How To Add Charts And Graphs To WordPress
You’ve no doubt heard the saying “a picture is worth a thousand words.” This certainly applies when you’re presenting and explaining complex information.
Graphs and charts help to make statistical data more easily digestible.
You can present data using tables, but if you want your audience to try and make sense of complex data with figures, trends or comparisons more easily, then graphs and charts let you present the data in an intelligent and meaningful manner that can be quickly and easily processed.
Charts and graphs help present complex data so people can more easily interpret it!
If you want to learn how to display information visually and dynamically on your WordPress site using graphs and charts, this tutorial will show you how to create and add beautiful and updateable graphs and charts to WordPress that:
- Your visitors can interact with
- Lets you add data from your computer or a web-based data source
- Will dynamically resize for mobile devices
If you are displaying visual data like bar charts, comparison data or trending graphs containing information that is not going to change (e.g. historical data), an easier way to present the information is to create the graphs or charts using an image editing application, convert these into jpg or png images and then simply add the files and an image to your post or page.
Use WordPress Chart & Graph Plugins
If you want to easily add interactive bar charts and graphs to WordPress with no coding skills required, the easiest way to do this is to use a plugin.
Fortunately, there is a plugin for WordPress sites that is simple to install, easy-to-use and allows you to not only create eye-catching and dynamic graphs and charts, it also lets you populate your charts and graphs with updatable information.
WordPress Plugin: Visualizer
Plugin URL
You can install the plugin from your WP dashboard (explained a little further down the page), or download WP Visualizer the WP free plugin directory using the link below:
http://wordpress.org/plugins/visualizer
Visualizer Description
Visualizer is a simple, easy to use and powerful plugin for WordPress that lets you create, manage and insert appealing graphs into your WordPress posts and pages with just a few simple steps.
WordPress 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 extra addons are required.
Visualizer also comes with 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 flexible and customizable, allowing you to use Google Chart Tools with their default setting, or configure an extensive set of options to match the look and feel of your website. Various options are available for each chart that allow you to fully customize their look.
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 blog or site visitors can see your charts and graphs on their mobile browsers without having to install extra software.
Plugin Installation
From your WP admin area, select Plugins > Add New from the main menu …
In the Add Plugins screen type “visualizer” into the search field and hit enter …
Locate Visualizer in the search results screen and click the “Install Now” button …
Click OK to proceed …
Activate the plugin …
You can also activate the plugin in the Plugins area …
After the plugin has been activated, click on Library …
You can get to the plugin’s ‘library’ screen by selecting Media > Visualizer Library in the admin menu …
This takes you to the plugin’s Visualizer Library page …
When you first install the plugin, the library section will be empty.
Your next step is to add the charts and graphs to your library that you plan to display in your posts or pages.
Visualizer Plugin Configuration
To add a chart or graph to the Visualizer library, click on ‘Add New’ …
A page will load on your screen displaying all of the kinds of graphs and charts available.
Select the chart or graph type you would like to create and click on the ‘Next’ button …
Your selected graph/chart type will open up in a new window.
The next step is to upload a CSV file that contains your data …
When creating your CSV data file, ensure that:
- Your first row contains your column headings.
- The second row includes the series type (e.g. number, datetime, etc.)
The screenshot below shows how to format your data as per the above requirements …
If you are not sure how to format your data CSV, just study the sample file supplied with the plugin.
Once you have done this, select your data source (‘From Computer’ or ‘From Web’) in the ‘Upload CSV File’ section.
Upload CSV File From Computer
To upload your CSV file from your computer select ‘From Computer‘ …
Locate and select your file and then click on ‘Open‘ …
The plugin will import the data and display it using the graph/chart type selected …
Upload CSV File From The Web
For a step-by-step tutorial that explains how to create, save and publish data to a Visualizer chart or graph using Google Spreadsheet, see the article below:
After importing the data, make sure that all of the information is correct (if not, click on the ‘Back’ button and reupload a new data file with the right data), and then click ‘Next‘ …
Depending on the chart or graph type you have picked, the plugin will display a range of customization options and settings …
Visualizer gives you full control of your chart or graph, and updates your display in real time …
For example, the pie chart offers many 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 graph or chart, click on the ‘Create Chart’ button …
Your new chart or graph will be added to the Visualizer ‘Library’ …
Note that new visual elements are given a unique ID displayed in a shortcode. As you will see shortly, this lets you embed graphs and charts into your pages and posts easily …
Charts and graphs added to the Visualizer Library can be accessed by their type …
After an item has been added to the ‘Visualizer Library’, you can edit it, duplicate it, or trash it …
Plugin Usage
Once you’ve created a graph or chart and added it to Visualizer, adding it to a page or post is quite simple.
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 your content and click on Add Media …
Click on ‘Visualizations‘ …
Find the element to be added to your content and click the “insert” icon …
This adds a shortcode for the element into your content …
After you have added your item, click on Publish to publish (or update) your post or page …
After your page/post has been published, click ‘View post’ to see the result …
The element will appear in where you’ve added the shortcode …
As mentioned previously, Visualizer also displays responsive elements for mobile users …
As you can see, the Visualizer plugin allows you to insert and customize dynamic charts and graphs in your content. You can edit your data and the changes will automatically be reflected throughout your website. This is a real time-saving feature of the plugin if you’re adding interactive chart information in WordPress.
The developers of this plugin have created a number of step-by-step tutorials you can use to learn how to edit, customize and use Visualizer.
For tutorials on editing, copying, deleting and adding data to your charts, visit the website below:
Congratulations! Now you know how to create attractive and dynamic pie charts and graphs in WordPress.
***
"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)
***