# Quick Start

InstaCharts is an online chart maker that creates interactive charts from spreadsheet data. Upload a CSV or Excel file, pick a chart type, and get a publication-ready chart in seconds - no formulas or coding required.

Charts can be exported as image files or shared online as interactive, embeddable charts.

Here’s an example of an embedded interactive chart:

###### Site Earnings

Bar chart with 4 data series.

Site Earnings for the first week of January across various sites and devices

The chart has 1 X axis displaying categories.

The chart has 1 Y axis displaying values. Data ranges from 482.63 to 42454.73.

Created with Highcharts 12.4.0Site EarningsSite Earnings for the first week of January across various sites and devices​Designer DonutsIndie SodaHoliday Food CraftsCheese Board PlusSiteJan 1Jan 2Jan 3Jan 4Jan 5Jan 6Jan 7$0$10K$20K$30K$40K$50K

End of interactive chart.

### Import Spreadsheet Data

InstaCharts supports three ways to import data: upload a spreadsheet file from your computer, [sync a Google Sheet](https://instacharts.io/docs/guides/import-google-sheets/), or paste data directly into a text box.

This guide covers file upload, the fastest way to create a chart from your data.

### Upload a Spreadsheet File

From your workspace, click **New -> New Sheet** and select a spreadsheet from your device. InstaCharts processes the file and generates a chart automatically - no manual configuration needed.

Supported file formats: CSV, Excel (.xlsx/.xls), TSV, PSV, OpenDocument, JSON, and log files.

### Check Your Data

After uploading, click the **Data** tab and open **Full Dataset** to see how InstaCharts read your spreadsheet. Column types (dates, numbers, categories) are detected automatically, which affects chart type recommendations and axis options.

## Create and Edit Your Chart

Click the **Chart** tab to view the generated chart. InstaCharts picks a chart type and axes automatically, but you can change both to get the visualization you need.

### Choose a Chart Type

Use the chart type dropdown to switch between all supported chart types: [Line](https://instacharts.io/docs/chart-types/line-chart/), [Grouped Line](https://instacharts.io/docs/chart-types/grouped-line-chart/), [Bar](https://instacharts.io/docs/chart-types/bar-chart/), [Stacked Bar](https://instacharts.io/docs/chart-types/stacked-bar-chart/), [Grouped Bar](https://instacharts.io/docs/chart-types/grouped-bar-chart/), [Scatterplot](https://instacharts.io/docs/chart-types/scatterplot-chart/), [Grouped Scatterplot](https://instacharts.io/docs/chart-types/grouped-scatterplot-chart/), [Area](https://instacharts.io/docs/chart-types/area-chart/), [Grouped Area](https://instacharts.io/docs/chart-types/grouped-area-chart/), [Pie](https://instacharts.io/docs/chart-types/pie-chart/), [Radar](https://instacharts.io/docs/chart-types/radar-chart/), [Heatmap](https://instacharts.io/docs/chart-types/heatmap-chart/) and [Mekko](https://instacharts.io/docs/chart-types/mekko-chart/).

### Choose Your Axes

After selecting a chart type, assign your spreadsheet columns to each axis. This controls what data appears in the chart.

- **X-Axis:** typically a date, time period, or category column. This is the horizontal axis of your chart.
- **Y-Axis / Series:** typically a numeric column, plotted on the vertical axis. You can add multiple series if your data supports it.
- **Aggregation:** when multiple spreadsheet rows share the same X value, an [aggregation function](https://instacharts.io/docs/charts/aggregation/) like sum, count, or average is applied to combine them into a single chart value.
- **Breakdown:** available on grouped chart types with a single series. Splits a numeric column into groups using a categorical column like region, product, or status.

#### Further Chart Customization

The left sidebar has options for [title and axis labels](https://instacharts.io/docs/charts/edit-chart-text/), [colors and chart size](https://instacharts.io/docs/charts/size-and-options/), and [limiting which items appear](https://instacharts.io/docs/charts/limit-items/).

To filter the data included in the chart, use column filters on the **Data** tab.

## Multiple Charts from One Dataset

Need several charts from the same spreadsheet? Click the spreadsheet name in the main toolbar, then **Add Chart**. Each chart has its own axis settings and filters, so they can show completely different views of the same data.

## Next Steps

- Export [chart images](https://instacharts.io/docs/guides/export-image/)
- Export [spreadsheet data](https://instacharts.io/docs/guides/export-data/)
- [Share an interactive chart](https://instacharts.io/docs/guides/share-chart/)