What data do I need for a waterfall chart?

Two columns: category labels and values. Positive numbers for increases, negative for decreases. The first and last rows are typically your starting and ending totals — enter their actual values, not deltas.

How is a waterfall chart different from a bar chart?

In a standard bar chart, every bar starts at zero. In a waterfall chart, each bar starts where the previous one ended — so you can see the cumulative effect of each change. That's what makes it useful for showing how you got from a starting number to a final number.

Can I show subtotals in a waterfall chart?

AECharts currently treats the final row as the sum bar. If you need intermediate subtotals, add them as separate rows with their actual cumulative values and label them clearly — readers will follow the logic from the labels.

What's the standard color convention for waterfall charts?

Green for increases, red or orange for decreases, gray or navy for the starting and ending total bars. This is the convention used in finance and consulting decks — audiences read it without needing a legend.

How to Make a Waterfall Chart

A waterfall chart shows how a starting value builds up or breaks down into a final total through a series of positive and negative changes. Finance and strategy teams use them for P&L statements, revenue bridges, budget variance, and anything that needs to answer "how did we get from A to B." Here's how to make one in minutes.

Waterfall chart example showing a quarterly profit bridge in USD millions

Steps

Prepare your data

Set up two columns: one for labels, one for values. Increases are positive numbers, decreases are negative. The final row is your total — enter its actual value, not a delta. AECharts uses it as the sum bar and anchors it to the baseline automatically.

Category	Value
Last Year Revenue	4,800,000
New Customers	620,000
Expansion	180,000
Price Increases	250,000
Churn	-150,000
This Year Revenue	5,700,000

Create your chart

Waterfall charts aren't natively supported in Excel or PowerPoint — building one manually requires a stacked bar workaround that's tedious and fragile. AECharts has a built-in waterfall chart type. Click the button below to open the editor.

AECharts chart type picker with Waterfall selected

Add your data

Click the Edit Data button on the top right to open the spreadsheet. Paste your data directly, or click Upload Data to import a CSV or Excel file. AECharts reads your two columns and builds the floating bars automatically — positive values rise, negative values hang down from where the previous bar ended.

AECharts spreadsheet editor with Upload Data button visible

Set bar colors

Click Advanced in the top bar and open the Bar section. Waterfall charts follow a standard convention: green for positive bars, red for negative, gray or navy for the sum bar. Set these once and every bar updates. If you're building a branded deck, use your brand's positive and negative palette here.

Advanced panel with Bar section expanded showing Positive, Negative, and Total color pickers

Format the labels

In Format on the top bar, add a currency prefix like $ or a % suffix if your values need it. Under Advanced → Axis Labels, adjust font, size, and color. Well-labeled bars mean readers don't need to check the y-axis — the value is right there on each bar, which matters when the chart is in a slide.

Format dropdown open showing Prefix and Suffix fields

Export

Click Download at the top right to save as a high-res image. Drop it into PowerPoint, Google Slides, or wherever your report lives.

When to use a waterfall chart

P&L bridge

Revenue → COGS → Gross Profit → Operating Expenses → Net Income. Shows exactly what gets taken out at each step, making financial performance immediately readable.

Revenue bridge

How did revenue move from last year to this year? New customers, expansion, price changes, and churn each get their own bar. Standard slide in QBRs and board decks.

Budget variance

Start with the budget, add and subtract each line item that caused the variance, land on actuals. Makes it obvious which categories drove you over or under.

Cash flow

Opening balance → receipts → payments by category → closing balance. Gives a clear picture of how cash moved through the period without needing a full statement.