---
schema_version: "1"
id: 25743c66e97c2dbc9efcf8bf3cdb83805fb77eda405c564f08393cc9db90da38
title: Time Bar Charts
collection: admin
version: current
locale: en-us
portal_url: https://docs.salesforce.com/admin/current/en-us/analytics/264-0-0/bi_chart_intro_time_bar.md
canonical_url: https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=analytics.bi_chart_intro_time_bar.htm&release=264.0.0&type=5
source_site: help.salesforce.com
content_type: documentation
content_hash: dd79d3197d59d0403c9422ff7dadc46778e322adf47d9d6fe8d838ed879fa168
description: A time bar chart is a column chart with the horizontal axis showing a time dimension. Use a time bar chart to visualize changes over time with vertical bars, which is a great way to illustrate relative changes over time and highlight missing data.
products:
  - CRM Analytics
  - Cross Cloud
release: "264"
---
# Time Bar Charts

A time bar chart is a column chart with the horizontal axis showing a time dimension. Use a time bar chart to visualize changes over time with vertical bars, which is a great way to illustrate relative changes over time and highlight missing data.

![Note](https://sf-zdocs-cdn-prod.zoominsoftware.com/tdta-analytics-bi-264-0-0-production-enus/ec791473-f5b4-4f64-a656-9104f455d966/images/icon_note.png)

Note Time bar charts need a defined point in time. If a data point has a null or missing value for its time-related field, the chart can’t place it on the time axis. As a result, rows with a null value in the axis field are excluded.

![The time bar chart shows measure in vertical bars.](https://sf-zdocs-cdn-prod.zoominsoftware.com/tdta-analytics-bi-264-0-0-production-enus/ec791473-f5b4-4f64-a656-9104f455d966/bi/images/bi/bi_charts_timebar.png)

## Create a Time Bar Chart

Use a time bar to analyze a measure over time using vertical bars.

For example, a time bar chart can show how total opportunity closes over time, where the lack of bars highlights no sales.

1. In the lens, click ![Chart Mode button](https://sf-zdocs-cdn-prod.zoominsoftware.com/tdta-analytics-bi-264-0-0-production-enus/ec791473-f5b4-4f64-a656-9104f455d966/bi/images/bi/bi_chart_mode_button.png) and then select the **Time Bar** chart type.
2. In Time Axis, select the date field and the granularity that you want to analyze the results by.
3. In Y-Axis, choose the measure to analyze over time, such as the total opportunity amount.
    
    The time bar chart appears as a column chart, with the time dimension shown along the X-axis.
    
    ![Analytics explorer time bar chart](https://sf-zdocs-cdn-prod.zoominsoftware.com/tdta-analytics-bi-264-0-0-production-enus/ec791473-f5b4-4f64-a656-9104f455d966/bi/images/bi/bi_explorer_time_bar_total_amount.png)
4. To change the chart display, click ![Formatting button](https://sf-zdocs-cdn-prod.zoominsoftware.com/tdta-analytics-bi-264-0-0-production-enus/ec791473-f5b4-4f64-a656-9104f455d966/bi/images/bi/bi_button_formatting.png) and set the chart properties in the Formatting panel.
    
    For example, if some of the dataset includes predictions of future amounts, click **Predictive Line** under the X-Axis section in the charts properties panel. Or add a reference line to provide a visual cue about a particular point in time.
5. To add a reference line, set the position of the reference line by specifying the date in **Time**.
    
    The numerical date you specify should match the granularity selected in the Time Axis field. For example, if you selected Year-Month and want the reference line to start just after August 2016, enter 2016/8. You can also specify a label in **Label** for the line, and a color.
    
    ![Analytics explorer time bar chart with reference line](https://sf-zdocs-cdn-prod.zoominsoftware.com/tdta-analytics-bi-264-0-0-production-enus/ec791473-f5b4-4f64-a656-9104f455d966/bi/images/bi/bi_explorer_time_bar_reference_total_amount.png)