dbt Charts blog

Dual axes, not dueling

Thu, 15 Oct 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Every chart with two vertical scales, dual axes, hides an exchange rate: some number of right-axis units equals one left-axis unit. On a dueling chart, that rate is mysterious to the reader. Consider the following example.

Airfare and gas prices both peaked in June 2022. A chart with two vertical axes, one for each measure, can show both prices on the same plot.

This approach shows a little too much. It fails in two ways.

You asked for a waterfall

Thu, 01 Oct 2026 00:00:00 +0000

The waterfall below could not exist in dbt Charts two weeks ago. It shows our own GitHub issues since launch: 31 you filed, 21 we filed, and the 29 that today’s release closes. Hover over any bar to see its details.

We drew it with y_start, a new field that lets a bar start somewhere other than zero. That one line of YAML opens up waterfall charts, gantt charts, candlestick charts, dumbbells, and lots more. We sped it into production because a new user asked for it.

Charts should be working harder for you

Thu, 17 Sep 2026 00:00:00 +0000

A chart’s capacity to convey information is mostly wasted. The untapped opportunity lies beyond the simple rectangles of a bar chart. We can find it in the other pieces of the graphic that help you see what those rectangles have to say.

Look at a good newspaper chart, a graph in an annual report, or a century-old diagram. Their care extends beyond their marks. Typography reinforces the statistical plot. Color draws the eyes to where they need to go. Gridlines and axis labels are there for when they are needed without getting in your way. Today’s finer chart examples still accomplish much of this work by hand, chart by chart.

Charts built for Chat

Mon, 14 Sep 2026 00:00:00 +0000

AI for data is here, and the long-promised self-serve analytics is finally happening. Anyone with a data connection can chat a report into existence in an afternoon, and the first results are impressive.

The frictions show up fast, though. By default an agent turns one simple report into a pile of files: HTML, CSS, and JavaScript, a couple of chart libraries, and a React or Streamlit app once it has to be live. Tracing a result back to its source means following it through several languages and files, which is slow for people to audit and costs the agent time and tokens on every change.