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Release: Australia · Updated: 2026-03-12 · Official documentation · View source

Create a box plot data visualization

Use a boxplot to show the median and lower and upper quartiles of numeric data along with outliers. You can also compare the distribution of different groups of this data.

Before you begin

Important: The Boxplot visualization is included in the latest data visualizations application from the ServiceNow® Store.

Role required: Anyone with access to data can create a visualization of that data on any dashboard that they can edit. Users with the itil, report_user, admin, or viz_creator role can create a visualization in the Visualization Designer. When you create a visualization in the Visualization Designer, it is saved to the Library. For more information on access, see Report_view access control and Platform Analytics roles.

About this task

The Boxplot visualization only supports table data. Indicator, MetricBase, and Usage Insights data is not supported.

For information about the use of a Boxplot visualization in a dashboard, see the Developer Site. This site gives information about Box plot components in the UI Builder, and some configuration options may differ from the Visualization Designer.

Procedure

  1. Navigate to All > Platform Analytics > Library > Data Visualizations, or open an in-line dashboard and select Edit.

  2. Select Create data visualization.

  3. Select the Boxplot (

Image omitted: inline-data-vis-box.png
vertical box icon\) visualization type.
  1. Configure the Header and border. Header and border options are the same for all data sources.
Header and border fieldsDescription
Show borderOption to display a line around the component.
Show headerThe visualization header, including title and icons.
Show header separatorOption to display a line separating the header from the rest of the component.
Chart titleTitle of the visualization.
Title alignmentChoose Start to align the title with the start of line, End to align it with the end of the line, or Center for center alignment.
DescriptionA short overview about the visualization that the end user sees. Descriptions help users find the visualization.
Wrap titleOption to wrap long titles onto a second line. If false, displays an ellipsis to truncate long titles.
Wrap labelsSelect to wrap long elements labels on the axis.
Max label size, pxSpecify the maximum label size for element names on the axis. Default=100 px.
Line of truncationSpecify where to truncate long labels with an ellipsis. Options are 1, 2, and 3.
BareOption to remove padding around data visualization to provide more compact positioning on the page. Only available when Show border is turned off.
Show refresh optionOption to show or hide the refresh option from data visualizations. If cache is enabled on a dashboard, the Refresh option is always hidden.
Show export optionsOption to show or hide the visualization's export types.
Header background colorSpecify the color behind the title of the visualization.
Title colorSpecify the text color of the title. The default title color is black, but you can choose a color that contrasts better with the header background. Only available when Header background color is selected.
  1. Open the Data Source selector and select a table.

  2. Configure the data settings as described in Table data options for boxplot visualizations.

  3. Under Presentation, provide display and color information..

FieldDescription
Display settings
Y axis
Hide axisOption to hide the primary axis.
Primary axis title

Title to display on the vertical axis of the visualization.This property applies only when Hide primary axis is false.

If there is more than one Y-axis, you have additional axis titles, representing the properties yAxis1Title, yAxis2Title, etc.

Add a Y-axis scale for a metric in the More options menu for the metric.

Axis range - fromStarting point for the values on the primary axis.
Axis range - toEnd point for the values on the primary axis.
Axis positionPosition of the primary axis. Options include:- Left - Right This property applies only when Hide axis is false. If there is more than one primary axis, such as multiple Y axes on a vertical bar visualization, you can set each axis position separately.
Show gridShows a grid of fine lines perpendicular to the primary axis, to help align values against that axis.
Axis styleStyle of the primary axis. - Clean `clean`: Adds a straight line to the primary axis. - No tick lines `noTicks`: Option to remove all marks from the primary axis. - Standard `default`: Adds a line and tick marks to the primary axis.
X axis
X axis titleTitle to display on the horizontal axis of the visualization.
Wrap labelsSelect to wrap long elements labels on the axis.
Max label size, pxSpecify the maximum label size for element names on the axis. Default=100 px.
Colors
Set color type
  • Default: A color or set of colors that come from the UX Theme that is applied to the instance. For more information, see Working with themes in Next Experience.
  • Single color/Colors per metric: Select a single color in the Set value color field. Interacting with that field opens a selector where you can choose the color from either a set of icons or from a list. You can also search for a color. Entering a search value has the selector show you a list of colors filtered by that search value.
  1. Under Chart interaction, set what if anything happens when a viewer clicks a chart or a chart segment on the visualization.
FieldDescription
Allow chart interactionEnable an event to occur when a user clicks in a visualization or one of its segments.
Action

Choose the event that occurs when a user clicks in a visualization or one of its segments. Choices depend on the visualization type and data source. Applies only when Allow chart interaction is on. For more information, see Chart interactions in a data visualization.

  • Go to data view opens a list view, KPI Details page, or Usage Insights overview page relevant to the associated segment or visualization. For table data, a system property determines whether a Core UI list or a Platform Analytics list opens. For more information, see Data views for different data sources.
  • Go to URL opens the specified URL, which can be on the instance or external. You have the option of specifying a page name to appear in the tooltip, for those visualizations with tooltips.
  • Drill down to chart (Visualization Designer only) Opens a different data visualization that is filtered by the selected data. You can add a drill-down visualization for each metric on the parent visualization.

Note: The last level of drill down in the Platform Analytics experience is always a Core UI list. Records do not open in Workspace embedded lists.

Drill down to chart supports only table data sources.

  1. Select Save to continue editing the visualization, or Save and close to return to the Analytics Overview main screen.

What to do next

Parent Topic:Creating data visualizations