---
title: "Chart View: Plot CSV Data as Charts | Prettify Docs"
description: Plot CSV columns as line, bar, scatter, or pie charts. One column
  is free; plotting more than one column at once is Pro.
url: https://prettify.tools/docs/chart-view
---

[Docs](https://prettify.tools/docs) / Views

# Chart view

Last updated: October 16, 2026

The Chart view plots tabular data as a chart. It reads the columns of a CSV document and draws a line, bar, scatter, or pie chart. Plotting one column is free. Plotting more than one column at once is Pro, and free users get one free try per day.

The Chart view is available for [CSV](https://prettify.tools/docs/csv). To chart JSON or another format, convert it to CSV first. See [Conversion](https://prettify.tools/docs/conversion).

## Open the Chart view

1. Load a CSV document.
2. Select the Chart tab, or run `view chart` in the Command Palette.

Prettify reads the columns, infers each column's type, and suggests a starting chart.

## Choose the chart type

Select a type in the sidebar.

| Type    | Use it for                                                |
| ------- | --------------------------------------------------------- |
| line    | A value that changes over an ordered axis, such as a date |
| bar     | A value compared across categories                        |
| scatter | The relationship between two numeric columns              |
| pie     | The share of each category by count                       |

## Choose the columns

- X Axis: pick the column for the horizontal axis. Any column can be the X axis.
- Y Axis: tick one or more numeric columns to plot. Only numeric columns appear here.

A pie chart counts how often each X Axis value appears. It does not use the Y Axis.

### Multi-column charts (Pro)

Ticking a second Y Axis column plots several columns together. Multiple Y columns is Pro. When you tick a second column on the free plan, Prettify shows the upgrade prompt.

If two Y columns have very different ranges, Prettify shows a scale warning. Plot one column at a time when the ranges differ by more than 100 times.

## Large files

Prettify samples the data so the chart stays fast.

- Line and scatter charts draw up to 200 points.
- Bar charts draw up to 50 bars.
- Pie charts draw up to 10 slices and group the rest as Other.

When the view samples the data, it shows how many points it draws.

## Export

Export the chart as a PNG or SVG image from the toolbar. See [Views](https://prettify.tools/docs/views).

## Related pages

[Views](https://prettify.tools/docs/views), [CSV](https://prettify.tools/docs/csv), [Diagram view](https://prettify.tools/docs/diagram-view), [SQL](https://prettify.tools/docs/sql), [Conversion](https://prettify.tools/docs/conversion), [Pro](https://prettify.tools/docs/pro). You can also open the [CSV Viewer](https://prettify.tools/csv-viewer) tool page.

## Try it online

Tool pages for this topic. Each one runs in your browser.

- [CSV Viewer](https://prettify.tools/csv-viewer)

* [PreviousDiagram view](https://prettify.tools/docs/diagram-view)
* [Next jq queries](https://prettify.tools/docs/jq)

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