Create a bubble data visualization in the Visualization Designer

  • Release version: Australia
  • Updated March 12, 2026
  • 5 minutes to read
  • Use bubble visualizations to show multiple separate metrics on a single visualization and to answer binary questions, such as whether two fields have a relationship, and to highlight patterns.

    Before you begin

    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

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

    Bubble visualizations aggregate information over three different metrics, using the X axis, Y axis, and bubble size.

    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 Bubble (bubble chart 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. Choose a data source.
      For general descriptions of the data sources, see Data sources for data visualizations.

      You can choose one or more tables (available in the base system). When you select a table, you can filter it by conditions.

      Note:
      You can choose to define a data source manually in JSON. However, this method is intended only for experts.
    6. Select the options for your data source.
    7. Under Presentation, provide display and color information. In the Colors section, configure the colors and color rules.
      Field Description
      Show data table Shows a table with chart and graph data for easier screen reader access. Data includes the percentage of the total for each value, when appropriate.
      Show % of total in tooltip Enable to show the percentage each data point contributes to the total alongside absolute values in the tooltip.
      Show legend Available when you configure a group by or have more than one metric. Select to display the legend.
      Legend position Legend location relative to the visualization: Above, Below, Right, or Left.
      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.
      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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