To label each box in a new Matplotlib plot, pass one category name per dataset with the tick_labels argument: ax.boxplot(data, tick_labels=['Group A', 'Group B']). If the boxplot already exists, set tick locations and labels together with ax.set_xticks(positions, labels).
Label boxes when creating the plot
Use tick_labels in the current boxplot API. Each label corresponds to a dataset, in the same order the datasets are passed to boxplot.
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import matplotlib.pyplot as plt
data = [group_a, group_b, group_c]
labels = ['Group A', 'Group B', 'Group C']
fig, ax = plt.subplots()
ax.boxplot(data, tick_labels=labels)
ax.set_xlabel('Group')
plt.show()The same argument works with pyplot: plt.boxplot(data, tick_labels=labels). If you omit tick_labels, Matplotlib uses numeric tick values. The axis label set by set_xlabel is a separate title for the axis; it does not name the individual boxes. See the Matplotlib boxplot API.
Set labels on a boxplot that already exists
If you have already drawn the boxes, provide their x-coordinate positions and labels together. This is especially important when you used custom box positions.
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positions = [1, 2, 3]
labels = ['Group A', 'Group B', 'Group C']
ax.boxplot(data, positions=positions)
ax.set_xticks(positions, labels)The positions must correspond to the boxes, and the labels must follow the same order. Matplotlib documents set_xticks as accepting locations and optional labels; see the Axes API and Introduction to Axes.
Choose the right method
| Situation | Use | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Creating a boxplot with its default positions | boxplot(data, tick_labels=labels) |
Assigns a label to each dataset as the boxes are created. |
| Adding labels after plotting, or using custom positions | set_xticks(positions, labels) |
Sets tick locations and their labels together. |
| Supporting Matplotlib older than 3.9 | Check that version’s boxplot documentation | The argument name differs across versions. |
Handle version differences
Matplotlib renamed the boxplot argument from labels to tick_labels in version 3.9. The old labels alias was removed in version 3.11, so current code should use tick_labels. If an older installation reports that tick_labels is an unexpected keyword, check the installed version and use its matching documentation rather than changing the argument blindly. The current spelling is documented in the boxplot API.
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Improve readability when labels are crowded
Long category names can overlap. When setting labels on an existing plot, rotate them and align their right edges:
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fig.tight_layout()Adjust the rotation and figure width to suit the actual label lengths. The Matplotlib boxplot gallery demonstrates rotated x-axis labels. For a new plot, use tick_labels directly; when applying labels afterward, set the tick positions with set_xticks rather than relying on automatically chosen locations.
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Avoid misplaced labels
- Keep category labels in the same order as the datasets supplied to
boxplot. - For custom box positions, use those same coordinates in
set_xticks. - Avoid calling
set_xticklabelsagainst automatically selected tick locations. Matplotlib discourages this because labels can end up at unexpected positions; if you need to set them separately, fix the positions first.
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