# Write a chart specification I can build in Excel or Power BI

A build-ready chart spec covering chart type, data mapping, scale, emphasis, labels, and accessibility for the message you need to show.

- Topic: Data & Analysis
- Framework: RTF
- Level: Standard
- Tags: Data & Analytics, Communication, Write, Fill-in Template
- Source: https://www.thinkwithprompt.com/prompts/write-a-chart-specification-i-can-build-in-excel-or-power-bi

## Prompt

```text
Write a chart specification for my data so I or a colleague can build the chart correctly the first time.

**Data:** [PASTE TABLE or describe the columns, with units]
**Message the chart must show:** [e.g. "The West region drove most of the growth"]
**Where it will appear:** [PowerPoint slide / Excel report / Power BI or Tableau dashboard / printed report]
**Audience:** [WHO]
**Tool:** [Excel / Google Sheets / Power BI / Tableau / other]

Return a spec with:
1. **Chart type** and why it fits the message, plus one alternative.
2. **Title**: a takeaway headline stating the insight, and a subtitle with the metric, unit, and period.
3. **Data mapping**: X axis, Y axis, series, sort order, and any calculated fields with formulas.
4. **Axes and scale**: whether to start at zero (bar charts must), units, number format, gridlines.
5. **Emphasis**: which bar, line, or point to highlight, with a neutral color for everything else; any annotation or reference line (target, average, prior year).
6. **Labels and legend**: direct labels where possible, and what to label.
7. **What to leave out**: clutter to remove.
8. **Accessibility**: color-blind-safe contrast, readable font size, and meaning that doesn't rely on color alone.
9. **Build steps** for my tool, kept brief.
10. **Footer note**: source, date, and definitions.

If my data cannot support the message I gave, say so and suggest what the chart can honestly show. Don't add numbers that aren't in my data.
```

## What to fill in

- PASTE TABLE or describe the columns, with units
- e.g. "The West region drove most of the growth"
- WHO
- Excel / Google Sheets / Power BI / Tableau / other

Free to copy and use. From ThinkWithPrompt (https://www.thinkwithprompt.com/), a library of 2,663 curated AI prompts.