Sample CSV
| Country | Continent | Sector | Capacity_GW | Population_M | Growth_Pct |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| China | Asia | Solar | 610 | 1412 | 24.5 |
| United States | North America | Wind | 150 | 335 | 9.2 |
| Brazil | South America | Hydro | 109 | 216 | 2.1 |
How to Create an Interactive Data Explorer
A step by step walkthrough for turning a spreadsheet into a chart readers can resize, recolour, group, filter and search, with an optional map view, in PlotSet.
About 8 minutesA single interactive chart that readers can reshape is what you will have: bubbles sized, coloured, grouped and filtered by the columns you offer, with a search box and an optional map.
Expect about eight minutes. Most of that is deciding which columns readers should be able to choose from.
The data you need
One row per item. A label column, one main numeric column, and optionally extra number columns, category columns, a filter column, and coordinates or a country name for the map.
The label and the main value are required. The main value sets the bubble size by default, so it must be a number.
Extra numeric columns appear in the Size and Colour controls. Extra category columns appear in the Position, Merge and Colour controls.
For the map view, add latitude and longitude columns, or a country name column that is placed approximately.
A row where every bound column is blank is dropped rather than drawn.
The steps
The exact click path in PlotSet, from a blank template to a finished chart.
- 01
Open the Data Explorer template
From the PlotSet dashboard, start a new project and choose Data Explorer from the Other category. It loads with a sample of countries and their renewable energy capacity.
Every guide starts here. Pick the category, then the template: it is the same grid whichever chart type you are after. - 02
Add your data
Import a CSV or .xlsx file, paste rows from a spreadsheet, or connect a Google Sheet. Keep one row per item and a clear header on every column.
The data view, shown here on a bar chart project. Upload a CSV, lift the numbers out of an image with Magic Import, or sync a Google Sheet. The panel is identical for every chart type. - 03
Check the column bindings
Confirm the label column and the main value, then add the extra number columns and category columns readers can choose from. Add a filter column if you want one.
Bindings decide which column becomes the label, which supplies the values and which drives the colour. Auto Binding guesses them from your headers, so check it rather than assume it. - 04
Choose the starting arrangement
In the Arrangement tab pick a packed cluster, a grid or a scatter layout, plus the mark shape and scale. This is the view readers see first.
The Preview tab for a Data Explorer. Every styling control lives in the outlined panel, each on its own tab: appearance, header, footer and the options specific to this chart type. - 05
Set the controls readers get
In the Controls tab choose where the panel sits, whether it uses buttons or dropdowns, and which options each control offers. Remove anything that does not help.
- 06
Style the marks, labels and legend
The Color, Bubbles, Item labels and Legend tabs set the palette, outlines, label sizes and swatches. Check the axis tabs once you set a position.
- 07
Set up the map view, if you want it
Choose a projection and zoom in the Map tab. Rows with latitude and longitude are placed exactly, and named countries approximately.
- 08
Publish and embed
Publish for a live chart and copy the embed code from the Share dialog. Try every control in the published version before you share it.
Share is how a finished chart becomes a public link and an embed code.
Start from the Data Explorer template with sample data already loaded, then swap in your own.
Open the templatePublish, embed or export it
The last stretch is the same for every chart type: Share turns the chart into a live public link and an embed code, Export writes it out as a static file.
Share: public link and embed code
Activating the embed code and public link publishes the chart. The link is safe to send to anyone, and the embed code drops into any page as an iframe that keeps the hover tooltips and the interactivity. Edit the chart later and hit Recreate to push those changes out to both.
Export: SVG, PNG or JPG
Export writes a static copy at whatever size you need. SVG stays sharp at any scale and can still be edited in a design tool; PNG and JPG are the safe choices for slides and documents. The scale multiplier is what gets you a crisp image on a retina screen.
Styling tips for a Data Explorer
Open on a useful view
Readers see your default arrangement first, so make it tell something at a glance.
Keep the option lists short
Offer the columns that answer real questions. A shorter list is easier to use.
Use search for long lists
With dozens of items, the search box is the fastest way to find one.
Add coordinates for precision
Country names are placed approximately. Latitude and longitude put a mark exactly.
Common mistakes when making a Data Explorer
The bubbles are all the same size
The main value column may not be numeric. Remove units or symbols from the numbers.
The Position control does nothing useful
Position needs a category or a numeric column in the extra columns. Check the bindings.
The map is empty
Rows need coordinates or a recognisable country name. Check the spelling of the region column.
The controls disappear in the PNG
The control panel only works in the live embed. A static export shows one configuration.
Learn more about the Data Explorer
Not sure the Data Explorer is the right choice? See what it is, when to use it and when not to.
Data Explorer: common questions
No. A label and one number are enough. Extra columns give readers more to choose from.
Make your Data Explorer now
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