Definition
A Combination Chart in Salesforce reports and dashboards is a chart type that displays two or more data series using different chart styles on the same visualization. For example, it can show bar columns for revenue alongside a line for the number of deals closed, using a secondary Y-axis. Combination charts help users compare metrics with different scales on a single component.
Real-World Example
the analytics lead at SilverLine Corp recently implemented Combination Chart to build a comprehensive view of key business metrics. With Combination Chart in place, stakeholders across the organization can self-serve their data needs, filtering and drilling down into the numbers without filing requests with the analytics team.
Why Combination Chart Matters
A Combination Chart in Salesforce reports and dashboards displays multiple data series using different chart styles on the same visualization. The most common pattern is bars combined with a line: bars represent one metric (like revenue), and a line represents another (like deal count or conversion rate). A secondary Y-axis lets the two metrics use different scales, so a metric in dollars and one in count don't have to share an axis range.
Combination charts are particularly valuable when you want to show a relationship between two metrics that move differently. Revenue and deal count, for example, might both rise but at different rates, and seeing them on the same chart makes the relationship visible. They're configured in the dashboard component editor by selecting Combination Chart as the chart type and then specifying which fields go on which axis. Used well, they consolidate information that would otherwise need multiple separate components.
How Organizations Use Combination Chart
- •SilverLine Corp — Built a quarterly performance dashboard with a combination chart showing revenue as bars and number of deals as a line. The chart made it immediately obvious that one quarter had fewer but larger deals while another had many smaller ones.
- •Apex Analytics — Uses combination charts to display marketing campaign performance: cost as a column chart and revenue generated as a line. The two metrics on one chart let stakeholders quickly assess ROI without flipping between components.
- •Summit Group — Replaced two separate charts (one for active users, one for sessions) with a single combination chart. The consolidated view freed up dashboard space and made the relationship between user count and session volume easier to interpret.