How To Add Charts And Graphs To WordPress
No doubt you’re familiar with the old adage “a picture is worth a thousand words.” This certainly applies when you are trying to present or explain data.
Using graphs and charts can help to make data a whole lot easier to digest.
You can present data with tables, but if you want your audience to try and interpret complex information with figures, trends or comparisons quickly, then charts and graphs allow you to present the data in an intelligent and meaningful way that can be quickly and easily understood.
Graphs and charts help explain complex data so people can more easily understand it!
If you want to present information visually and dynamically on your WordPress site like graphs and charts, this step-by-step tutorial will show you how to create appealing and interactive graphs and charts to your WordPress pages that:
- Your visitors can interact with
- Lets you upload data from your hard drive or a web-based data source
- Will dynamically resize for mobile device browsers
If you plan to display visual data like bar charts, comparison graphs or trending graphs containing static information (e.g. historical data), a simple method you can use to present the information is to create the graphs or charts using a desktop application, convert these into images and then simply add the image files to your pages or posts.
Use WordPress Chart & Graph Plugins
If you want to insert dynamic bar charts and graphs into WordPress pages with no coding skills required, the easiest way to do this is to use a plugin.
Fortunately, there is a great free plugin for WordPress that is simple to install, easy-to-use and allows you to not only create appealing and dynamic graphs and charts, it also lets you populate your charts and graphs with updateable information.
Visualizer
Visualizer Plugin URL
You can install the plugin from your WP dashboard (we will explain how to do this further below), or access and download the WordPress Visualizer plugin the WordPress plugin repository using the link below:
http://wordpress.org/plugins/visualizer
Visualizer Description
WordPress Visualizer is an easy-to-use and powerful tool that allows you to create, manage and insert great-looking and interactive graphs into your WordPress posts and pages with a few simple steps.
Visualizer uses Google Visualization API to render charts, which support cross-browser compatibility (adopting VML for older IE versions) and cross-platform portability to iOS and new Android releases, and are based on pure HTML5/SVG technology (adopting VML for old IE versions), so no additional components are needed.
Visualizer also provides a variety of charts that are optimized to address your data visualization needs, including:
- Line chart
- Area chart
- Bar chart
- Column chart
- Pie chart
- Geo chart
- Gauge chart
- Candlestick chart
- Scatter chart
Visualizer is also flexible and customizable, allowing you to use Google Chart Tools with their default setting, or configure an extensive set of options to match your site’s design. A number of options are available for each chart that allow you to customize their settings.
Additionally, charts are rendered using HTML5/SVG technology to provide cross-browser compatibility (including VML for older IE versions) and cross-platform portability to iPhones, iPads and Android devices. Your site visitors can see your charts and graphs on their mobile web browsers without having to install any additional plugins.
Plugin Installation
From your WP dashboard, select Plugins > Add New from the navigation sidebar menu …
In the Add Plugins page type in search for “visualizer” and hit enter …
Locate the plugin in the search results area and click Install Now …
Click OK to continue …
Activate the plugin after successfully installing it …
You can also activate the plugin in the Plugins section …
Once your plugin has been activated, click on Library …
You can also get to the plugin’s ‘library’ screen by choosing Media > Visualizer Library in the main menu …
This takes you to the plugin’s Visualizer Library screen …
When you first install the plugin, this section will be empty.
Your next step is to add the charts and graphs to your library that you plan to insert into your content.
How To Configure The Plugin
To add a new chart or graph to the Visualizer library, click on the ‘Add New’ button …
You will see all of the types of charts available.
Select the type of chart or graph you would like to create and click on the ‘Next’ button …
Your graph/chart type will pop up in a new window.
The next step is to upload a CSV file with your data …
When creating your CSV data file, ensure that:
- The first row contains the column headings.
- The second row includes the series type (e.g. number, datetime, etc.)
The screenshot below shows how to format your data as explained above …
If you are not sure how to format your CSV file, simply study the sample that comes with the plugin.
Next, select your data source (‘From Computer’ or ‘From Web’) in the ‘Upload CSV File’ section.
Upload CSV File From Computer
To upload a CSV file and data from your hard drive select ‘From Computer‘ …
Locate and select your data file and click on ‘Open‘ …
The plugin will now import your data and display it using the graph/chart type selected …
Upload CSV File From The Web
For a tutorial that shows you how to create, save and publish data to a Visualizer chart or graph using Google Spreadsheet, go here:
After importing your data, check that all of the information is correct (if not, click on the ‘Back’ button and reupload a new data file containing the right data), and then click ‘Next‘ …
Depending on the chart or graph type you have chosen, the plugin displays a range of customization settings and options …
Visualizer gives you full control of your information, and updates your display in real time …
For example, the pie chart offers various configurable options, including:
- General Settings – Configure chart title settings, font styles, tooltip, and legend.
- Pie Settings – Create 3D pie charts, draw slices counterclockwise, set the text content displayed on the slice, create a “donut” pie chart, rotate the chart’s “start” angle and set the slice border color.
- Residue Settings – Set the ‘Visibility Threshold’ (the slice relative part, below which a slice will not show individually.), ‘Residual Slice Label’ (the label for the combination slice that holds all slices below slice visibility threshold, e.g. “Other”), and ‘Residue Slice Color’.
- Slice Settings – Customize the ‘Slice Offset’ (how far to separate a slice from the rest of the pie), and ‘Slice Color’.
- Layout & Chart Area – Configure the layout (total size of chart) including the width and height of the chart as a number of percentage, background color for the main area of the chart and the chart border width and color, and the placement and size of the chart area (where the chart itself is drawn, excluding axis and legends).
Once you’re satisfied with the look of your chart or graph, click on the ‘Create Chart’ button …
The new chart or graph will be added to the ‘Visualizer Library’ section …
Note that every visual element is given a unique ID displayed in a shortcode. As you will see very soon, this lets you add charts and graphs to your WordPress pages and posts easily and quickly …
Charts and graphs added to the Visualizer Library can be accessed by their type …
After a new graph or chart has been added to the ‘Visualizer Library’, you can edit it, duplicate it, or trash it …
Visualizer Usage
After creating a element and adding it to the Visualizer Library, it’s quite simple to insert it into your pages and posts.
First, create a new post or page (or open an existing one) …
Next, place your mouse cursor where you would like to insert your visual element into the content and click on Add Media …
Click on ‘Visualizations‘ …
Find the graph or chart to be added to your content and click the “insert” icon …
This adds a shortcode into your content …
Once you have added your visual element, click on Publish to publish (or update) your post or page …
Once your post has been updated, click ‘View post’ to see it …
You will see the graph or chart in the location you specified …
As mentioned earlier, the plugin also displays responsive visual elements for mobile users …
As you can see, WordPress Visualizer lets you insert and customize dynamic charts and graphs in your content. You can modify your data and the changes will automatically be reflected throughout your website. This is very convenient if you’re adding interactive chart data in WordPress.
The developers of this plugin have created a number of step-by-step tutorials you can refer to to learn how to edit, customize and use WordPress Visualizer.
For additional tutorials on editing, cloning, deleting and adding data to your charts, visit the website below:
Congratulations! Now you know how to add attractive and interactive pie charts and graphs to your WordPress pages and posts.
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"If you're new to WordPress, this can stand on its own as a training course and will stay with you as you progress from beginner to advanced and even guru status." - Bruce (Columbus, Ohio)
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