Dual axis charts in Tableau - Cell-by-Cell Formula Trace

Sample Data

Monthly sales and profit data for a small business.

Cell	Value
A1	Month
B1	Sales
C1	Profit
A2	Jan
B2	10000
C2	3000
A3	Feb
B3	15000
C3	4000
A4	Mar
B4	12000
C4	3500
A5	Apr
B5	18000
C5	5000

Formula Trace

Create dual axis chart by placing Sales and Profit on Rows shelf, then right-click Profit axis and select 'Dual Axis'.

Step 1: Drag 'Sales' measure to Rows shelf

Step 2: Drag 'Profit' measure to Rows shelf next to Sales

Step 3: Right-click Profit axis and select 'Dual Axis'

Step 4: Synchronize axes if needed

Step 5: Adjust mark types (e.g., Sales as bars, Profit as line)

Cell Reference Map

    A       B        C  
1 Month   Sales   Profit
2 Jan     10000    3000
3 Feb     15000    4000
4 Mar     12000    3500
5 Apr     18000    5000

Arrows: Sales (B2:B5) and Profit (C2:C5) feed into dual axis chart

Sales and Profit columns are the two measures used to create the dual axis chart.

Result

Month | Sales (bars)  | Profit (line)
-------------------------------------
Jan   | ████          | •
Feb   | ██████        | ••
Mar   | █████         | •
Apr   | ████████      | •••

Two vertical axes: left for Sales, right for Profit

The dual axis chart shows Sales as bars and Profit as a line sharing the same horizontal axis (Month) but with separate vertical scales.

Sheet Trace Quiz - 3 Questions

What does selecting 'Dual Axis' do in Tableau?

A It overlays two measures on the same horizontal axis with separate vertical axes

B It combines two measures into one single axis

C It creates two separate charts side by side

D It removes one measure from the view

Key Result

Dual axis charts overlay two measures sharing the same horizontal axis but with separate vertical axes for comparison.