Compare mode

Compare mode reads one visual as two sides and the change between them, for example two periods. It is switched on for a visual in the Comparison section of the Visual tab. This page covers how the compared outputs are made; for the setup steps, see Turn Compare on and name the sides.

Read the four outputs

An enabled comparison produces up to four outputs, and each one has its own switch under Show:

• The two sides and Diff start switched on; Diff % starts switched off.
• A compare column or series is named with the value and the output joined by a middle dot: Revenue · First, Revenue · Diff %. In a Table or Matrix each shown output becomes its own column.
• On Bar, Combo and Line the sides become series; on Pie, Donut and Funnel they become panels; a KPI shows the first side as its value with the second beside it.
• A comparison has exactly two sides, so there is no third side to add.

Colours follow the sides

• The first value's sides take the first two palette colours, each further value takes the next pair, and the same colour means the same side wherever a comparison appears in the report.
• On Bar, Combo and Line the difference can plot as a series too: turn on Plot Diff as a series (the toggle carries the name you gave the difference). Its colour comes after the two sides of every value, so it never takes a side's colour.

Split panels

Pie, Donut and Funnel divide the tile into equal panels, one per shown side:

• Each panel is captioned with its side's name.
• The panels share one legend, one set of tooltips and one colour map, and both use the same item order, so they read as one visual: hovering over a slice in one panel highlights the same category in the other.
• Split sets the layout: Auto, Side by side or Stacked. Auto puts the panels side by side on a wide tile and stacks them on a tall one; a tile that has not been measured yet counts as wide.

Name a difference and add an icon

• Diff label and Diff % label rename the two difference outputs; the names appear on the visual and in a download, and a cleared field falls back to Diff or Diff %.
• The control beside each of the two fields adds an icon. It reads Add an icon to Diff before one is picked, and Diff icon once one is set, using the name you typed. It opens a picker with the search field Search icons and 26 icons: Diff, Percent, Arrow up, Arrow down, Arrow up down, Arrow right, Arrow up right, Arrow down right, Trending up, Trending down, Chevrons up down, Move vertical, Triangle, Plus, Minus, Equal, Sigma, Hash, Calculator, Scale, Compare, Activity, Bar chart, Circle dot, Target and Flag.
• Picking one closes the picker, and Remove icon takes it off again. When a search finds no match, the picker reads No icon matches that name.
• The icon shows beside the difference's name, for example in a Table or Matrix header and in tooltips. A saved icon that the picker no longer offers simply does not show.

When the two sides never meet

When a visual groups its rows but no row on the axis carries both sides, every difference would be one-sided, and the tile shows a hint naming your two sides: First and Second do not overlap on this axis; pick a comparable field or turn Compare off. Put a field both sides share on the axis, or turn Compare off.

By visual type

• Funnel: stages fall by the first side's value, so both sides read in the same order; when an explicit sort is set, the server's order is kept instead.
• Table and Matrix: the sides and Diff keep the cell formatting (background colour, data bars or icons) and the column colour of the value they were split from, so a scale set once on Revenue paints Revenue · First and Revenue · Second alike. Diff % never takes inherited cell formatting, because it is a ratio on its own scale, but it keeps the column colour. See Cell and column formatting.
• KPI: the first side is the value, the second sits in the comparison block, and the change reads as a percentage; while Diff is switched on, an absolute difference line joins them.
• Key tree: a chip beside an expanded level's name carries the difference percentage, green when the value rose and red when it fell; where a value has no difference, the chip shows a dash and its tooltip reads Diff: not available, with the name you gave the difference.

Questions, answered

What are the two sides called before I rename them?

First and Second. The two differences are Diff and Diff %; the two sides and Diff start switched on, and Diff % starts switched off until you switch it on.

How long can a side or difference name be?

Up to 40 characters, trimmed of spaces at either end. A blank name falls back to its default: First, Second, Diff or Diff %. The side names are report-wide, so a slicer scoped to one side carries the Scope label field that renames that side for every comparison.

Can I compare more than two periods in one visual?

No. A comparison has exactly two sides. For a third period, add another visual and switch Compare on for it.

Which colours do the two sides use?

The first value's sides take the first two palette colours, each further value takes the next pair, and the same colour means the same side across the report. A difference plotted as a series takes a colour after the two sides of every value.

How is a difference percentage written?

Always as a percentage with one decimal place and a plus sign on a rise: +20.0% and -12.5%. A zero change carries no sign, and Diff % stays a percentage even when the value's own format is Currency or Number.

Why do the two split panels highlight the same categories?

The panels share one legend, one set of tooltips and one colour map, and both use the same item order, so they behave as one visual: hovering over a slice in one panel highlights the same category in the other.

When do the split panels stack instead of sitting side by side?

With Split set to Auto, panels sit side by side while the tile is at least as wide as it is tall and stack when it is taller than wide; a tile that has not been measured yet counts as wide. Choose Side by side or Stacked to fix the layout yourself.

What does a KPI show in compare mode?

The first side becomes its value, the second side fills its comparison block, and the change reads as a percentage; while Diff is switched on, an absolute difference line joins the pair.

How are funnel stages ordered in a comparison?

By the first side's value, so both sides read in one order. If an explicit sort is set, the server's order is kept instead.

Do my formatting rules reach the compare columns on a Table or Matrix?

Yes, for the sides and Diff: they keep the cell formatting (background colour, data bars or icons) and the column colour of the value they were split from. Diff % only ever takes cell formatting of its own, because it is a ratio on a different scale, but it keeps the column colour. See Cell and column formatting.

What does the difference chip on a Key tree show?

The difference percentage beside an expanded level's name, green when the value rose and red when it fell. Where a value has no difference, the chip shows a dash and its tooltip reads Diff: not available, with the name you gave the difference.