> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://basedash.com/docs/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Activity charts

> Display GitHub-style daily activity heatmaps

Activity charts display GitHub-style heatmaps that show daily activity patterns over time. They're perfect for visualizing daily summaries of events, user activity, or any metric that occurs on a daily basis.

## When to use activity charts

### Perfect for:

* **Daily activity patterns**: User signups, logins, or events per day
* **GitHub-style heatmaps**: Visual representation of daily activity intensity
* **Habit tracking**: Daily occurrences of specific events
* **Activity streaks**: Identifying periods of consistent activity
* **Daily summaries**: Aggregated daily metrics

### Not ideal for:

* **Hourly patterns**: Use other chart types for sub-daily granularity
* **Category comparisons**: Use [horizontal bar charts](/features/chart-types/horizontal-bar-charts) instead
* **Single metrics**: Use [number displays](/features/chart-types/number-displays) instead
* **Detailed data**: Use [tables](/features/chart-types/tables) instead

## Example queries

### User signups

```
Show me user signups over time in an activity chart
```

### Daily activity

```
Display daily user logins as an activity chart
```

### Event tracking

```
Create an activity chart of daily order completions
```

### Habit tracking

```
Show me daily exercise sessions in an activity chart
```

## Best practices

### Data preparation

* **Daily aggregation**: Always group by DATE() for daily summaries
* **Handle missing days**: Include zero values for days with no activity
* **Consistent time periods**: Use consistent date ranges (typically 90 days to 1 year)
* **Single metric focus**: Focus on one type of activity per chart

### Visual design

* **Color intensity**: Darker colors indicate higher activity levels
* **Clear date labels**: Include month/year labels for context
* **Legend**: Provide clear legend for activity intensity scale
* **Grid layout**: Days of week on x-axis, weeks on y-axis

### Common use cases

#### User activity tracking

* Daily user signups
* Daily login activity
* Daily feature usage
* Daily engagement metrics

#### Habit and behavior tracking

* Daily exercise sessions
* Daily study sessions
* Daily task completions
* Daily goal achievements

#### Business metrics

* Daily order completions
* Daily customer interactions
* Daily content creation
* Daily system events

## Advanced features

### Activity streaks

Identify consistent patterns:

* Consecutive days of activity
* Longest activity streaks
* Break patterns in activity
* Consistency metrics

### Seasonal patterns

Identify recurring patterns:

* Weekly patterns (weekend vs weekday)
* Monthly patterns
* Seasonal variations
* Holiday impacts

### Intensity analysis

Understand activity levels:

* High activity periods
* Low activity periods
* Activity distribution
* Peak activity identification

## Common pitfalls

### Avoid these mistakes:

1. **Sub-daily granularity**: Activity charts only work with daily data
2. **Multiple metrics**: Focus on one activity type per chart
3. **Missing days**: Include zero values for days with no activity
4. **Poor date ranges**: Use appropriate time periods (90 days to 1 year)
5. **Complex aggregations**: Keep aggregations simple and daily-focused

### Data quality issues:

* **Non-daily data**: Ensure data is aggregated to daily level
* **Missing dates**: Fill in missing dates with zero values
* **Inconsistent activity definition**: Clearly define what counts as activity
* **Too short time periods**: Use sufficient history for meaningful patterns

## Example scenarios

### User signups

```
Show me user signups over time in an activity chart for the past year
```

### Daily logins

```
Display daily user login activity as an activity chart
```

### Order completions

```
Create an activity chart of daily order completions for the last 6 months
```

### Feature usage

```
Show me daily feature usage activity in an activity chart
```

### Exercise tracking

```
Display daily exercise sessions as an activity chart
```

## Interpreting activity charts

### Pattern identification

* **Activity streaks**: Identify consecutive days of activity
* **Gaps**: Find periods with no activity
* **Weekly patterns**: Understand weekend vs weekday patterns
* **Seasonal trends**: Spot long-term activity patterns

### Business insights

* **User engagement**: Understand daily user activity patterns
* **Growth trends**: Identify periods of increased activity
* **Habit formation**: Track consistent daily behaviors
* **Seasonal impacts**: Understand how seasons affect activity

## Related chart types

* **[Line charts](/features/chart-types/line-charts)**: For activity trends over time
* **[Bar charts](/features/chart-types/horizontal-bar-charts)**: For activity comparisons
* **[Number displays](/features/chart-types/number-displays)**: For total activity metrics
* **[Tables](/features/chart-types/tables)**: For detailed activity data