Target Lines
The Target, Drawn on the Chart.Put a target line on a chart, so your team reads results against the goal.
Draw the number you promised right across the chart that shows the number you got. Label it, pick a color and a solid, dashed or dotted line, and the floor reads itself against the target instead of against yesterday’s bars. Stand a line upright to mark the day something changed.
- Solid, dashed or dotted
- Flat or upright
- Drawn over the bars
How it works
- Type the targetA label and a number
- Pick the axisFlat for a target, upright for a date
- Choose the styleAny color; solid, dashed or dotted
- Read against itDrawn over the bars, never hidden
Every Chart Shows What Was Promised.
The team reads itself against the target it was given, not against the shape of yesterday’s bars.
Lines are drawn over the chart, so a bar never covers the target it fell short of.
Stand a line upright on a date, such as the day a price changed, from the same five settings.
A label, a number, an axis, a color and a line style. That’s the whole job.
A Target Line in Three Steps.
Label It, Type the Number
Name the line, such as Monthly goal, and enter the value it marks.
Lay It Flat or Upright
Flat across the values for a target, upright on the dates to mark a day.
Pick the Color and Style
Solid, dashed or dotted, in any color. It’s drawn over the bars.
One Line, Two Jobs.
Crosses the value axis at your number, so bars and lines read against the goal.
Stands on the date axis to mark a day, such as the day a price changed.
What Is a Target Line on a Chart?
A target line on a chart is a straight line drawn at a set value, such as the month’s sales target, so anyone can see which results reached it and which fell short. It’s also called a goal line, a reference line or a benchmark line.
In Adoptiv a reference line takes five settings: a label printed beside it, the number, the axis it crosses, a color, and a solid, dashed or dotted style. There’s no arithmetic in it. An average line is an average somebody worked out and typed, so it stays put when the dates change.
Laid flat, it marks a target across the values. Stood upright on the dates, it becomes a date marker for the day something changed. Either way it’s drawn over the bars, so a bar never hides the goal it missed. Lines work on column and bar charts, clustered and stacked, on line charts, and on area and stacked area charts. Switch between those chart types and the line stays.
To see the gap in color too, pair it with conditional formatting. To compare with last week’s actual results instead of a fixed number, use comparison periods. Gauges carry their own target on the tile.
Target Lines Questions, Answered.
What is a target line on a chart?
A straight line drawn across a chart at a set value, such as the month’s goal, so you can see at once which bars reached it and which fell short.
Which charts can show a target line?
Column and bar charts, clustered and stacked, line charts, and area and stacked area charts. Pies, donuts, funnels, treemaps, combo, radar and scatter charts, gauges, KPI cards and tables don’t draw them.
Can the line show the average automatically?
No. A reference line is a number you type, so it stays where you put it. For an average line, work the average out and type it in; it won’t move when the dates change.
What about gauges?
A gauge has a target of its own, set on the tile, instead of a reference line.
How do I add a target line to a chart?
Add a reference line to the chart with a label, a number, an axis, a color and a style, then save. The chart redraws with the line on it.
Will the line stay if I change the chart type?
Yes, as long as the new chart is one that draws reference lines, such as switching from columns to a line chart.
Target line vs comparison period: what’s the difference?
A target line marks a fixed number you choose. A comparison period counts the same figure again over an earlier window and shows that beside it.
What is a benchmark line?
Another name for a reference line: a fixed value drawn across a chart to compare results against, such as a target or a typed-in average.
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