How to Make a Double Bar Graph in Tableau
A double bar graph is one of the most effective ways to compare two different sets of data side-by-side. Whether you're comparing sales this year vs. last year, ad spend vs. revenue, or traffic from two different sources, this chart instantly tells a visual story. This guide will walk you through exactly how to build a double bar graph in Tableau, step-by-step.
What is a Double Bar Graph?
A double bar graph, also known as a grouped or clustered bar chart, places two bars next to each other for each category you're measuring. This makes direct comparisons incredibly simple and intuitive. Instead of flipping between two different charts or trying to mentally overlay them, you get an immediate sense of how the two measures stack up against one another across various categories.
For marketing and sales teams, it's an essential visualization for answering critical questions like:
How did our sales performance this quarter compare to our goals?
Which marketing channels are driving the most traffic versus the most conversions?
Are our profits growing at the same rate as our revenue for each product line?
How does user engagement from organic search compare to social media for different blog posts?
Building one in Tableau is straightforward once you understand two special fields Tableau creates for you: Measure Names and Measure Values. Don't worry, we'll cover exactly what those are and how to use them.
Data Prep: Getting Your Numbers in Order
Before jumping into Tableau, ensure your data is structured properly. For a double bar graph, you typically need at least three columns:
A Dimension: This is a categorical field that you want to compare across. Think of things like Product Category, Marketing Channel, Country, or Month. This will serve as the labels for each group of bars.
Measure 1: Your first numerical value. This could be Actual Sales, 2023 Revenue, or Website Sessions.
Measure 2: Your second numerical value. This could be Sales Target, 2024 Revenue, or Conversions.
As long as you have your categories and the two numbers you want to compare, you're ready to go.
Step-by-Step Guide to Making a Double Bar Graph in Tableau
We'll use a common scenario: comparing Sales vs. Profit across different product Sub-Categories from Tableau's sample Superstore dataset. The fundamentals here apply to any dataset you use.
1. Set Up Your Basic Bar Chart
First, connect Tableau to your data source. Once connected, a new worksheet will open, showing your Dimensions and Measures in the left-hand data pane.
Find your dimension, in our case Sub-Category, and drag it from the Data pane onto the Columns shelf at the top of the workspace. This will create a horizontal axis with a label for each sub-category.
Now your workspace should show a list of your product sub-categories stretching across the top, waiting for data.
2. Introduce Measure Values and Measure Names
This is where the magic happens. Instead of dragging one measure at a time, we're going to use a special field generated by Tableau that contains all your measures in one place.
Find the field named Measure Values in the Measures section of the Data pane (it's often near the bottom and italicized).
Drag Measure Values onto the Rows shelf.
You'll immediately see a bar chart appear. By default, Tableau has created a bar for every single measure in your dataset for each Sub-Category. At the same time, Tableau also automatically does two helpful things:
It creates a new card on the right called Measure Names with checkboxes for every measure.
It places the Measure Names field on the Color tile in the Marks card.
So, what are these fields?
Measure Values: A container field holding the values of all the measures in your dataset.
Measure Names: A container field holding the names of all the measures in your dataset.
By putting Measure Values on Rows, we told Tableau to create bars based on the numerical values. By putting Measure Names on Color, we told Tableau to assign a different color to the bar for each measure. Now we just need to tell Tableau which measures we actually care about.
3. Filter for Just Two Measures
Our chart is currently too crowded because it's showing bars for every metric (Sales, Profit, Quantity, etc.). We need to filter this down to just the two we want to compare.
Look at the Measure Names card that appeared on your screen (if it isn't a visible card, just find Measure Names in the Filters shelf and click 'Edit Filter').
By default, all measures are checked. Click None at the bottom to deselect everything.
Now, check the boxes for only the two measures you want. For our example, select Sales and Profit.
Click OK.
And there it is! You now have a double bar graph. Each Sub-Category has two bars: one blue one showing Sales and one orange one showing Profit. Tableau has automatically created a legend on the right for you.
4. Clean Up and Format Your Graph
The core chart is done, but making it clean and easy to read is just as important as building it.
Adjust Colors: If the default colors aren't doing it for you, click the Color tile on the Marks card. A menu will pop up where you can select 'Edit Colors' and assign custom colors to each measure. A high-contrast pairing like blue and grey often works well.
Add Labels: Drag the Measure Values field again, but this time drop it onto the Label tile on the Marks card. This will add the exact numerical value to the top of each bar, saving your audience from having to guess or refer to the axis constantly.
Resize the View: Often, the initial view is squished. A quick way to make it more readable is by adjusting the fit. Go to the top toolbar and find the dropdown menu that says 'Standard'. Change this to Entire View or Fit Width to give your chart some breathing room.
Add a Title: Double-click the sheet's title (e.g., "Sheet 1") and give it a descriptive name like "Sales vs. Profit by Product Category". A good title tells the story of the chart, so anyone looking at it knows exactly what they are seeing.
Alternative Method: The Grouped Bar Chart
The Measure Values method is the fastest way to get to a double bar graph. However, another common approach gives you the same result and offers a slightly different way to think about the chart's construction.
Drag your dimension (Sub-Category) to the Columns shelf.
Drag your first measure (e.g., Sales) to the Rows shelf. You will now have a simple bar chart.
Drag your second measure (e.g., Profit) and place it directly on the vertical axis in your chart view. You will see a green double-ruler icon appear on the axis when it's in the right spot. Release your mouse.
Tableau automatically creates a shared-axis chart and adds Measure Names and Measure Values to your shelves for you. From here, you can format it just like in the previous method. It's really just a different route to the same destination.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Forgetting to Filter: The most common mistake is dragging Measure Values onto the scene and then forgetting to filter Measure Names. This results in a messy chart with far too many bars representing irrelevant metrics. Always filter down to what's important.
Mixing Up Axes: If you put your Dimension on the Rows shelf and your Measures on the Columns shelf, you'll end up with a horizontal double bar chart. This isn't necessarily a mistake - it can be very effective, especially with long dimension labels - but ensure it's what you intended to build.
Comparing Metrics with Wildly Different Scales: If you're comparing Website Visitors (in millions) to Conversion Rate (a small percentage like 3%), a double bar graph isn't the best choice. One bar will be huge, and the other will be invisible. For cases like this, consider a dual-axis combination chart (a bar and a line on two different axes).
Final Thoughts
Creating a double bar graph in Tableau is a fundamental skill for data analysis, providing a clear and powerful way to compare two measures across any category. By mastering the use of the Measure Values and Measure Names fields, you can quickly build insightful, side-by-side comparisons that tell a compelling data story.
Of course, not everyone has the time to learn the ins and outs of a tool like Tableau. We created Graphed because we believe getting these kinds of insights shouldn't require clicking through menus and dragging pills onto shelves. Instead, you can build the same dashboard in seconds just by asking for what you want in plain English: "Create a bar chart comparing sales vs. profit for each sub-category last year." It connects to your data sources in real-time, so you can stop manually exporting and updating reports and start getting answers.