Create a box plot data visualization

  • Release version: Australia
  • Updated March 12, 2026
  • 5 minutes to read
  • Use a boxplot to show the median and lower and upper quartiles of numeric data along with outliers. You can also compare the distribution of different groups of this data.

    Before you begin

    Important:
    The Boxplot visualization is included in the latest data visualizations application from the ServiceNow® Store.

    Role required: Anyone with access to data can create a visualization of that data on any dashboard that they can edit. Users with the itil, report_user, admin, or viz_creator role can create a visualization in the Visualization Designer. When you create a visualization in the Visualization Designer, it is saved to the Library. For more information on access, see Report_view access control and Platform Analytics roles.

    About this task

    The Boxplot visualization only supports table data. Indicator, MetricBase, and Usage Insights data is not supported.

    For information about the use of a Boxplot visualization in a dashboard, see the Developer Site. This site gives information about Box plot components in the UI Builder, and some configuration options may differ from the Visualization Designer.

    Procedure

    1. Navigate to All > Platform Analytics > Library > Data Visualizations, or open an in-line dashboard and select Edit.
    2. Select Create New Visualization.
    3. Select the Boxplot (vertical box icon) visualization type.
    4. Configure the Header and border. Header and border options are the same for all data sources.
      Header and border fields Description
      Show border Option to display a line around the component.
      Show header The visualization header, including title and icons.
      Show header separator Option to display a line separating the header from the rest of the component.
      Chart title Title of the visualization.
      Title alignment Choose Start to align the title with the start of line, End to align it with the end of the line, or Center for center alignment.
      Description A short overview about the visualization that the end user sees. Descriptions help users find the visualization.
      Wrap title Option to wrap long titles onto a second line. If false, displays an ellipsis to truncate long titles.
      Wrap labels Select to wrap long elements labels on the axis.
      Max label size, px Specify the maximum label size for element names on the axis. Default=100 px.
      Line of truncation Specify where to truncate long labels with an ellipsis. Options are 1, 2, and 3.
      Bare Option to remove padding around data visualization to provide more compact positioning on the page. Only available when Show border is turned off.
      Show refresh option Option to show or hide the refresh option from data visualizations.

      If cache is enabled on a dashboard, the Refresh option is always hidden.

      Show export options Option to show or hide the visualization's export types.
      Header background color Specify the color behind the title of the visualization.
      Title color Specify the text color of the title. The default title color is black, but you can choose a color that contrasts better with the header background. Only available when Header background color is selected.
    5. Open the Data Source selector and select a table.
    6. Configure the data settings as described in Table data options for boxplot visualizations.
    7. Under Presentation, provide display and color information..
      Field Description

      Display settings

      Y axis

      Hide axis Option to hide the primary axis.
      Primary axis title Title to display on the vertical axis of the visualization.

      This property applies only when Hide primary axis is false.

      If there is more than one Y-axis, you have additional axis titles, representing the properties yAxis1Title, yAxis2Title, etc.

      Add a Y-axis scale for a metric in the More options menu for the metric.

      Axis range - from Starting point for the values on the primary axis.
      Axis range - to End point for the values on the primary axis.
      Axis position Position of the primary axis. Options include:
      • Left
      • Right

      This property applies only when Hide axis is false. If there is more than one primary axis, such as multiple Y axes on a vertical bar visualization, you can set each axis position separately.

      Show grid Shows a grid of fine lines perpendicular to the primary axis, to help align values against that axis.
      Axis style Style of the primary axis.
      • Clean clean: Adds a straight line to the primary axis.
      • No tick lines noTicks: Option to remove all marks from the primary axis.
      • Standard default: Adds a line and tick marks to the primary axis.

      X axis

      X axis title Title to display on the horizontal axis of the visualization.
      Wrap labels Select to wrap long elements labels on the axis.
      Max label size, px Specify the maximum label size for element names on the axis. Default=100 px.

      Colors

      Set color type
      • Default: A color or set of colors that come from the UX Theme that is applied to the instance. For more information, see Working with themes in Next Experience.
      • Single color/Colors per metric: Select a single color in the Set value color field. Interacting with that field opens a selector where you can choose the color from either a set of icons or from a list. You can also search for a color. Entering a search value has the selector show you a list of colors filtered by that search value.
    8. Under Chart interaction, set what if anything happens when a viewer clicks a chart or a chart segment on the visualization.
      Table 1. Chart interactions
      Field Description
      Allow chart interaction Enable an event to occur when a user clicks in a visualization or one of its segments.
      Action
      Choose the event that occurs when a user clicks in a visualization or one of its segments. Choices depend on the visualization type and data source. Applies only when Allow chart interaction is on. For more information, see Chart interactions in a data visualization.
      • Go to data view opens a list view, KPI Details page, or Usage Insights overview page relevant to the associated segment or visualization. For table data, a system property determines whether a Core UI list or a Platform Analytics list opens. For more information, see Data views for different data sources.
      • Go to URL opens the specified URL, which can be on the instance or external. You have the option of specifying a page name to appear in the tooltip, for those visualizations with tooltips.
      • Drill down to chart (Visualization Designer only) Opens a different data visualization that is filtered by the selected data. You can add a drill-down visualization for each metric on the parent visualization.
        Note:
        The last level of drill down in the Platform Analytics experience is always a Core UI list. Records do not open in Workspace embedded lists.

        Drill down to chart supports only table data sources.

    9. Select Save to continue editing the visualization, or Save and close to return to the Analytics Overview main screen.

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