# Using waterfall charts


Use a waterfall chart to visualize a sequential summation as values are added or subtracted. In a waterfall chart, the initial value goes through a (positive or negative) change, with each change represented as a bar. The final total is represented by the last bar. Waterfall charts are also known as *bridges* because the connectors between the bars bridge the bars together, showing that they visually belong to the same story.

Waterfall charts are most commonly used to present financial data, because you can show change within one time period or from one time period to another. This way, you can visualize the different factors that have an impact your project cost. For example, you can use a waterfall chart to show gross sales to net income within the same month, or the difference in net income from last year to this year, and the factors that were responsible for this change.

You can also use waterfall charts to present statistical data, for example how many new employees you hired and how many employees left your company within a year.

The following screenshot shows a waterfall chart.

![\[alt text not found\]](http://docs.amazonaws.cn/en_us/quick/latest/userguide/images/waterfall-chart.png)


**To create a basic waterfall chart visual**

1. Open Amazon Quick and choose **Analyses** on the navigation pane at left.

1. Choose one of the following:
   + To create a new analysis, choose **New analysis** at upper right. For more information, see [Starting an analysis in Quick Sight](creating-an-analysis.md). 
   + To use an existing analysis, choose the analysis that you want to edit.

1. Choose **Add (\$1), Add Visual**. 

1. At lower left, choose the waterfall chart icon from **Visual types**.

1. On the **Fields list** pane, choose the fields that you want to use for the appropriate field wells. Waterfall charts require one category or measure in **Value**.

1. (Optional) Add drill-down layers by dragging one or more additional fields to the **Group/Color** field well. For more information about adding drill-downs, see [Adding drill-downs to visual data in Quick Sight](adding-drill-downs.md).

   To understand the features supported by waterfall charts, see [Analytics formatting per type in Quick](analytics-format-options.md). For customization options, see [Formatting in Amazon Quick](formatting-a-visual.md).