Power BI Waterfall Chart is very useful to visualize the Sales or Profit over some time. Let me show you how to create a Waterfall Chart in Power BI with example.

For this Power BI Waterfall Chart demonstration, we are going to use the Excel Data Source that we created in our previous article. So, Please refer to Connect Power BI to Excel Multiple Excel Sheets article to understand the Power BI Data Source.

How to Create a Waterfall Chart in Power BI

To create a Waterfall Chart in Power BI, first, Drag and Drop the Profit from Fields section to the Canvas region. It automatically creates a Column Chart, as we showed in below.

Let me add the Product Sub-Category to the Axis section.

Click on the Waterfall Chart under the Visualization section. It automatically converts a Column Chart into a Waterfall Chart.

Next, we added the Data Labels so that you can see the increased or decreased profit amount. Under the sentiment colors, you can change these bar colors as well.

Create a Waterfall Chart in Power BI Approach 2

First, click on the Waterfall Chart under the Visualization section. It automatically creates a Waterfall Chart with dummy data, as shown in the screenshot below.

To add data to the Power BI Waterfall Chart, we have to add the required fields:

• Category: Please specify the Column that divides the chart (Horizontal axis column).
• Breakdown: Specify the Column that sub-divide the Details data.
• Y Axis: Please specify the Metric Column that represents the Vertical Axis.

Let me drag the Profit from the Fields section to the Y-Axis section.

Next, let me add the Product Container to the Category section. You can do this by dragging the Product Container to Category section, or simply checkmark the Product Container column.

Next, we added the Data Labels so that you can see the increased profit.

From the above screenshot, you can see that the Waterfall chart is sorted by Profit in descending order. So, let me sort the chart by Profit in ascending order. To do this, click on the … (3 dots) on the top right corner, and select the Left corner of the Sort By Profit option, as we shown below.

This time we sorted the data by Product Container in descending order.

This time we sorted the data by Product Container in ascending order.

Power BI Waterfall Chart Breakdown

Let me add Customer Segment to the Breakdown section. And as you can see from the screenshot below, the waterfall chart has further divided based on the Customer Segment.  

Let me do some quick formatting to this Waterfall Chart

NOTE: I suggest you refer to Format Waterfall Chart article to understand the formatting options.

How to Format Power BI Waterfall Chart with example?. Formatting Waterfall Chart includes changing the Bar colors, Waterfall Chart Title text, Title position, Y-Axis, and X-Axis Details, Data labels, and Background Images, etc.

To demonstrate these Waterfall Chart formatting options, we are going to use the Waterfall Chart that we created earlier. Please refer Waterfall Chart in Power BI article to understand the steps involved in creating a Power BI Waterfall Chart.

How to Format Power BI Waterfall Chart in Power BI

Please click on the Format button to see the list of formatting options that are available for this Waterfall Chart. As you can see from the below screenshot, Hovering over any bar show you the Profit difference between the Product Containers

Format Power BI Waterfall Chart General Settings

Use this General Section to Change the Chart Responsiveness, X, Y position, Width and height of a Waterfall Chart

Format Legend of a Waterfall Chart in Power BI

Please select the Legend region and toggle the option from Off to On to enable Legend.

As you can see from the screenshot below, we used the Position drop-down box to change the legend position to Top Center. Next, we changed the legend Color to Brown and text size to 15.

Format X-Axis of a Waterfall Chart in Power BI

The following are the list of options that are available for you to format the Horizontal axis or X-Axis. As you can see from the screenshot below, we change the Color to Brown, Text Size to 14, and font family to Cambria.

By default, the X-Axis title set to Off. Let me change the option from Off to On. Next, change the Title Color to Green, Font style to Cambria, and Font Size to 25.

Format Y-Axis of a Power BI Waterfall Chart

The following are the list of options available to format vertical Axis. Here, you can change the default start and end values of the YAxis

As you can see, we changed the Y-Axis Font color to Brown, Font Family to Cambria, Display units to Thousands, and Text Size to 15.

By default, the X-Axis title set to Off. Let me change the option from Off to On. Next, we changed the Y-Axis Title Color to Green, Text Size to 25, and Font family to Cambria.

By toggling the Gridlines option from On to Off, you can disable the Gridlines.

• Color: You can change the Gridlines color.
• Stroke Width: Use this to change the Gridlines width.
• Line Style: Choose the line style such as Solid, dotted, and dashed.

Here, we changed the color to gold, and line style to dashed.

Format Data Labels of a Waterfall Chart in Power BI

Data Labels display the Values (Sales or Profit at each point of time). As you can see from the screenshot below, we enabled data labels and changed the color to green.

Format Waterfall Chart in Power BI Plot Area

Using this Plot Area property, you can add custom Images as the Background of the waterfall Chart. For the demonstration purpose, we added one image as the Plot Area Background.  

Format Power BI Waterfall Chart Data Colors

Please change these colors as per your requirements.

Format Power BI Waterfall Chart Breakdown

This option restricts the number of breakdowns waterfall charts allowed. While we are creating this waterfall chart, we added the Customer Segment as the Breakdown property.

Our data has 4 records under the Customer Segment, and that’s why breakdown is showing those 4 records.

Let me change the value to 2. It means the waterfall allows a maximum of two breakdowns in between each product container.

Format Power BI Waterfall Chart Title

By toggling the Title option from On to Off, you can disable the Waterfall Chart title.

From the screenshot below, you can see we change the Font Color to Green, Title Alignment to center, Text Size to 25, and Font Family to Georgia. If you want, you can add the background color to the title as well.

Format Power BI Waterfall Chart Background Color, and Borders

You can add the Background color to a Waterfall Chart by toggling Background option to On. For the demonstration purpose, we added a random yellow color with 30% transparency.

Similarly, you can add Borders to a Waterfall Chart by toggling the Border option from Off to On.