Area Chart
A line chart with the area below filled in, emphasizing volume and magnitude over time.
What is an area chart?
An area chart is a line chart where the space between the line and the x-axis is filled with color. This fill draws attention to the magnitude of values rather than just the trend. The colored region makes it easier to perceive total volume and how it changes over time.
Area charts work particularly well for showing cumulative totals, resource usage over time, or any metric where the "amount" matters as much as the direction of change. Stacked area charts can show how individual components contribute to a total.
When to use an area chart
- Showing volume or magnitude over time (memory usage, traffic, inventory)
- Emphasizing the total amount rather than individual values
- Displaying cumulative metrics
- Showing how parts contribute to a whole over time (stacked area)
- When a line chart feels too sparse and you want more visual weight
Best practices
- Use semi-transparent fills so overlapping areas remain visible
- Limit to 3-4 series to avoid visual noise
- Put the most important or largest series at the bottom in stacked charts
- Start the y-axis at zero to preserve accurate area proportions
- Consider a line chart instead if precise point-to-point comparison matters more than volume
Example
Server memory usage over a 24-hour period, showing peak load during business hours.
Make this in Claude
With ChartPane installed, just describe what you want:
Show our server memory usage over the last 24 hours as an area chart