# Reference band Reference bands depict a range of values rather than just a single point (as reference lines do). This is particularly useful when the data can vary within a certain expected range, such as target ranges for performance metrics. Let's look at how to configure reference bands in Analytics+. #### 1. Position Plot the reference band horizontally (start and end on the y-axis) or vertically (start and end on the x-axis).

#### 2. Start Configure the starting point from where to plot the reference band. It can start from 0, the average line, the minimum line, etc. You can also specify a custom starting point. Notice how the starting point of the reference band changes based on the selection.

#### 3. End Similar to the Start property, you can set the end point of the reference band.

Leverage the "Field" option to use storytelling tools like data-driven reference bands. Plot the start and end points for reference bands using input measures to visualize data over time, detect trends, and identify potential concerns. To plot data-driven reference bands, choose "Field" from the Start/End dropdowns and select the measures from the **Value** dropdown.

#### 4. Measures Choose the measure values to plot the reference band. Reference bands can also be plotted based on the variance.

#### 5. Label Display a label for the reference band. Display text, the end point value, or text along with the value. * **Name:** The endpoint position is automatically used as the label name. You can specify a custom name if required. * **Offset**: Specify the distance from the x-axis and y-axis to position the label.

#### 6. Placement The reference band is generally plotted behind the chart. You can also plot it in front as shown.

#### 7. Color You can customize the label, band and band border. * **Label**: Set the text style to Regular, Semi bold or bold. You can also set the label color and font size. * **Line**: Choose from solid, dotted and dashed styles for the border lines. You can set the width and color. * **Band**: Customize the color of the reference band.

## Reference bands for time series data When your dataset contains a time series, you can render reference bands for custom date ranges or the current week/month/year. Select the **Timeseries** radio button as the Type option.