Visualize relationships with chord diagrams
Chord diagrams map connections between categories in a circular layout, with ribbons showing how groups relate and the strength of those links. They’re ideal for flows like trade, migration, or any dataset where relationships matter most.
With Flourish, you can build chord diagrams in seconds — no code needed. Add smooth animations, explore with interactivity, and customize colors and labels to match your style. Once ready, publish and share your chart anywhere, fully responsive on any screen.
USE CASES
Explore flows and links with chord diagrams
Show connections and flows clearly, whether in trade, migration, or social data
Highlight flow and volume
Whether it’s import and export totals, Olympic medal counts, or any other numbers, chord diagrams make it easy to compare volumes and highlight the biggest flows in one view.
Uncover network dynamics
Show how groups are connected by visualizing relationships and communication patterns in a clear, circular layout.
Track movement across borders
Visualize how things move from place to place – like people migrating, money transferring, or goods being exported. Ribbons show both direction and scale.
FEATURES
Everything you need to create chord diagrams
Powerful features that make data visualization easy and beautiful
No coding required
Create beautiful visualizations without writing a single line of code. Our intuitive interface makes it easy.
Interactive elements
Add filters, tooltips, and legends to make your chord diagrams more engaging and explorable.
Responsive design
Every chart adapts automatically to any screen size, making your visualizations easy to share anywhere.
Highlight specific chords
Draw attention to key connections by highlighting individual ribbons — great for data storytelling.
Flexible data views
Choose between directional flows or non-directional connections that emphasize overall relationships.
Smooth transitions
Move between slides or dataset views with built-in animations that keep changes clear and easy to follow.
Directional chord
Show flows where direction matters, like who speaks to whom or how money moves between groups.
Non-directional chord
Focus on overall relationships without direction. Perfect for showing connections or shared totals between categories.
Chord with highlights
Spotlight specific ribbons to highlight key connections and lead your audience through the data.
RESOURCES
Data visualization resources
Tips, guides, and resources to make your online chord diagrams even more effective
Chord diagrams 101
A step-by-step overview of how to get started with Flourish chord diagrams
Learn more →
Frequently asked questions
A chord diagram is a circular chart used to show relationships between categories. Each segment around the circle represents a category, and curved ribbons connect them to show the strength or direction of the relationship. The wider the ribbon, the stronger the connection.
Chord diagrams are ideal for showing relationships and flows between multiple categories – think migration patterns, trade relationships, or any data where connections between groups matter more than individual values.
To create a chord diagram in Flourish, use a three-column format: Source, Target, and Value. Each row should show one connection, with consistent naming in the Source and Target columns. The Value column represents the strength or size of each connection. Read our help doc for more.
Flourish makes it easy to create interactive chord diagrams with no coding. You can highlight key connections, switch between directional and non-directional views, and add smooth transitions that keep your story clear. With full customization and simple sharing, your charts look polished on any screen.
Flourish offers a free plan that’s perfect for exploring interactive data storytelling. You’ll get access to the full range of visualization types available in Flourish (50+ templates), unlimited projects, full privacy for your unpublished work, plus helpful support resources.
If you’re an individual creating presentations and reports, our Presenter plan might be the right fit. It includes access to the Flourish app within Canva, along with image and SVG export options for your visualizations.
And if you’re ready to create fully branded visuals without attribution, collaborate across teams, connect your systems via API, and unlock advanced storytelling features like scrollytelling, our premium plans are designed for you. Reach out to our team to find the best option for your business.
Once you publish your Flourish visualization, you’ll get a responsive embed code you can paste anywhere HTML is supported – from WordPress and Medium to custom CMS platforms. Your chart will look great on any screen size, no extra setup needed.
Every project also comes with a unique URL, so you can easily share your work on social media or link to it directly.
