Skip to content
Salesforce Dictionary - Free Salesforce GlossarySalesforce Dictionary
Full Combination Chart entry
How-to guide

How to build a combination chart in the Lightning report builder

Build a combination chart in the Lightning report builder by adding a second measure to a column chart and plotting it as a line. Start from a Summary or Matrix report that already calculates the measures you want to show.

By Dipojjal Chakrabarti · Founder & Editor, Salesforce DictionaryLast updated Jun 16, 2026

Build a combination chart in the Lightning report builder by adding a second measure to a column chart and plotting it as a line. Start from a Summary or Matrix report that already calculates the measures you want to show.

  1. Open the chart on a grouped report

    Edit a Summary or Matrix report. Click the chart toggle icon to show the chart, then click the gear icon to open the chart editor. The chart editor only appears for grouped reports.

  2. Set the base column chart

    Choose Bar, Column, or Line as the chart type. Set the X-axis to your row grouping field (for example Stage or Close Month) and pick the first measure for the Y-axis, such as Sum of Amount.

  3. Add the second measure

    Click Add Measure to bring in the second value, for example Record Count or Win Rate. A vertical column chart accepts up to three additional measures, and a horizontal bar chart up to three additional bars.

  4. Plot it as a line on the second axis

    On a column chart, set the second measure to plot as a line, then enable the option to plot it on the second axis when the scales differ. The right-side axis gives the line its own scale so it does not flatten against the bars.

  5. Format and save

    Add a chart title, set the value formatting per measure (currency on the bar, percent on the line), and confirm the X and Y axes are not both set to Auto. Click Run Report or Save, then add the report as a dashboard component if needed.

Add Measureremember

Adds another summary value to the chart. Up to three extra measures on a vertical column chart, or three extra bars on a horizontal bar chart.

Plot as Lineremember

Renders a chosen measure on a column chart as a line instead of a bar, which creates the classic line-on-column combination.

Plot on Second Axisremember

Gives the line measure its own scale on the right side of the chart. Turn this on when the bar and line measures have very different ranges.

Show Reference Lineremember

Draws a horizontal reference value across the chart, useful for marking a target or threshold next to the plotted measures.

Gotchas
  • The X-axis and Y-axis cannot both be set to Auto. Set at least one of them explicitly or the chart will not render.
  • Filtered drilldown does not work for combination charts on dashboards, so click-through to filtered records is not available on these components.
  • Every group and value counts toward the chart limit (2,000 groups in Lightning), and combination charts hit the ceiling faster because they stack measures.
  • If a viewer loses field access to a charted measure, Salesforce substitutes another field or record count, which can silently change what the chart shows.

See the full Combination Chart entry

Combination Chart includes the definition, worked example, deep dive, related terms, and a quiz.