How to Make a Waterfall (Bridge) Chart Online

To make a waterfall chart, open the Waterfall Chart Maker and type one step per line as label, amount: the starting total first, then increases as positive numbers and decreases as negative ones. Write = or total instead of an amount for a subtotal bar. Each bar floats from where the previous one ended, so readers see exactly what pushed the total up and down. Download it as PNG, JPG or SVG.

Make a waterfall chart step by step

1. Open the Waterfall Chart Maker.
2. Type the steps:

Revenue 2025, 1000
New customers, 220
Price increase, 80
Lost customers, -150
Discounts, -60
Subtotal, =
Currency effects, -30
Revenue 2026, total

1. By default First line is the starting total is ticked; untick it if every line is a change.
2. Choose the colours for Increase, Decrease and Start and totals, and tick Connector lines and Values on bars as you like. Add a Prefix, Suffix and Y-axis title.
3. Download PNG, SVG or JPG.

Reading a waterfall chart

• Total bars (the start, subtotals and the end) stand on the axis.
• Increase bars float up from the previous level.
• Decrease bars hang down from it.
• The connecting levels make the running total easy to follow.

That's why waterfalls are also called bridge charts: they bridge from one figure to another.

What waterfall charts explain well

• Year-on-year changes: revenue or profit last year → this year, with the drivers in between.
• Budget vs actual: what made spending come in over or under budget.
• Price and cost build-ups: from base price to final price, with options and discounts.
• Headcount: starting staff, hires, leavers, ending staff.
• Cash flow: opening balance, inflows and outflows, closing balance.
• Inventory: opening stock, receipts, sales, write-offs.

Number formats

Amounts like $1,200, (300) for negative 300, and −45 with a real minus sign are understood — so you can paste figures straight from financial reports.

Tips for clear waterfalls

• Order the changes — largest first, or increases then decreases — unless the order is meaningful (time).
• Use subtotals (=) to break long chains into readable sections, such as "Gross profit" before operating costs.
• Keep labels short — they sit under narrow bars.
• Six to twelve steps read well; group tiny items into "Other".

Presenting a waterfall

• Tell the story in the title: "Revenue grew 6% despite losing customers" says what the chart proves.
• Colour meaning consistently: green for increases and red for decreases is familiar — but check the colours work for colour-blind readers, or add Values on bars.
• Keep connector lines on for long chains; they help the eye follow the running total.
• Export at Slide 16:9 for presentations, and SVG for printed reports.

Waterfall, Sankey or bar chart?

• A waterfall explains a change in one total.
• A Sankey diagram shows flows splitting and merging.
• A bar chart compares separate amounts.
• A Pareto chart shows which causes matter most.

Privacy

Your figures stay in your browser — nothing is uploaded or stored.

Frequently asked questions

Can the total go below zero?

Yes — bars cross the axis as needed, which is useful for profit turning into loss.

Do I need to calculate the subtotals myself?

No — write = or total and the running total is calculated for you.

Can I start without a total?

Yes — untick First line is the starting total and every line is treated as a change from zero.