation. 2. Select a format option to view and edit its settings. ### Format categories The following format categories are available for combo charts: * **[Element style](/docs/customize-chart-background-and-style)** * **[Title](/docs/customize-element-title)** * **X-axis** * **Y-axis** * You can add a secondary y-axis for a column on the left or right side of the chart. See [Format chart axis position](/docs/format-chart-axis-position). * **[Legend](/docs/format-chart-legend)** * **Gaps** * **[Reference marks](/docs/display-chart-reference-marks)** * **[Trend lines](/docs/add-trend-lines)** * **[Data labels](/docs/display-chart-data-labels)** * **Area/line style** - [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)