How to Use HubSpot Report Chart Styles Effectively

Understanding the different chart styles in HubSpot helps you build clear, insightful reports that make your CRM, marketing, and sales data easy to act on.

This guide walks through each chart type available in standard and custom reports, explains when to use them, and shows how to customize your visualizations for better analysis.

Where to Find Chart Styles in HubSpot Reports

When you create or edit a report in HubSpot, you can change the chart type directly in the report builder.

1. Open Reports > Reports from your HubSpot navigation.
2. Create a new report or edit an existing one.
3. In the Configure or Visualization tab, locate the Chart type dropdown.
4. Select the chart style that best matches your data and reporting goal.

Available options may vary depending on the report type (single-object, funnel, attribution, or custom report builder) and the fields you include.

HubSpot Bar and Column Charts

Bar and column charts are some of the most common visualization options in HubSpot because they make comparisons simple.

Vertical Bar Charts in HubSpot

Vertical bar charts (column charts) display data with bars running from the bottom to the top of the chart.

Use a vertical bar chart when you want to:

• Compare values across different categories, such as owners, deal stages, or lifecycle stages.
• Highlight changes over time using a date field on the X-axis.
• Emphasize magnitude differences between segments.

In the HubSpot report builder, you typically choose one property for the X-axis (categories) and a summary metric for the Y-axis (such as count, sum, or average).

Horizontal Bar Charts in HubSpot

Horizontal bar charts flip the axes so categories appear on the left and bars extend horizontally.

Choose this style in HubSpot when:

• You have long category labels that are easier to read horizontally.
• You are ranking items from highest to lowest (for example, top-performing marketing emails).
• You want to make side-by-side comparisons more readable for many categories.

Stacked Bar and Column Charts in HubSpot

Stacked bar and column charts allow you to show sub-categories within each main category.

Use stacked charts in HubSpot to:

• Show how a total is composed of multiple segments (for example, total deals by stage and pipeline).
• Visualize part-to-whole relationships while still comparing categories.
• Track composition changes over time when grouped by a date property.

You can often select the field used to stack data in the chart settings, then adjust colors and legends for clarity.

HubSpot Line and Area Chart Visualizations

Line-based charts in HubSpot help you focus on trends and changes over time.

Line Charts in HubSpot Reports

Line charts plot one or more metrics across a continuous axis, usually a date field.

Use a line chart in HubSpot when you want to:

• Track performance trends, such as form submissions or new deals created per month.
• Compare multiple metrics or segments over the same time period.
• Highlight peaks, dips, and seasonality in your CRM or marketing data.

You can typically group results by day, week, month, or another available date interval.

Area Charts in HubSpot

Area charts are similar to line charts but fill the space under the line, making total volume more visually prominent.

In HubSpot reporting, area charts are useful for:

• Showing cumulative growth over time.
• Emphasizing total values while still displaying the trend path.
• Stacking multiple series to see how each contributes to the total.

Choose an area chart when you want the visual weight of filled areas to reinforce the idea of volume or accumulation.

HubSpot Pie and Donut Charts

Pie and donut charts in HubSpot highlight how a whole breaks down into parts.

Pie Charts in HubSpot Reports

Pie charts display each category as a slice of a full circle.

Use pie charts in HubSpot when you need to:

• Show distribution of a single metric across segments (for example, contacts by lifecycle stage).
• Visualize simple part-to-whole relationships with limited categories.
• Provide a quick snapshot of proportions for stakeholders.

Pies are most effective when you keep categories to a manageable number so labels remain clear.

Donut Charts in HubSpot

Donut charts resemble pie charts but have a hole in the center. Many users prefer this style in HubSpot dashboards because it can be easier to read and label.

Choose donut charts when:

• You want to show proportions while also displaying the total in or near the center.
• You are building executive dashboards that benefit from a cleaner visual style.
• You want to highlight a key metric or label in the chart’s middle area.

HubSpot Summary, Table, and KPI Views

Not all data in HubSpot needs to be shown as a graph. Sometimes a numeric or tabular layout works best.

Summary and KPI Tiles in HubSpot

Summary-style charts surface one or more headline metrics instead of full graphs.

Use a summary or KPI-style visualization in HubSpot when you need:

• At-a-glance numbers such as total revenue, open deals, or new contacts.
• Simple metrics to feature on executive dashboards.
• To keep focus on a small set of key measurements.

In the report configuration, choose your metric (sum, count, average, etc.) and any filters you need.

Data Tables in HubSpot Reports

Table views list records and fields in rows and columns, giving a detailed look at your HubSpot data.

Pick table charts when you want to:

• See individual records like contacts, deals, or tickets with specific properties.
• Export structured data for further analysis.
• Provide drill-down detail to support a KPI or chart tile on the same dashboard.

You can usually sort by column, choose which properties to display, and apply filters to focus on relevant records.

HubSpot Funnel and Attribution Charts

Specialized charts in HubSpot are designed for conversion flow and influence analysis.

Funnel Charts in HubSpot

Funnel charts show how records move through defined stages, such as lifecycle stages, deal stages, or ticket statuses.

Use funnel visualizations when you want to:

• Measure conversion rates from one stage to the next.
• Identify bottlenecks where records get stuck.
• Compare performance across different pipelines or segments.

In the report builder, you typically select the stages to include and a count-based metric, such as number of contacts or deals.

Attribution Charts in HubSpot

Attribution reporting analyzes how different activities contributed to outcomes like closed-won deals or new contacts.

In HubSpot, attribution charts can help you:

• Understand which marketing channels or assets influence revenue.
• Compare performance of campaigns or content types.
• Justify investments by connecting touchpoints to outcomes.

Different attribution models can change how credit is allocated, so experiment with chart styles and models to view performance from multiple angles.

Choosing the Right HubSpot Chart Style

To select the most effective chart type in HubSpot, ask these questions:

• What is my main goal? Compare categories, show proportions, analyze trends, or track conversions.
• What data am I using? Numeric metrics, date fields, categorical properties, or record counts.
• Who is the audience? Executives may prefer simple KPI tiles and donuts, while analysts may need tables and line charts.

General guidance:

• Use bar or column charts for comparisons.
• Use line or area charts for trends over time.
• Use pie or donut charts for proportions with a small number of categories.
• Use funnels for stage-based conversions.
• Use tables for detailed record-level insight.

Customizing HubSpot Charts for Clearer Insights

After selecting a chart style, refine your visualization in the HubSpot report builder for maximum clarity.

1. Adjust your filters: Narrow down records by date ranges, owners, pipelines, or other properties.
2. Set groupings: Choose how data is grouped, such as by date, owner, lifecycle stage, or custom properties.
3. Optimize labels and legends: Rename axes and series labels so anyone reading the chart understands what it shows.
4. Refine metrics: Switch between count, sum, average, min, or max where applicable to match your business question.
5. Test multiple styles: Try a few chart options in HubSpot to see which one tells the story most clearly.

Resources to Improve Your HubSpot Reporting

For additional help with reporting strategy, CRM configuration, and dashboard design, you can work with a consulting partner like Consultevo, which specializes in CRM, RevOps, and analytics.

To see the original documentation on chart styles, visit the official HubSpot Knowledge Base article on chart types and usage: Understand different chart styles in your HubSpot reports.

By mastering these chart options and customization tools, you can turn raw HubSpot data into dashboards and reports that drive clearer decisions across marketing, sales, and service teams.

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