Group by and Stack by Options
In a standard one-dimensional chart, metric values are plotted along the vertical axis (y-axis), while the horizontal axis (x-axis) is divided into categories based on the primary field chosen in the Display by setting.
If you want a two-dimensional view, you can select and add another field (or metric/data source) to group or stack the x-axis categories. This allows you to compare related subcategories side-by-side or to visualize how individual segments accumulate to the overall totals of the primary field.
These options are located in the Performance Objectives and Performance Trend gadgets configuration screens, under Display Settings section.
Group by
This option arranges data into separate columns placed side by side, making comparisons easy. It’s useful for showing how data points are distributed or for comparing values across different categories. When grouping is applied, totals for each primary category (the Display by field) are no longer visible on the chart.
Stack by
This option organizes data into layers, showing how individual values accumulate to the total. It’s best used when you want to emphasize both the part-to-whole composition within each category and the overall total (the height of the bar).
For Stack by, the following options are available:
Choose which fields and metrics to stack by, or stack by Data Sources.
Sort results by Name or Value, in ascending or descending order.
Learn how our app handles multi-value fields when stacked in order to avoid double counting.
Combined grouping and stacking
Grouping and stacking can be used together, but this approach isn’t suitable for every reporting scenario and should be applied with purpose.
When grouping and stacking are used together, there are a few important behaviors to be aware of:
Chart readability
If the chart includes many primary categories on the x-axis (for example, a date series) and both grouping and stacking are applied, the chart can become dense and harder to read or interpret.
Color reassignment
When stacking is added, colors shift to represent the stacked dimension rather than the grouped one.
Totals
In a grouped and stacked chart, totals are shown per bar (grouped category), but not for each primary category on the x-axis, and individual stack values are only available via tooltips.
In some reporting scenarios, applying both grouping and stacking may be better represented by switching from the chart to the expanded table view, where 1. totals for the primary category (display by field), 2. grouped bars, and individual 3. stack values are visible.
Grouping and stacking in trend or other gadgets
Performance Trend gadget also supports Group by and Stack by. Here’s how to interpret grouped or stacked trend charts:
Group by (left chart): each group creates a separate trend line on the chart, distinguished by color. The chart does not show totals for the primary category (Display by field). Totals per group are visible in the tooltip.
Stack by (right chart): Each stack also creates a separate trend line, but the lines are cumulative, so the height at each point represents the total for the primary category (Display by field). Individual stack values are visible via tooltip, while totals are visible on the chart.
Tree Map and Circular gadgets don’t have explicit Group by or Stack by options. With these gadgets, you can use Level 2 and Level 3 fields to break down data into additional hierarchical levels.
Scatter & Bubble gadget “group by” assigns a color to the individual data point to indicate which category it belongs to (e.g., Assignee, Priority, Status). The Bubble Size adds a third dimension to your chart, where the size of each bubble represents the relative value of a selected metric (such as Story Points).
In Heat Map gadget instead of grouping or stacking, data is displayed using vertical and horizontal fields. The color density of each cell provides a third dimension to the chart.
Multi Metric gadgets: do not support Group by or Stack by.
The video below provides a quick visual overview of how grouping and stacking work in practice.