When should I use a correlogram?

Exploring relationships among many variables ● Feature selection in ML

When should I avoid a correlogram?

Non-numeric data ● Fewer than 3 variables

What are common mistakes with correlograms?

Assuming correlation is causation ● Including too many variables

Relationship

Correlogram

Symmetric grid of every variable pair's correlation coefficient, with circle size encoding magnitude and color encoding sign — diagonal blocks of strongly-correlated variables jump out instantly.

Subject Score Correlations

30 students across 4 subjects (scores 35-99)

View data (30 rows)

Chart data table: Subject Score Correlations
Math	Science	English	Art
61	71	68	73
84	75	76	68
54	57	77	75
68	77	76	72
69	71	60	65
76	67	59	60
77	72	78	68
67	54	66	80
84	80	66	56
86	87	79	74
81	80	57	59
79	80	79	79
75	77	59	53
64	72	76	77
85	85	69	63
83	83	65	62
62	61	76	89
69	70	56	50
76	80	59	52
85	86	70	68
72	71	73	69
77	79	81	81
65	65	73	75
70	65	63	58
72	70	85	86
68	77	69	74
76	79	64	66
40	36	79	91
92	92	72	71
71	67	84	78

Make a correlogram with your data

Use a correlogram when…

Exploring relationships among many variables
Feature selection in ML

Avoid when…

Non-numeric data
Fewer than 3 variables

Data it needs

Property	Value
Min Rows	10
Min Columns	3
Column Types	numbernumbernumber

Visual anatomy

Marks

circletext

Channels

color-divergingsizeposition

Axes

variable matrix

Guiding principles

ColorPerceptually Uniform Colormaps
Use a diverging colormap centered at zero (e.g., RdBu) so positive vs negative correlations read distinctly

Consider instead

Heatmap

For a simpler correlation matrix

Common mistakes

Assuming correlation is causation
Including too many variables

History

Standard technique in multivariate statistics since Pearson's correlation work.

Accessibility notes

Provide correlation coefficient values as text. Use diverging color with labels.

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Math	Science	English	Art
61	71	68	73
84	75	76	68
54	57	77	75
68	77	76	72
69	71	60	65
76	67	59	60
77	72	78	68
67	54	66	80
84	80	66	56
86	87	79	74
81	80	57	59
79	80	79	79
75	77	59	53
64	72	76	77
85	85	69	63
83	83	65	62
62	61	76	89
69	70	56	50
76	80	59	52
85	86	70	68
72	71	73	69
77	79	81	81
65	65	73	75
70	65	63	58
72	70	85	86
68	77	69	74
76	79	64	66
40	36	79	91
92	92	72	71
71	67	84	78

Math	Science	English	Art
61	71	68	73
84	75	76	68
54	57	77	75
68	77	76	72
69	71	60	65
76	67	59	60
77	72	78	68
67	54	66	80
84	80	66	56
86	87	79	74
81	80	57	59
79	80	79	79
75	77	59	53
64	72	76	77
85	85	69	63
83	83	65	62
62	61	76	89
69	70	56	50
76	80	59	52
85	86	70	68
72	71	73	69
77	79	81	81
65	65	73	75
70	65	63	58
72	70	85	86
68	77	69	74
76	79	64	66
40	36	79	91
92	92	72	71
71	67	84	78