Storyline JS is a free, open-source web tool from Northwestern University Knight Lab for making annotated line charts that explain time-series data. A chart can show one set of data, and its horizontal axis accepts only time or date formats. Creators add story cards to selected points, with a title, text, and date to explain what is happening in the data. Each story can contain up to 12 cards; titles are limited to 54 characters and paragraphs to 200 characters. To create a chart with the authoring tool, users put their data in a Google spreadsheet and publish the spreadsheet to the web. Storyline works best with fewer than 800 data points. Completed charts can be published as embeds or shared through a direct link, and the maker says they work on any site or blog. One date-display choice provides month names only in English, although most of the story uses language supplied by the creator. The maker is Northwestern University Knight Lab, a team of technologists and journalists working on news media innovation. Support is available through a web form and GitHub issue reporting, in English only; the maker says it has no dedicated technical support staff.
Who it is for
Storyline JS suits people who want to explain a time series with written annotations and share the result as an embed or link. It is a fit for charts with one data series and fewer than 800 data points, especially when the creator can use a published Google spreadsheet.
What is good
- Free and open source, with no paid plans stated.
- Adds dated story cards to selected chart points.
- Can be shared as an embed or direct link.
- The maker says it works on any site or blog.
- Includes presentation flow and narrative annotations.
What to know first
- Displays only one data set at a time.
- The x-axis accepts only time or date formats.
- Stories are limited to 12 cards with short text limits.
- Support is English-only, with no dedicated technical support staff.
Verdict
Choose Storyline JS to add explanatory notes to a single time-series line chart and share it as an embed or link. Its free, open-source format may suit lightweight storytelling, while charts needing multiple data series or more than 12 story cards should look elsewhere.
Get started with Storyline JS
- Visit the Storyline JS website.
- Put the chart data in a Google spreadsheet.
- Publish the spreadsheet to the web.
- Create a chart and add dated story cards to selected points.
- Publish the Storyline as an embed or share its direct link.
What the free plan stops at
Storyline works best with fewer than 800 data points and supports only one data set at a time. A story is limited to 12 cards, with titles up to 54 characters and paragraphs up to 200 characters.
Questions about Storyline JS
Does Storyline JS cost anything?
The tool is free and open source. No paid plans or price are stated.
What kind of charts can it create?
It creates annotated time-series line charts. The x-axis accepts only time or date formats, and the tool can display one set of data at a time.
How do I provide chart data?
For the authoring tool, put the data in a Google spreadsheet and publish the spreadsheet to the web.
How can I share a finished chart?
You can publish it as an embed or share it through a direct link. The maker says it works on any site or blog.
Who makes Storyline JS?
It is made by Northwestern University Knight Lab, a team of technologists and journalists working on news media innovation.
What support is available?
The maker offers a technical support web form and GitHub issue reporting. Support is available only in English, and there is no dedicated technical support staff.
Storyline JS plans and pricing
All plansCompared on data storytelling tools
- Free plan
- Yes
- Interactive visualizations
- Yes
- Narrative annotations
- Yes
- Presentation flow
- Yes
- Share mode
- embed
