Build Org Charts From Data Automatically

SmartDraw's organizational chart data visualizer lets you build an org chart automatically by importing a data file of your organization's employee list, connecting to Microsoft Entra (previously known as Azure Active Directory), or importing a list from SharePoint. You will be able to display photos, include hyperlinks, skip data you don't want included, and show some data in a tool tip without cluttering up the visual.

It's a powerful way to create an org chart without any drawing at all.

Open the Organizational Chart Visualizer

Click the + icon to switch the SmartPanel into the Insert Content view.

Once on the Insert Content view, select the Add Data Visualizer section and click on Organization Chart.

Launch the organizational chart visualizer

Organizational Chart Options

After launching the org chart data visualizer, you'll see that you have three options for your data source: Microsoft Entra, SharePoint, or importing a local file.

Org chart data visualizer options

Format Your Data

If you're going to import a file instead of connecting to an existing directory, you'll want to make sure your data is formatted correctly. The list must be formatted with the fields you want to show for each employee as columns and the values for an employee as rows.

One of the columns must identify the supervisor of the employee in the row. All of the rows must have a supervisor except for the top position in the org chart.

You can match employees with supervisors using numerical IDs or just names. You can find more detailed instructions here.

Format your org chart data

Importing a Local File

SmartDraw accepts files in CSV or XLSX format. Find the file on your system and drag and drop it to the dialog.

Drag and drop a file to visualize

Choose What to Visualize

SmartDraw will parse your imported data file.

The first step after your data is parsed is to choose the top-level manager for your organizational chart. This lets you control what part of your organization is visualized. You can create an org chart of just a single team or department or your entire company.

Choose the top level manager for your org chart

Preview Data

The parser also identifies the matching columns and labels. SmartDraw will give you a preview of how we see your data so you can make some changes if necessary.

Each row in the table will add a shape to the org chart.

Data preview

Specify Special Column Types

SmartDraw styles and builds your org chart using rules given to each data type. Data identified as Name will be shown centered inside a single org chart shape, while anything identified as a Hyperlink will trigger a hyperlink icon with a link to be added to the shape, and so forth.

The data type is displayed in the first menu above each column. You can change this type by selecting another option from the drop-down menu.

Org chart data types

The Rules for Data Types

Name - Data from this column is set to Show in Shape as the first row of text.

Title - This will show up as the second row of text inside the shape.

Hyperlink - This will add a hyperlink to the specified URL inside the shape. You use this to add links to employee records for example.

Photo - Use this column to add a URL to an image for the person. If a photo column exists, SmartDraw will split the org chart shape so that the left side of the shape will display the photo.

Other - These columns are set to appear in the data layer (Show in Data) by default and not inside the shape itself. You can change this using the display menu. Once the org chart is built, you can find this information by hovering over the blue "i" icon in the lower right corner of an org chart shape. Other columns are added to the shape after the Name and Title in left to right order.

Choose Display Options

For each column in your data, you have three choices presented in the display menu at the top of each column (this is the second drop-down menu):

  1. You can show the value in the shape by choosing "Show in Shape". This might be appropriate for someone's name, title, or telephone number.
  2. Move the value to a data layer shown only on hover by choosing "Show in Data". This might be appropriate for data like a hire date or employee id.
  3. Hide this value completely by choosing "Don't show".
Org chart display options

Build the Chart

When you're ready, click the Import button to generate your org chart.

Once you imported your data, you can edit your org chart diagram like any other diagram created in SmartDraw. You can move employees, change reporting structure, modify titles, or change the appearance of your chart using different colors and fonts.

Org chart built from data

Get Data from Microsoft Entra (Formerly Azure Active Directory)

You can also build your organizational chart by importing data from Microsoft Entra (formerly known as Azure Active Directory).

Like before, launch the Organizational Chart data visualizer.

In the next dialog, click on Microsoft Entra and login with your credentials.

Connect to Entra, formerly Azure Active Directory

Choose the Supervisor or Manager

Once SmartDraw can see your directory, you will be prompted to select which part of the organization to make the org chart for by selecting the manager or supervisor from a drop-down list.

Select manager

Set Data Visibility

Once a manager is selected, you'll be shown some sample data to give you a preview of how SmartDraw sees your organization.

For each data type, you choose its visibility in the resulting organizational chart.

When you're ready, click Import to generate your organizational chart.

Check organizational chart data format

Get Data from Microsoft SharePoint

You can also build your organizational chart by importing data from Microsoft SharePoint.

Like before, launch the Organizational Chart data visualizer.

In the next dialog, click on SharePoint List and login with your credentials.

Connect to Sharepoint

Choose a SharePoint Site

After logging in, you will be asked to choose a SharePoint site.

Select your SharePoint site

Choose a SharePoint List

Next, select the SharePoint list you want to use from the drop-down.

Choose a list

Choose a Manager

Once the list is loaded, you'll be able to select the top-level manager to use as the starting point for your org chart.

Choose a list

Identify Data Types

Once a manager is selected, you'll be shown some sample data to give you a preview of how SmartDraw sees your organization.

SmartDraw styles and builds your org chart using rules given to each data type. Data identified as Name will be shown centered inside a single org chart shape, while anything identified as a Hyperlink will trigger a hyperlink icon with a link to be added to the shape, and so forth.

The data type is displayed in the first menu above each column. You can change this type by selecting another option from the drop-down menu.

Check organizational chart data format

Set Data Visibility

For each data type, you can choose its visibility in the resulting organizational chart. You can have the data show in the shape, show in a data tool tip, or leave the data completely off the final chart.

When you're ready, click Import to generate your organizational chart.

Check organizational chart data format
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