# Draw charts from a table in a note

> Turn a small table into bars, stacked bars, lines or a pie chart inside a note. Includes the exact chart block, its settings and its limits.

Source: https://priortasks.com/docs/notes/charts/
Last updated: 2026-11-05

A chart in a note is drawn from a table of numbers. Change a number and the chart redraws. Charts follow your light or dark theme and need nothing to install.

## Insert a chart

Choose **Chart** or **Pie chart** in the bar above the note, or type <kbd>/</kbd> and pick **Chart** or **Pie chart**. A chart with sample data appears.

Click the chart to edit it:

1. Pick a type: **Bars**, **Stacked**, **Lines** or **Pie**.
2. Type a title in the **Chart title** field (up to 120 characters).
3. Edit the data in the table under the chart. Click a cell, then type. [Tables](https://priortasks.com/docs/notes/tables/) explains the keys.
4. Press <kbd>Esc</kbd>, or click outside, when you are done.

The trash button, **Delete chart**, removes the chart and can be undone. **Data**, under a drawn chart, shows its numbers as a table, which also helps readers who cannot see the chart. Viewers of a shared note can use it too.

## How the data is read

The first column holds the labels. Every other column is one series, with its header as the series name. A pie uses the first series only: the first column holds the slices and the second their values.

Numbers are read as in [tables](https://priortasks.com/docs/notes/tables/): `1 234,5`, `12 %`, `4,5 €`. The first unit found (a currency sign or `%`) is written on the axis and the values. A cell that is not a number leaves a gap, and a column without any number is not drawn. An empty table shows "Add numbers in the table to draw the chart."

## The Markdown behind a chart

A chart is a fenced block labelled `chart`: optional `type:` and `title:` lines, then a Markdown table.

````
```chart
type: line
title: Visits per month
| Month | 2025 | 2026 |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Jan | 1200 | 1600 |
| Feb | 1350 | 1900 |
| Mar | 1500 | 2300 |
```
````

- `type:` is `bar`, `stacked`, `line` or `pie`. A missing or unknown type draws bars.
- `title:` is optional.
- The table needs a header row and a line of dashes, like any table.

You can type this block by hand. The editor turns it into a chart when you click away.

## What each type shows

| Type | Use it for |
| --- | --- |
| Bars | Comparing values between categories, one bar per series |
| Stacked | Parts of a total for each category |
| Lines | A change over time. With one series the area under the line is shaded. |
| Pie | Shares of a whole |

- A chart shows at most 8 series. A legend appears from two series.
- A pie shows at most 7 slices. With more rows, the six largest stay and the rest are grouped as **Other**. Only values above zero count. Slices of 5 % and more show their share beside them.
- Point at a chart, or focus it and use the arrow keys, to read the value at one position.
- Colors come from Prior's palette for the current theme. A note cannot set its own colors.

## Good to know

- Older versions of Prior, and apps that do not know charts, show the block as a code block labelled `chart`. The data is still readable.
- In a [shared note](https://priortasks.com/docs/notes/shared-notes/), two people can change the data at once and both edits are kept. If two people pick a different type at the same moment, the chart draws bars until someone picks again. The data is not touched.
- Inside a flashcard, the same block draws a chart. See [Choose a card type and write cards](https://priortasks.com/docs/flashcards/card-types/).