# How do I enter data for a heatmap or calendar chart?

> A heatmap is edited as a grid with named rows and columns; a calendar is edited as a list of dates and values. Both live in the Data tab and swap in automatically.

## Before you start

- A heatmap or calendar chart open in the editor.

> **Tip:** Click the Date heading to sort the list. Calendar charts do not need the dates in order, but they are far easier to check when they are.

> **Careful:** A calendar shows one value per day. If the same date appears twice the rows are highlighted and a warning tells you how many are duplicated — merge them yourself, because the chart will simply pick one.

> **Note:** You cannot delete the last row, column or entry. Clear the values instead if you want an empty-looking chart.

## Steps

1. For a heatmap, open the Data tab and you get a grid. The headings down the left and across the top are editable — click one and type.
2. Type numbers into the cells. Each cell shades itself by how large its value is relative to the rest, so mistakes stand out before you look at the chart.
3. Add a column with the + at the end of the heading row and a row with Add Row underneath. The × on any heading removes that row or column, along with its values.
4. If you built the grid the wrong way round, press the transpose button in the empty corner cell. Rows become columns and the values come with them.
5. The bar under the grid confirms the size — rows, columns and total cells — and the lowest and highest value present. Use it to sanity-check the colour scale.
6. For a calendar chart the editor is a list instead: one row per Date and Value. Dates are written the ISO way, as 2026-03-14.
7. Press Add Entry for another day — it suggests the day after your last one — or Fill Range to create an entry for every date between your earliest and latest, leaving the missing days at zero. Random Values re-rolls the numbers without touching the dates.

_Topics: heatmap, calendar, grid_

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