With Lightdash, you can build custom chart types that match your company theme so your dashboards can look like this:

And there’s code behind these good looking dashboards. Every custom chart type you build in Lightdash lives in code. You can keep it in Git, review changes in a pull request, and ship it alongside the rest of your analytics stack.

You don’t have to write that code yourself either. Describe what you want in Chart Studio and let an agent build it. Once you’re happy, you’ve got a reusable chart type your team can use, plus the source code to keep working on it.

Keep your chart types in Git

If you want to get into the code, download your chart type with the Lightdash CLI. You’ll get a project you can build locally, with the source and a manifest that tells Lightdash which inputs it needs.

From there, it’s familiar territory. Make a change, ask a teammate to review the pull request, and upload it back when you’re happy. Lightdash rebuilds it as a new version.

You can also keep making changes with the agent in Chart Studio. Some changes are easier to explain in plain English, and others are easier to make yourself with the file open. With Lightdash, you don’t have to commit to one way of working.

Choose when your dashboards get the new version

Once your team starts using a chart type everywhere, you need to be careful about editing it. You probably don't want one small edit to change everyone’s dashboards.

That’s why saved charts stay on the version they were saved with. You can try a different layout or add a new option while everyone else carries on using the version they already know.

When you're ready, review the changes and upgrade the saved chart. You'll see what's changed in the inputs and options, including any new fields you need to map. Nothing changes for that chart until you save it.

Move the visualisation with the chart

If you've built something in staging that you want to use in production, you can take the chart type with you. Download a saved chart through the CLI and its custom chart type comes along too.

Upload the type into your production project first, then upload the charts that use it. You've already done the work to get the visualisation right, so you shouldn't have to build it again because you're moving projects.

And you don't have to start from scratch

Of course, you might have better things to do today than start designing multiple new chart types from scratch. So, we’ve launched the Chart Library: a gallery of chart types we’ve built for you to use, including Big Number with Sparkline Trend, Heatmap, and Customizable Cartesian Chart.

Install one into your project and anyone building a chart there can pick it alongside the built-in options. They choose their data and map the fields, just as they would with any other chart.

Found one that’s almost right? Choose Fork to customize and change it in Chart Studio. You’ll have your own copy to work on, with the same access to the code. Just bear in mind that it's independent of the original, so it won't pick up future updates from the library.

You’ll find the library under Browse → Chart Studio → Chart library. A project admin or developer can install a chart type for your team.

And if you’re new to Lightdash, start a free trial or talk to our team to start building custom chart types.