Visualize patterns, comparisons, and impact with scatter, bubble, and dot plot charts

Use a scatter plot to look for patterns, trends, or correlations between two factors. Or use a bubble plot to visualize a third factor, which is the size of each plotted point.

If you’re working on one categorical and one numerical axis, use dot plot charts. It’s the perfect chart for showing distributions or frequencies.

How scatter, bubble, and dot plot charts work

For Scatter plot and Bubble plot
- Depending on your data, you’ll see a connection between two factors (x and y). Bubbles or markers moving and leaning to the right would mean a positive correlation. If the bubbles or markers are scattered and all over the chart with no clear pattern, we may conclude there’s no correlation between the factors.

For Dot plot chart
- Observe how the plotted points are arranged:
  - Clusters – Groups of dots indicate common values or trends.
  - Gaps – Empty spaces suggest missing or rare data points.
  - Aligned Dots – A clear pattern may signal a trend.
  - Even Spacing – Suggests a balanced, uniform distribution.
  - Isolated dot(s) - A dot positioned far from the cluster may indicate an outlier or unusual value.

Add scatter, bubble, and dot plot charts

Step 1 - Scatter and Dot charts

This is the first step in adding scatter, bubble, and dot plot charts. Afterwards, you can add chart data manually or import it from an external source.

Create or open an existing design.
Go to
Apps and select
Charts. Alternatively, you can go to
Elements, then select Charts.
Under Scatter and dot charts, select either Scatter plot, Bubble plot, or Dot plot chart.

Set up chart data

Data Requirements:

Scatter plot - 2 Numerical variables ( X and Y axis)
Bubble plot - 3 Numerical variables ( X and Y, and bubble size)
Dot plot - 1 Categorical and 1 Numerical variable

You can either add your data manually, import it from a spreadsheet, or connect your data source apps.

Add chart data manually

Enter your data into the chart table, then review each part of the chart to make sure it accurately reflects the data in your table

Add data

Select your chart, then click
Edit on the toolbar.
In the side panel, enter your chart values in the Data table. You can also select
Expand data table for a full-screen view of your data.

Add rows and columns

To add a new row, choose a row, then click
(More).
1. Choose between Insert row before or Insert row after.
2. To remove a row, choose Delete row.
To add a new column, choose a column, then click
(More).
1. Choose between Insert column before or Insert column after.
2. To remove a column, choose Delete column.

Note: When editing data on Canva, use the Shift key on your keyboard to select multiple cells, rows, and columns. You can also click and drag to select multiple cells.

Sort data

To sort your chart data, select a column, then click on
(More).
Click Sort table A-Z to sort in ascending order, or click Sort table Z-A to sort in descending order.

Import chart data

Connect to data from Canva Sheets or connect to a data source app. You can also use a CSV, TSV, or XLSX file to import your data. For now, you can only import up to 1000 rows and 100 columns of data.

Select or add a chart, then select
Edit.
From the side panel, click
Import data.
From here, you can choose to:
1. Select Sheets to connect to data from Canva Sheets.
2. Select a data source from the available options: Google Sheets, Salesforce, Google Analytics, HubSpot, World Bank.
3. Upload a CSV, XLSX, or TSV file by selecting
  Upload data.

Tip: After your data loads, you can use

Data Actions to clean and organize it before importing. See Clean imported data with Data Actions below.

4. If you chose a third-party app, sign in to the app (if required) and grant Canva permission to access your data.

5. Choose the specific dataset you want to use from the imported data.

6. Click Done to sync the data with your chart.

Learn more about adding and managing your chart data. You can also format the values for clarity.

Choose which data to display in scatter, bubble, or dot charts

Step 3 - Scatter and Dot charts

After adding your data, make sure your chart clearly represents your data. Select what data you’d like to show, and how you’d like it to be displayed in your chart. You can customize your chart afterwards.

Select or add a chart, then select
Edit.
In the side panel, under the Data table, go to Chart Setup.
Under X-axis – What values to show, click the drop-down menu, and choose which column you’d like to display on the chart’s x-axis (the horizontal axis). Note: You can only select one column here.
Under Y-axis – What values to show, click the drop-down menu, and choose one or more columns you’d like to display on the chart’s y-axis (the vertical axis).
Under Size, choose a column to represent item size. For example:
- X = Time
- Y = Dollars
- Size = Number of Transactions
Under Color by, choose a column of data you’d like to color and highlight visually.
Under Labels, choose a column to display values when hovering over data points. Note: The values will be shown when a viewer hovers over the markers in the chart.

Customize scatter, bubble, or dot charts

After choosing what data to display, you can change the color or marker type to effectively highlight patterns, trends, or relationships. Adjust the marker size or transparency for better readability.

Add chart title and subtitle

Select the chart to open the toolbar, then select
Edit.
On the Chart panel, select the Customize tab.
To add a title and subtitle, enter your Title and Subtitle in their respective text fields.

Add legend, axis labels, and axis titles

Click on the chart to open the toolbar, then select Edit.
On the Chart panel, select the Customize tab.
Select the Text dropdown. Toggle on or off the Legend switch.
Select the X Axis or Y Axis dropdown. Toggle Labels on or off and add the axis title accordingly.

Change the color of plotted points

On the editor toolbar, select the color tile you’d like to change.
From the side panel, select your new preferred color.
If the color you’re looking for isn't available, click on the
rainbow color tile (Add a new color). Use the
Eyedropper tool to pick a new color from the color box.

Change the chart marker type

Select the Marker icon, then choose your preferred marker shape from the options.
Drag the Marker size slider to increase or decrease the size of the marker.
You can also drag the Marker transparency slider to increase or decrease the transparency so you can see where there’s an overlap in data.

Add chart filters

Chart filters are only available on Pro and other paid plans.

Select the Settings dropdown.
Select Add filter.
Select the Select data dropdown to choose a filter category.
Choose a filter style: Buttons or Range slider.
Select the Interactive color tile to change the color of the filter buttons or range slider.
Select Set to save your current filter setup as default view.
Select Remove filter to delete a filter and add a new one. You can add a maximum of 3 filters.

Tooltips for charts

Select the chart to open the toolbar, then select
Edit.
On the Chart panel, select the Customize tab and select Settings.
Turn Tooltips on to show details when you hover over the chart, or off to hide them.

Looking for advanced charts? You can use the Flourish App. Check out Add advanced charts via Flourish to learn more.

Not sure where to start? Check out Get started with Canva Charts.

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