Audience: Beginner
QuickChart.io is a web service that generates static images of charts and QR codes on-the-fly via simple URL-based APIs in embeddable image files (PNG, SVG, PDF, WEBP).
What it’s used for:
- Embeddable Visuals: Adding dynamic charts to formats that don’t support JavaScript, such as emails, SMS, chatbots, and PDF reports.
- No-Code Integrations: Powering dashboards in tools like AppSheet and Google Sheets using basic image formulas.
- Automated QR Codes: Generating scannable codes for WiFi access, payments, locations, and app store links.
- Custom Graphics: Creating “smart” images like progress gauges, sparklines, word clouds, and data-driven social media thumbnails.
For exploring various different charts, check out Chart Gallery, Chart Types and QuickChart Documentation.
Note: Charts generated by QuickChart’s free version are public domain and hosted on a large cluster of redundant servers. There is a built-in rate limit of 60 charts/min (1 chart/sec) and 1,000 charts/month for free users.
How to use it:
-
Create your chart API endpoint in QuickChart’s ChartMaker tool
-
Visit ChartMaker: quickchart.io/chart-maker/
-
In the Chart Assistant, create your chart by entering a prompt,
for example: ‘Horizontal bar chart of top 10 performing employees by sales’, and clicking Generate. -
After the chart is generated, you can also modify it.
-
-
After the chart is modified, click Save as API Template.
-
In the subsequent dialog, copy or save your new chart’s API endpoint.
-
Adding your Chart to an AppSheet app
-
Create a ‘Blank app’ and add a new Image column to the table - or - Use an existing app with an Image column in a table.
-
In the Table editor (Data > Table Name), click the pencil icon
of the image column to edit the column settings.
-
Under the Auto Compute section, enter your chart’s API endpoint into the App formula field.
Important: Surround the formula expression in double quotes.
-
Testing your chart in your AppSheet app
-
Add a new record into your app, notice that the Image column will be auto-computed when a new record is created.
Other Examples:
-
Visit ChartMaker: quickchart.io/chart-maker/
-
In the Chart Assistant, create a Radar chart by entering a prompt: ‘Radar chart with 5 labels as Jan, Feb, March, April, May. Have data values for dataset 1 as [50, 60, 70, 180, 190] and for dataset 2 as [100, 200, 300, 400, 500]’, and clicking Generate.
- After the chart is generated, you can also modify it.
- After the chart is modified, click Save as API Template.
- In the subsequent dialog, copy or save your new chart’s API endpoint.
Additional Materials:
To leverage the existing knowledge already shared within the community, please refer to the following resources for further technical depth and implementation examples:
-
External Template: Explore this Sample App to see pre-configured logic for dynamic line charts.
-
Community Mention: Review the primary discussion thread on Using QuickChart in your apps on the community platform to explore various use cases.
