A Cleveland dot plot shows one dot per category along a horizontal axis — or two connected dots (a dumbbell chart) to compare two values per category. Here's how to create one using the free online tool.
Data format
The Cleveland dot plot maker accepts three columns:
Label,Value1,Value2
Germany,72,80
France,65,78
Italy,60,74
Spain,55,68
Poland,50,62
- Column 1 — category label (text)
- Column 2 — first value (Value1, e.g. Year 1, Before, Group A)
- Column 3 — second value (Value2, e.g. Year 2, After, Group B)
For a single-series dot plot, you can omit the third column and use only Label + Value1.
You can also paste tab-separated data copied directly from Excel or Google Sheets.
Using the online tool
Paste your data
Go to the Cleveland dot plot maker. In the data panel, paste your label,value1,value2 rows — one category per line.
Set series labels and colors
In the settings panel, enter descriptive names for Series 1 and Series 2 (e.g., "2020" and "2024", or "Before" and "After"). Click the color swatches to pick colors that distinguish the two series clearly.
Sort the categories
Use the Sort option to control the order categories appear:
- None — preserve the original paste order
- Sort by Value1 / Value2 — rank categories by one of the values
- Sort by Diff (ascending) — smallest gap at top, largest at bottom
- Sort by Diff (descending) — largest gap at top; best for showing which categories improved/declined the most
Download your chart
Click Download PNG for a 2× resolution image (ideal for slides and reports) or Download PDF for a printable file.
What "Sort by Diff" does
Sorting by the difference between Value2 and Value1 ranks categories by the magnitude of change:
- Sort by Diff (descending) → largest changes at the top. Best for answering "which categories changed the most?"
- Sort by Diff (ascending) → smallest changes at the top. Useful for showing stability vs volatility.
This is the most common way to present before/after data — it turns the chart into a ranking of change magnitude.
When dumbbell charts beat bar charts
- Two groups, many categories — grouped bar charts become crowded with 10+ categories. A dumbbell chart remains readable at 20–30 categories because each row is a single horizontal line.
- The gap is the story — when what matters is how much two values differ (not their absolute size), the connecting line makes the gap immediately visible.
- Signed change matters — when some categories increased and others decreased, the direction of the dumbbell (left vs right) shows this quickly.
FAQ
Do both dots need to be on the same scale?
Yes — Value1 and Value2 share the same horizontal axis, so they must be in the same unit and scale. For example, both can be percentages, both can be absolute counts, but you can't mix percentage and absolute value in the same chart.
How do I make a Cleveland dot plot in Excel?
Excel doesn't have a native dumbbell chart type. You can approximate it by building a stacked bar chart with invisible segments, but it requires significant manual formatting. For a clean dumbbell chart without the effort, use the free online tool and export PNG or PDF.
How many categories can a Cleveland dot plot show?
The online tool handles up to 30–40 categories effectively. Beyond that, the rows become very narrow. For very long category lists, consider filtering to the top 20 by one of the values before plotting.
How this guide is reviewed
This guide is maintained by the ChartsMakers Editorial Team and reviewed for statistical accuracy, product behavior, and clarity. When a guide relies on software behavior or statistical definitions, we check it against official documentation or established references. See our editorial policy.