---
schema_version: "1"
id: 239ab8f902e4b035eaced1d18429a094634a53a8192457da02e5b19d33469d82
title: Applying Reference Lines to Tableau Next Visualizations
collection: admin
version: current
locale: en-us
portal_url: https://docs.salesforce.com/admin/current/en-us/analytics/264-0-0/tua_create_viz_reference_line_about.md
canonical_url: https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=analytics.tua_create_viz_reference_line_about.htm&release=264.0.0&type=5
source_site: help.salesforce.com
content_type: documentation
content_hash: 430cd1f6d74d2f75f83d502e3979b09e84c80d7b2411e46dbbdbf14f87d39cde
description: Use reference lines in Tableau Next to evaluate performance against benchmarks, such as customer satisfaction (CSAT) scores or monthly sales targets. You can base the reference line on the same measure, calculated field, or date field as the axis it’s on. You can also choose a different source field to compare against another business metric. Define the reference line as a constant for fixed targets or a computed measure value, such as average monthly revenue, to compare performance within context. Personalize it with labels and colors to interpret data easily.
products:
  - Tableau Next
release: "264"
---
# Applying Reference Lines to Tableau Next Visualizations

Use reference lines in Tableau Next to evaluate performance against benchmarks, such as customer satisfaction (CSAT) scores or monthly sales targets. You can base the reference line on the same measure, calculated field, or date field as the axis it’s on. You can also choose a different source field to compare against another business metric. Define the reference line as a constant for fixed targets or a computed measure value, such as average monthly revenue, to compare performance within context. Personalize it with labels and colors to interpret data easily.

### Required Editions

<table class="slds-table slds-table_bordered slds-max-medium-table_stacked slds-m-bottom_small edition"><colgroup><col></colgroup><tbody><tr class=""><td class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;"><a href="https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=analytics.tua_editions.htm&amp;language=en_US" target="_blank">View supported editions.</a></td></tr></tbody></table>

This table includes a description of the settings available with reference lines in Tableau Next.

<table class="slds-table slds-table_bordered slds-max-medium-table_stacked slds-m-bottom_small ">
        <colgroup>
          <col>
          <col>
        </colgroup>
        <thead class="slds-text-title_caps ">
          <tr class="">
            <th scope="col" class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;" id="d11045e57">Setting</th>
            <th scope="col" class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;" id="d11045e60">Description</th>
          </tr>
        </thead>
        <tbody>
          <tr class="">
            <td data-label="Setting" class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;" headers="d11045e57 ">Apply To</td>

            <td data-label="Description" class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;" headers="d11045e60 ">
              <p>Choose where to apply the reference line based on the level of detail that you
                want to compare:</p>
              <ul>
                <li>Table: Across the entire visualization</li>

                <li>Pane: To each segment of the visualizaton created by its dimensions </li>

                <li>Cell: To each grouping at the most granular level of the visualization</li>

              </ul>
            </td>

          </tr>
          <tr class="">
            <td data-label="Setting" class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;" headers="d11045e57 ">Add Line To</td>

            <td data-label="Description" class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;" headers="d11045e60 ">Choose the field to draw the reference line on. The line appears horizontally or
              vertically based on the axis for that field.</td>

          </tr>
          <tr class="">
            <td data-label="Setting" class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;" headers="d11045e57 ">Value</td>

            <td data-label="Description" class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;" headers="d11045e60 ">Set the position for the reference line. Enter a constant, or select a source
              field and the calculation to compute the line’s position.</td>

          </tr>
          <tr class="">
            <td data-label="Setting" class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;" headers="d11045e57 ">Label</td>

            <td data-label="Description" class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;" headers="d11045e60 ">Choose the annotation for the reference line. Show its value, add custom text, or
              leave it blank.</td>

          </tr>
          <tr class="">
            <td data-label="Setting" class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;" headers="d11045e57 ">Line Color</td>

            <td data-label="Description" class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;" headers="d11045e60 ">
              <p>Apply a color to the reference line. Choose a color from the Default, Custom, or
                Data palette. Data palettes provide context-aware options to match the type of data
                you’re working with, such as:</p><a name="tua_create_viz_reference_line_about__ul_zqp_yff_hhc"><!-- --></a>
              <ul id="tua_create_viz_reference_line_about__ul_zqp_yff_hhc">
                <li><strong class="uicontrol">Categorical</strong> to distinguish between distinct groups</li>

                <li><strong class="uicontrol">Sequential</strong> to highlight increasing or decreasing values
                  across a low-to-high range</li>

                <li><strong class="uicontrol">Diverging</strong> to contrast values around a meaningful
                  midpoint, such as zero or an average</li>

                <li><strong class="uicontrol">Semantic</strong> to help users interpret data more quickly using
                  colors with standard, widely understood meanings, such as red for negative values
                  and green for positive</li>

              </ul>
            </td>

          </tr>
        </tbody>
      </table>

## Add Reference Lines to Compare Data Points

In Tableau Next, you can add reference lines to highlight key thresholds in your visualizations. Add lines at constant values, computed values, or values from other fields to compare performance against business goals. For example, evaluate monthly sales against a median sales reference line and a reference line based on another field, such as profit ratio. Also, highlight an important date with a constant reference line, such as the start of a quarter.

### Required Editions

<table class="slds-table slds-table_bordered slds-max-medium-table_stacked slds-m-bottom_small edition"><colgroup><col></colgroup><tbody><tr class=""><td class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;"><a href="https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=analytics.tua_editions.htm&amp;language=en_US" target="_blank">View supported editions.</a></td></tr></tbody></table>

<table class="slds-table slds-table_bordered slds-max-medium-table_stacked slds-m-bottom_small permission">
            <colgroup>
              <col>
              <col>
            </colgroup>
            <thead class="slds-text-title_caps ">
              <tr class="">
                <th scope="colgroup" class="slds-cell-wrap" colspan="2" style="text-align:center;vertical-align:top;" id="d11045e213">User Permissions Needed</th>
              </tr>
            </thead>
            <tbody>
              <tr class="">
                <td data-label="User Permissions Needed" class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;" headers="d11045e213 ">To add reference lines in a Tableau Next visualization:</td>

                <td class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;" headers="d11045e213 "><span>Tableau Unmetered Platform Analyst or Tableau Next Platform Analyst</span> permission set</td>

              </tr>
            </tbody>
          </table>

1. Select a chart visualization that supports reference lines. For the chart visualization in this example, select a **vertical bar graph**.
2. From the Data pane, drag **Category** and **Order Date** onto **Columns**.
3. From the Order Date context menu, click **Date Part** and choose **Fiscal Year**.
4. From the Data pane, drag **Sales** onto **Rows**.
5. Add a computed value as a reference line, such as median sales for each product category.
    1. From the Data pane or **Rows**, drag **Sales** onto **Line** in the **Analytics** section. By default, Tableau Next bases the reference line on a measure field’s average and a date/time field’s maximum value.
    2. For **Apply To**, select **Pane**.
    3. From the reference line’s context menu, select **Measure** > **Median**.
        
        ![Reference line’s context menu.](https://sf-zdocs-cdn-prod.zoominsoftware.com/tdta-analytics-tua-264-0-0-production-enus/d794334f-d174-49d3-a4d2-a615bd2e54aa/tua/images/tua_reference_line_contextmenu.png)
    4. Optionally, from the **Label** dropdown menu, select a label for the reference line.
    5. Optionally, choose a color for the reference line from **Line Color**.
6. Add a reference line at the cell level, such as average sales for each product category and fiscal year.
    1. From the Data pane or **Rows**, drag **Sales** onto **Line** in the **Analytics** section.
    2. For **Apply To**, select **Cell**.
    3. Optionally, set a label and choose a color for the reference line.
7. Add a reference line based on another field, such as average sales target, across all the data in the visualization.
    
    1. From the Data pane, drag **Sales Target** onto **Line** in the **Analytics** section.
    2. For **Apply To**, ensure that **Table** is selected.
    3. In the **Value** dropdown menu, verify that **Sales Target** is selected.
    4. In the **Computation** field, verify that **Average** is selected.
    5. Optionally, set a label and choose a color for the reference line.
    
    ![Bar graph showing table, category pane, and category-by-year cell reference lines with Order Date as Date Part.](https://sf-zdocs-cdn-prod.zoominsoftware.com/tdta-analytics-tua-264-0-0-production-enus/d794334f-d174-49d3-a4d2-a615bd2e54aa/tua/images/tua_referenceline_datepart.png)
8. Add a constant reference line on the **Order Date** field, such as the rollout date of a new sales initiative.
    
    1. From the Order Date context menu on **Columns**, select **Date Value**, and then select **Fiscal Year**.
    2. From the Data pane or **Columns**, drag **Order Date** onto **Line** in the **Analytics** section.
    3. From the **Value** dropdown menu, select **Constant**.
    4. In the **Constant Value** field, set the date for the reference line.
    5. Optionally, set a label and choose a color for the reference line.
    
    ![Bar graph showing table, category pane, and vertical constant reference lines with Order Date as Date Value](https://sf-zdocs-cdn-prod.zoominsoftware.com/tdta-analytics-tua-264-0-0-production-enus/d794334f-d174-49d3-a4d2-a615bd2e54aa/tua/images/tua_referenceline_datevalue.png)

## Tableau Next Reference Line: Limitations

Reference lines aren’t supported on visualizations that include forecasting.