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Waterfall

Overview

The waterfall trace type is used to create waterfall charts, which are useful for visualizing incremental changes in value over a series of categories or time. Waterfall charts are commonly used in financial and analytical contexts to show how sequential positive or negative values affect an initial value.

You can customize the colors, connectors, and base values to represent your data effectively.

Common Uses

  • Financial Analysis: Visualizing profit and loss over time or across categories.
  • Incremental Changes: Showing how individual positive or negative changes affect a starting value.
  • Part-to-Whole Visualization: Highlighting how parts contribute to a cumulative total.

Check out the Attributes for the full set of configuration options

Examples

Common Configurations

Here's a simple waterfall plot showing incremental changes across categories:

You can copy this code below to create this chart in your project:

models:
  - name: waterfall-data
    args:
      - echo
      - |
        idx,label,value
        0,Starting,1000
        1,Increase A,200
        2,Decrease B,-150
        3,Increase C,300
        4,Ending,1350
traces:
  - name: Simple Waterfall Plot
    model: ${ref(waterfall-data)}
    props:
      type: waterfall
      x: ?{label}
      y: ?{value}
      measure: ["initial", "relative", "relative", "relative", "total"]
    order_by: 
      - ?{ idx asc}
charts:
  - name: Simple Waterfall Chart
    traces:
      - ${ref(Simple Waterfall Plot)}
    layout:
      title:
        text: Simple Waterfall Plot<br><sub>Sequential Changes in Value</sub>

This example demonstrates a waterfall plot where the bars have custom colors for different categories:

Here's the code:

models:
  - name: waterfall-data-colors
    args:
      - echo
      - |
        idx,label,value,color
        0,Starting,1000,#1f77b4
        1,Increase A,200,#2ca02c
        2,Decrease B,-150,#d62728
        3,Increase C,300,#ff7f0e
        4,Ending,1350,#9467bd
traces:
  - name: Waterfall Plot with Custom Colors
    model: ${ref(waterfall-data-colors)}
    props:
      type: waterfall
      x: ?{label}
      y: ?{value}
      measure: ["initial", "relative", "relative", "relative", "total"]
      increasing:
        marker: 
          color: 'orange'
      decreasing: 
        marker: 
          color: 'purple'
      totals: 
        marker: 
          color: 'grey'
          line: 
            color: 'orange'
            width: 4
    order_by: 
      - ?{ idx asc}
charts:
  - name: Waterfall Chart with Custom Colors
    traces:
      - ${ref(Waterfall Plot with Custom Colors)}
    layout:
      title:
        text: Waterfall Plot with Custom Colors<br><sub>Customized Coloring for Categories</sub>

Here's a waterfall plot demonstrating a financial use case with connectors and custom formatting:

Here's the code:

models:
  - name: waterfall-data-connectors
    args:
      - echo
      - |
        idx,quarter,half,value,mode
        0,Q1,H1,1000,initial
        1,Q2,H1,200,relative
        2,Gross Profit,H1 Summary,0,total
        3,Q3,H2,-150,relative
        4,Q4,H2,300,relative
        5,Gross Profit,FY2024,0,total
traces:
  - name: Waterfall Plot with Connectors
    model: ${ref(waterfall-data-connectors)}
    props:
      type: waterfall
      x: 
        - ?{half}
        - ?{quarter}
      y: ?{value}
      measure: ?{mode}
      hovertemplate: "%{x}: %{y:$.2f}"
      texttemplate: "%{delta:$.2f}"
      textposition: "outside"
      connector:
        line:
          color: "orange"
          width: 5
    order_by: 
      - ?{ idx asc}
charts:
  - name: Waterfall Chart with Connectors
    traces:
      - ${ref(Waterfall Plot with Connectors)}
    layout:
      title:
        text: Financial Waterfall
      margin: 
        b: 50
        t: 60
      yaxis:
        range: [0, 1600]
        tickprefix: '$'
        title: 
          text: "Millions ($)"

A schema to validate plotly trace properties

Attributes

These attributes apply to traces where trace.props.type is set to waterfall. You would configure these attributes on the trace with the trace.props object. 

alignmentgroup: 'string' #(1)!
base: number
cliponaxis: boolean
connector:
  line:
    color: any
    dash: 'string' #(2)!
    width: number
  mode: any
  visible: boolean
constraintext: any
customdata: array
customdatasrc: 'string' #(3)!
decreasing:
  marker:
    color: any
    line:
      color: any
      width: number
dx: number
dy: number
hoverinfo: array
hoverinfosrc: 'string' #(4)!
hoverlabel:
  align: array
  alignsrc: 'string' #(5)!
  bgcolor: array
  bgcolorsrc: 'string' #(6)!
  bordercolor: array
  bordercolorsrc: 'string' #(7)!
  font:
    color: array
    colorsrc: 'string' #(8)!
    family: 'string | array' #(9)!
    familysrc: 'string' #(10)!
    lineposition: array
    linepositionsrc: 'string' #(11)!
    shadow: 'string | array' #(12)!
    shadowsrc: 'string' #(13)!
    size: array
    sizesrc: 'string' #(14)!
    style: array
    stylesrc: 'string' #(15)!
    textcase: array
    textcasesrc: 'string' #(16)!
    variant: array
    variantsrc: 'string' #(17)!
    weight: array
    weightsrc: 'string' #(18)!
  namelength: array
  namelengthsrc: 'string' #(19)!
hovertemplate: 'string | array' #(20)!
hovertemplatesrc: 'string' #(21)!
hovertext: 'string | array' #(22)!
hovertextsrc: 'string' #(23)!
ids: array
idssrc: 'string' #(24)!
increasing:
  marker:
    color: any
    line:
      color: any
      width: number
insidetextanchor: any
insidetextfont:
  color: array
  colorsrc: 'string' #(25)!
  family: 'string | array' #(26)!
  familysrc: 'string' #(27)!
  lineposition: array
  linepositionsrc: 'string' #(28)!
  shadow: 'string | array' #(29)!
  shadowsrc: 'string' #(30)!
  size: array
  sizesrc: 'string' #(31)!
  style: array
  stylesrc: 'string' #(32)!
  textcase: array
  textcasesrc: 'string' #(33)!
  variant: array
  variantsrc: 'string' #(34)!
  weight: array
  weightsrc: 'string' #(35)!
legend: string
legendgroup: 'string' #(36)!
legendgrouptitle:
  font:
    color: any
    family: 'string' #(37)!
    lineposition: any
    shadow: 'string' #(38)!
    size: number
    style: any
    textcase: any
    variant: any
    weight: integer
  text: 'string' #(39)!
legendrank: number
legendwidth: number
measure: array
measuresrc: 'string' #(40)!
metasrc: 'string' #(41)!
name: 'string' #(42)!
offset: array
offsetgroup: 'string' #(43)!
offsetsrc: 'string' #(44)!
opacity: number
orientation: any
outsidetextfont:
  color: array
  colorsrc: 'string' #(45)!
  family: 'string | array' #(46)!
  familysrc: 'string' #(47)!
  lineposition: array
  linepositionsrc: 'string' #(48)!
  shadow: 'string | array' #(49)!
  shadowsrc: 'string' #(50)!
  size: array
  sizesrc: 'string' #(51)!
  style: array
  stylesrc: 'string' #(52)!
  textcase: array
  textcasesrc: 'string' #(53)!
  variant: array
  variantsrc: 'string' #(54)!
  weight: array
  weightsrc: 'string' #(55)!
showlegend: boolean
stream:
  maxpoints: number
  token: 'string' #(56)!
text: 'string | array' #(57)!
textangle: number
textfont:
  color: array
  colorsrc: 'string' #(58)!
  family: 'string | array' #(59)!
  familysrc: 'string' #(60)!
  lineposition: array
  linepositionsrc: 'string' #(61)!
  shadow: 'string | array' #(62)!
  shadowsrc: 'string' #(63)!
  size: array
  sizesrc: 'string' #(64)!
  style: array
  stylesrc: 'string' #(65)!
  textcase: array
  textcasesrc: 'string' #(66)!
  variant: array
  variantsrc: 'string' #(67)!
  weight: array
  weightsrc: 'string' #(68)!
textinfo: any
textposition: array
textpositionsrc: 'string' #(69)!
textsrc: 'string' #(70)!
texttemplate: 'string | array' #(71)!
texttemplatesrc: 'string' #(72)!
totals:
  marker:
    color: any
    line:
      color: any
      width: number
type: waterfall
uid: 'string' #(73)!
visible: any
width: array
widthsrc: 'string' #(74)!
x: array
xaxis: string
xhoverformat: 'string' #(75)!
xperiodalignment: any
xsrc: 'string' #(76)!
y: array
yaxis: string
yhoverformat: 'string' #(77)!
yperiodalignment: any
ysrc: 'string' #(78)!
zorder: integer
  1. Set several traces linked to the same position axis or matching axes to the same alignmentgroup. This controls whether bars compute their positional range dependently or independently.
  2. Sets the dash style of lines. Set to a dash type string (solid, dot, dash, longdash, dashdot, or longdashdot) or a dash length list in px (eg 5px,10px,2px,2px).
  3. Sets the source reference on Chart Studio Cloud for customdata.
  4. Sets the source reference on Chart Studio Cloud for hoverinfo.
  5. Sets the source reference on Chart Studio Cloud for align.
  6. Sets the source reference on Chart Studio Cloud for bgcolor.
  7. Sets the source reference on Chart Studio Cloud for bordercolor.
  8. Sets the source reference on Chart Studio Cloud for color.
  9. HTML font family - the typeface that will be applied by the web browser. The web browser can only apply a font if it is available on the system where it runs. Provide multiple font families, separated by commas, to indicate the order in which to apply fonts if they aren't available.
  10. Sets the source reference on Chart Studio Cloud for family.
  11. Sets the source reference on Chart Studio Cloud for lineposition.
  12. Sets the shape and color of the shadow behind text. auto places minimal shadow and applies contrast text font color. See https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/CSS/text-shadow for additional options.
  13. Sets the source reference on Chart Studio Cloud for shadow.
  14. Sets the source reference on Chart Studio Cloud for size.
  15. Sets the source reference on Chart Studio Cloud for style.
  16. Sets the source reference on Chart Studio Cloud for textcase.
  17. Sets the source reference on Chart Studio Cloud for variant.
  18. Sets the source reference on Chart Studio Cloud for weight.
  19. Sets the source reference on Chart Studio Cloud for namelength.
  20. Template string used for rendering the information that appear on hover box. Note that this will override hoverinfo. Variables are inserted using %{variable}, for example "y: %{y}" as well as %{xother}, {%xother}, {%_xother}, {%xother_}. When showing info for several points, xother will be added to those with different x positions from the first point. An underscore before or after (x|y)other will add a space on that side, only when this field is shown. Numbers are formatted using d3-format's syntax %{variable:d3-format}, for example "Price: %{y:$.2f}". https://github.com/d3/d3-format/tree/v1.4.5#d3-format for details on the formatting syntax. Dates are formatted using d3-time-format's syntax %{variable|d3-time-format}, for example "Day: %{2019-01-01|%A}". https://github.com/d3/d3-time-format/tree/v2.2.3#locale_format for details on the date formatting syntax. The variables available in hovertemplate are the ones emitted as event data described at this link https://plotly.com/javascript/plotlyjs-events/#event-data. Additionally, every attributes that can be specified per-point (the ones that are arrayOk: true) are available. Finally, the template string has access to variables initial, delta and final. Anything contained in tag <extra> is displayed in the secondary box, for example "{fullData.name}". To hide the secondary box completely, use an empty tag <extra></extra>.
  21. Sets the source reference on Chart Studio Cloud for hovertemplate.
  22. Sets hover text elements associated with each (x,y) pair. If a single string, the same string appears over all the data points. If an array of string, the items are mapped in order to the this trace's (x,y) coordinates. To be seen, trace hoverinfo must contain a text flag.
  23. Sets the source reference on Chart Studio Cloud for hovertext.
  24. Sets the source reference on Chart Studio Cloud for ids.
  25. Sets the source reference on Chart Studio Cloud for color.
  26. HTML font family - the typeface that will be applied by the web browser. The web browser can only apply a font if it is available on the system where it runs. Provide multiple font families, separated by commas, to indicate the order in which to apply fonts if they aren't available.
  27. Sets the source reference on Chart Studio Cloud for family.
  28. Sets the source reference on Chart Studio Cloud for lineposition.
  29. Sets the shape and color of the shadow behind text. auto places minimal shadow and applies contrast text font color. See https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/CSS/text-shadow for additional options.
  30. Sets the source reference on Chart Studio Cloud for shadow.
  31. Sets the source reference on Chart Studio Cloud for size.
  32. Sets the source reference on Chart Studio Cloud for style.
  33. Sets the source reference on Chart Studio Cloud for textcase.
  34. Sets the source reference on Chart Studio Cloud for variant.
  35. Sets the source reference on Chart Studio Cloud for weight.
  36. Sets the legend group for this trace. Traces and shapes part of the same legend group hide/show at the same time when toggling legend items.
  37. HTML font family - the typeface that will be applied by the web browser. The web browser can only apply a font if it is available on the system where it runs. Provide multiple font families, separated by commas, to indicate the order in which to apply fonts if they aren't available.
  38. Sets the shape and color of the shadow behind text. auto places minimal shadow and applies contrast text font color. See https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/CSS/text-shadow for additional options.
  39. Sets the title of the legend group.
  40. Sets the source reference on Chart Studio Cloud for measure.
  41. Sets the source reference on Chart Studio Cloud for meta.
  42. Sets the trace name. The trace name appears as the legend item and on hover.
  43. Set several traces linked to the same position axis or matching axes to the same offsetgroup where bars of the same position coordinate will line up.
  44. Sets the source reference on Chart Studio Cloud for offset.
  45. Sets the source reference on Chart Studio Cloud for color.
  46. HTML font family - the typeface that will be applied by the web browser. The web browser can only apply a font if it is available on the system where it runs. Provide multiple font families, separated by commas, to indicate the order in which to apply fonts if they aren't available.
  47. Sets the source reference on Chart Studio Cloud for family.
  48. Sets the source reference on Chart Studio Cloud for lineposition.
  49. Sets the shape and color of the shadow behind text. auto places minimal shadow and applies contrast text font color. See https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/CSS/text-shadow for additional options.
  50. Sets the source reference on Chart Studio Cloud for shadow.
  51. Sets the source reference on Chart Studio Cloud for size.
  52. Sets the source reference on Chart Studio Cloud for style.
  53. Sets the source reference on Chart Studio Cloud for textcase.
  54. Sets the source reference on Chart Studio Cloud for variant.
  55. Sets the source reference on Chart Studio Cloud for weight.
  56. The stream id number links a data trace on a plot with a stream. See https://chart-studio.plotly.com/settings for more details.
  57. Sets text elements associated with each (x,y) pair. If a single string, the same string appears over all the data points. If an array of string, the items are mapped in order to the this trace's (x,y) coordinates. If trace hoverinfo contains a text flag and hovertext is not set, these elements will be seen in the hover labels.
  58. Sets the source reference on Chart Studio Cloud for color.
  59. HTML font family - the typeface that will be applied by the web browser. The web browser can only apply a font if it is available on the system where it runs. Provide multiple font families, separated by commas, to indicate the order in which to apply fonts if they aren't available.
  60. Sets the source reference on Chart Studio Cloud for family.
  61. Sets the source reference on Chart Studio Cloud for lineposition.
  62. Sets the shape and color of the shadow behind text. auto places minimal shadow and applies contrast text font color. See https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/CSS/text-shadow for additional options.
  63. Sets the source reference on Chart Studio Cloud for shadow.
  64. Sets the source reference on Chart Studio Cloud for size.
  65. Sets the source reference on Chart Studio Cloud for style.
  66. Sets the source reference on Chart Studio Cloud for textcase.
  67. Sets the source reference on Chart Studio Cloud for variant.
  68. Sets the source reference on Chart Studio Cloud for weight.
  69. Sets the source reference on Chart Studio Cloud for textposition.
  70. Sets the source reference on Chart Studio Cloud for text.
  71. Template string used for rendering the information text that appear on points. Note that this will override textinfo. Variables are inserted using %{variable}, for example "y: %{y}". Numbers are formatted using d3-format's syntax %{variable:d3-format}, for example "Price: %{y:$.2f}". https://github.com/d3/d3-format/tree/v1.4.5#d3-format for details on the formatting syntax. Dates are formatted using d3-time-format's syntax %{variable|d3-time-format}, for example "Day: %{2019-01-01|%A}". https://github.com/d3/d3-time-format/tree/v2.2.3#locale_format for details on the date formatting syntax. Every attributes that can be specified per-point (the ones that are arrayOk: true) are available. Finally, the template string has access to variables initial, delta, final and label.
  72. Sets the source reference on Chart Studio Cloud for texttemplate.
  73. Assign an id to this trace, Use this to provide object constancy between traces during animations and transitions.
  74. Sets the source reference on Chart Studio Cloud for width.
  75. Sets the hover text formatting rulefor x using d3 formatting mini-languages which are very similar to those in Python. For numbers, see: https://github.com/d3/d3-format/tree/v1.4.5#d3-format. And for dates see: https://github.com/d3/d3-time-format/tree/v2.2.3#locale_format. We add two items to d3's date formatter: %h for half of the year as a decimal number as well as %{n}f for fractional seconds with n digits. For example, 2016-10-13 09:15:23.456 with tickformat %H~%M~%S.%2f would display 09~15~23.46By default the values are formatted using xaxis.hoverformat.
  76. Sets the source reference on Chart Studio Cloud for x.
  77. Sets the hover text formatting rulefor y using d3 formatting mini-languages which are very similar to those in Python. For numbers, see: https://github.com/d3/d3-format/tree/v1.4.5#d3-format. And for dates see: https://github.com/d3/d3-time-format/tree/v2.2.3#locale_format. We add two items to d3's date formatter: %h for half of the year as a decimal number as well as %{n}f for fractional seconds with n digits. For example, 2016-10-13 09:15:23.456 with tickformat %H~%M~%S.%2f would display 09~15~23.46By default the values are formatted using yaxis.hoverformat.
  78. Sets the source reference on Chart Studio Cloud for y.