There is a way to use graphs in Notion.

Jan 13, 2024

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Have you ever wished you could turn a table you created in Notion into a graph?

This time, we'll introduce a service that will help you make that wish come true, by integrating with Notion and allowing you to create graphs like this!

There are a whopping seven types of graphs you can create. We'll show you everything from how to set them up to how to embed them in Notion, as well as some practical examples of how to use them.

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🎬 Director: Rei
✍🏻 Writer: Mino Kurumi

1. What is ChartBase?

This time we will use an external service called "ChartBase".

Currently, Notion does not have a function to create graphs, but by linking this service with Notion, you can graph your database like this.

Some of the useful features of ChartBase are:

Create graphs from your Notion database
The graphs you create can be embedded in Notion
When the database is updated, the graph content is automatically updated.
Wide range of graph types and designs to choose from
Dark mode support

This is very convenient because you don't need to recreate the graph even if you change the numbers in the database.

It also has a great design, with the ability to freely change the color and support for dark mode.

💡Click here for an article that explains in detail about "databases"!
→ A detailed explanation of Notion's "database"!

2. Graph Types

ChartBase allows you to create seven types of graphs, allowing you to choose the graph that best suits your database.

bar graph

line graph

You can see the change in values over time

pie chart

You can see the overall breakdown and percentage

Bar chart

You can view data in ascending or descending order of values.

Donut chart

For comparing overall breakdowns and composition ratios

Radar chart

Card Type

You can always embed the numbers you want to display.

3. Let's make a graph

Now let's create a graph using ChartBase.

We will show you how to set it up, create a graph, and embed it in Notion.

First, set up ChartBase.

1-1.Prepare ChartBase

1. Sign in with Google from the ChartBase homepage and click "Connect Notion."

2. From "Select a page", select the page you want to allow access to.

Now that the setup is complete, let's create a graph.

1-2. How to create a graph

1. Click "Create New Chart" in the upper left corner of the screen.

2. Select the type of graph you want to create (you can change it later)

3. Select the database you want to graph

4. Select the properties to set for the X and Y axes of the graph (you can change them later) and click the "Create Chart" button.

Now your graph is complete. You can change the X and Y axes, title, and design from the sidebar on the left of the screen.

Next, let's embed the graph we created in Notion.

1-3. Embed a graph in Notion

1. Copy the link from "Get Embed Link" on the top right

2. Open Notion, paste the graph where you want to embed it, and click "Create Embed."

3. Adjust the size and it's done

Embedding is very easy. Even if you change the numbers in the database, the changes are automatically reflected in the embedded graph, so you don't have to recreate it, which is a nice feature.

4.ChartBase usage examples

Finally, we will introduce some examples of how ChartBase is used.

This time, I used this "household budget template" to create some graphs that I thought would be useful for looking back.

Review your monthly spending

I used a line graph to plot my monthly spending for the year.

When you look back at the end of the year, it's easy to see which months had the most expenses.

Review this month's expenses by category

Next, I graphed this month's expenses by category using a bar chart.

Sorting by highest value will give you a quick look at which categories you're spending the most money on.

You might also consider converting the values from monetary values to percentages and displaying them in a donut chart.

summary

This concludes our introduction to ChartBase, a service that graphs Notion databases!

In addition to the household accounting book we introduced as an example this time, it seems like it could be used in a wide range of situations, such as numerical analysis at work.

We have previously explained the household accounting template used this time, so be sure to read it!