Create Bump Chart in Tableau [With Examples] : Bijay Kumar

August 11, 2025 August 11, 2025

Create Bump Chart in Tableau [With Examples]
by: Bijay Kumar
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### Summary of the Content The content describes a tutorial on how to create a Bump Chart in Tableau, specifically to analyze monthly regional sales performance. The author, a sales analyst, aimed to visualize sales data for different regions month by month, while also incorporating a ranking metric to see how each region's sales rank changes over time. **Key Details:** - **Bump Chart Definition:** A Bump Chart in Tableau combines elements of line and circle charts to show the changes in rank of different categories (like sales regions) over time. - **Steps to Create a Bump Chart:** 1. Use the Tableau Superstore dataset and filter for the current year. 2. Drag the Order Date to Rows and set it to display by month. 3. Add Sales (SUM) to Columns and color-code by Region. 4. Apply a rank calculation to visualize sales rankings. 5. Use dual axes to overlay a circle chart on a line chart. 6. Customize tooltips to display additional details like sales figures. The final output allows users to see how regional sales ranks change month by month, providing insights that standard bar or line charts may not reveal. ### Additional Context Bump Charts are particularly useful for visualizing competitive performance over time, making them ideal for sales analysis, marketing metrics, and other scenarios where ranking is important. This tutorial is beneficial for those looking to enhance their data visualization skills in Tableau, especially for tracking performance trends. ### Hashtags for SEO #Tableau #DataVisualization #BumpChart #SalesAnalysis #TableauTutorial #DataAnalytics #BusinessIntelligence #SalesPerformance #TableauCharts #DataScience

As a sales analyst, I was working on analyzing the monthly regional sales performance for the current year. I had to visualize the data in such a way that I could see the sales in the region month by month.

Along with this, I also wanted to add one more data metric in the Tableau visualization, which was the ranking of sales in the specific region for each month throughout the year.

For this data visualization, I created a Bump Chart in Tableau. In this chart, using the data points, I was able to visualize the sales rank of each region over the months in the year.

In this tutorial, I will explain the Tableau Bump Chart and how to create one to visualize the data in Tableau.

What is a Tableau Bump Chart?

In Tableau, the Bump Chart is used to display the changes in rank of different categories over time. The bump chart in Tableau is a combination of a line chart and a circle chart.

The circles in the Tableau bump chart display the ranks of the category, for example, the sales rank of a region for a specific month. The lines in the bump chart connect the circles (points) for each category across the timeline (months, quarters, or years), showing how the rank changes over time.

Create a Tableau Bump Chart

To create the bump chart, we will use the Tableau Superstore dataset. Connect the data source with Tableau and follow the steps below to create a Bump Chart in Tableau.

In the superstore dataset, we have data from current and previous years. To get the data for the current year, drag the Order date to the Filters and select the current year check box.

To compare the sales over the current year months, I will add the Order Date to the Rows. By default, the order date is in year format. To change this, click on the dropdown and select Month.

To show sales for the month, add the Sales(SUM) to the Columns. After this, distribute the sales by region. For this, add Region to the Color card in the Marks section.
Next, click on Sales in the rows again and select Quick Table Calculation > Rank.

To rank the sales according to Region, click on Sales in rows and select Compute Using > Region.

Now, the line chart will show the monthly sales for each region. To add data points for months on the region sales, press “Ctrl” and duplicate the Sales by dragging it in Rows.

With this, we can see two axes of the charts, Sales and Sales(2).

Change the Marks type for Sales(2) to Circle. Then, click on the Sales(2) axes in Rows and select Dual axis.

As we select the Dual Axis, the circle chart will overlap with the line chart to display the Tableau bump chart. On the circles, we can hover to see the details like Region, Month, and Rank.

To view the sales of each month, add the Sales to the Tooltip card in the Marks section.

Create Bump Charts to Show Ranks in Tableau

In the final output, we can see that the Bump Chart shows how each region’s sales rank changes month by month in the current year.

Here, lines connect points (circles) representing monthly ranks, by comparing sales performance, and also showing shifts in ranking across regions.

This way, we can create a Tableau Bump chart to track the ranking of the category over a period of time, for measures such as sales and profit.

Conclusion

In this Tableau tutorial, we have learned what a Bump Chart is in Tableau and how to create one to visualize the ranking of categories that change over time.

By following the above examples, you can easily create a Tableau Bump Chart. In this chart, you will be able to not only view performance trends like sales but also spot ranking shifts that cannot be done in regular Tableau bar or line charts.

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Create Bump Chart in Tableau [With Examples] : Bijay Kumar

What is a Tableau Bump Chart?

Create a Tableau Bump Chart

Conclusion

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