Troubleshooting: Org charts

Written by:  Morgan T
Last updated:  

If you are encountering an issue with org charts in Lucidchart, following the steps included in this article often resolves the issue. Read on for troubleshooting tips you can try on your own before contacting the support team.

How to add and customize an org chart

If you are not experiencing performance issues with org charts and want instructions on how to add and customize them, check out our Create an org chart article.

Try basic troubleshooting first

Many performance problems with org charts are related to browser or network issues. Check out our Basic troubleshooting article for more information. In most cases, the steps outlined in that article will resolve the problem you are having.

Identify the issue

If basic troubleshooting did not solve the problem, use this section to identify the specific issue you are having with org charts in Lucidchart. Under each of the common issues below is a list of troubleshooting steps that usually resolve the issue. Click the troubleshooting step for more detail.

My data didn't upload correctly

If you uploaded data from a source such as Google Sheets or Excel and the org chart does not appear as expected, try these troubleshooting options:

My data didn't refresh

If you updated your original data source and the org chart does not reflect the new information, try these troubleshooting options:

My images aren't showing up

If you uploaded data from a file that included image URLs and the images do not appear on the org chart, try these troubleshooting options:

Troubleshooting steps

Check the file format

Org chart issues are often due to improper formatting of the dataset. If you uploaded data from a source such as Google Sheets or Excel and the upload doesn’t work or is formatted incorrectly, note the following:

  • If you are using names as unique identifiers, the first and last names of your employees must be in the same column.
  • If you are using Employee IDs as unique identifiers, each number needs to be unique.
  • Every person that appears as a manager or supervisor must also appear as an employee.
  • The only person in the org chart who does not need a direct supervisor is the head of the company. They are listed in the first row of the dataset and appear at the top of the org chart.
  • Datasets larger than 2,000 rows may cause your browser to crash.

Tip: To see an example of a properly formatted spreadsheet, click here to download a CSV.

Check your subscription level

If your data upload didn’t work or your data won’t refresh, it may be due to your subscription level. See the table below for what is available on your subscription. For a full list of features available on your plan, check out our Lucid Plans article.

  Free Individual Team Enterprise Lucid Suite
Build an org chart using org chart shapes Available Available Available Available
Generate an org chart using a data source such as Google Sheets or Excel Available Available Available Available
Refresh org chart data or upload an updated dataset Not available Not available Not available Available
Import data from BambooHR Not available Not available Not available Available

Re-upload the data source

If your dataset has been edited, but the changes are not reflected on the org chart, it is likely because you used a static file such as an Excel spreadsheet to import the data. While online data sources such as Google Sheets are linked to your Lucidchart document, uploading a file from your computer is a one-time event. To view the changes on your org chart, you need to re-upload the file to Lucidchart.

Use public image links

If you are using image URLs to insert employee images into your org chart, they must be public URLs—meaning they are accessible by anyone on the internet. One way to test whether your URLs are public is to paste them into a private or incognito browsing window. If you are able to view the image in a private browser, it is a public URL. If the URL requires a login or password to view the image, it is not public and will not appear in the org chart.

Upload images using a different method

If your images are not showing up properly and you have tried other troubleshooting options, try uploading the images using another method. To see the options and instructions to add photos to an org chart, check out our Create an org chart article.

FAQ

How can I show that an employee has two managers on my org chart?
This is not functionality supported in org charts, but we have a great workaround you can use to accomplish this. Check out this community post to see how you can show that an employee has two managers.

How do I show that two employees at different levels report to the same manager?
This is not functionality supported in org charts, but we have a great workaround you can use to accomplish this. Check out this community post to see how you can show that two employees at different levels report to the same manager.

Can I customize my org chart?
Yes. For information on how to customize the layout, format, and style of your org chart, check out our Create an org chart article and this community post.

Post in the Lucid Community

If none of the steps or resources above resolve the issue, search the Lucid Community for the answer to your question or post a new question to get support.

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