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Build a slope chart

Compare two periods with one line per member, colored by whether it rose or fell, with values labeled at both ends.

3 min readUpdated October 28, 2026

A slope chart compares two periods. Each member, like a region or a product, gets one line from its value in the first period to its value in the second, so you can see at a glance what went up and what went down. It isn't a separate chart type - it's a line chart whose X axis draws exactly two periods, with two options switched on in the format pane.

Build one

  1. Pick Line from the chart type selector.
  2. Drag a date to Columns and set its grain to the periods you want to compare, such as year.
  3. Drag the measure to Rows.
  4. Drag the dimension you're comparing, such as Region, to Color.
  5. Filter the date so only two periods are left - for example, two years.
  6. Open the format pane and, in Chart Options, switch on Color by net change and Label both ends.
Tip: You don't need a date. Two values of a period-like column, such as Year or Wave, on Columns work the same way once you filter to those two values.

The two options

OptionWhat it does
Color by net changeColors each line by its last value minus its first: one color for up, one for down and one for flat. It works on any line chart, at any number of periods, not just a slope.
Label both endsPuts a value label at the start and the end of each line. It only appears when the chart draws exactly two periods.
Note: Label both ends counts the periods the chart actually draws, filters included. A year axis filtered to two years qualifies; an unfiltered axis with more periods doesn't, so the switch is hidden.
Note: If the last period hasn't closed yet, it's treated as partial and doesn't decide whether a line went up or down.

Ask for it in the chat

You can ask the Analyst for a slope chart in plain words - "slope chart of sales by region, 2016 vs 2017" - and it builds the line, the two-period filter and both options for you. With a chart already on screen, "make this a slope chart" or "color the lines by net change" changes it in place.