Time Series Line Plot — Plotly

A time series line plot displays data points connected by lines over a datetime x-axis, with smart date formatting that automatically adjusts tick labels based on the time scale (days, months, years). This plot type is essential for temporal data analysis where proper date formatting and readability are critical. Unlike basic line plots, time series plots handle datetime parsing, timezone awareness, and intelligent tick label formatting.

Time Series Line Plot rendered with Plotly

Python source (Plotly)

""" anyplot.ai
line-timeseries: Time Series Line Plot
Library: plotly 6.7.0 | Python 3.13.13
Quality: 90/100 | Updated: 2026-05-09
"""

import os

import numpy as np
import pandas as pd
import plotly.graph_objects as go


# Theme tokens
THEME = os.getenv("ANYPLOT_THEME", "light")
PAGE_BG = "#FAF8F1" if THEME == "light" else "#1A1A17"
ELEVATED_BG = "#FFFDF6" if THEME == "light" else "#242420"
INK = "#1A1A17" if THEME == "light" else "#F0EFE8"
INK_SOFT = "#4A4A44" if THEME == "light" else "#B8B7B0"
GRID = "rgba(26,26,23,0.10)" if THEME == "light" else "rgba(240,239,232,0.10)"
BRAND = "#009E73"  # Okabe-Ito position 1

# Data - Stock prices with uptrend
np.random.seed(42)
dates = pd.date_range(start="2024-01-01", end="2024-12-31", freq="D")
days = np.arange(len(dates))
trend = 100 + 0.15 * days
volatility = 5 * np.sin(2 * np.pi * days / 60)
noise = np.random.randn(len(dates)) * 2
prices = trend + volatility + noise

df = pd.DataFrame({"date": dates, "price": prices})

# Create plot
fig = go.Figure()

fig.add_trace(
    go.Scatter(
        x=df["date"],
        y=df["price"],
        mode="lines",
        line={"color": BRAND, "width": 3},
        name="Stock Price",
        hovertemplate="Date: %{x|%b %d, %Y}<br>Price: $%{y:.2f}<extra></extra>",
    )
)

# Layout for 4800x2700 px
fig.update_layout(
    title={
        "text": "line-timeseries · plotly · anyplot.ai",
        "font": {"size": 28, "color": INK},
        "x": 0.5,
        "xanchor": "center",
    },
    xaxis={
        "title": {"text": "Date", "font": {"size": 22, "color": INK}},
        "tickfont": {"size": 18, "color": INK_SOFT},
        "tickformat": "%b %Y",
        "dtick": "M1",
        "gridcolor": GRID,
        "gridwidth": 1,
        "showgrid": True,
        "linecolor": INK_SOFT,
        "zerolinecolor": INK_SOFT,
        "rangeslider": {"visible": True, "thickness": 0.05},
    },
    yaxis={
        "title": {"text": "Stock Price ($)", "font": {"size": 22, "color": INK}},
        "tickfont": {"size": 18, "color": INK_SOFT},
        "gridcolor": GRID,
        "gridwidth": 1,
        "showgrid": True,
        "linecolor": INK_SOFT,
        "zerolinecolor": INK_SOFT,
    },
    paper_bgcolor=PAGE_BG,
    plot_bgcolor=PAGE_BG,
    font={"color": INK},
    margin={"l": 100, "r": 80, "t": 120, "b": 100},
    showlegend=False,
    hovermode="x unified",
)

# Save as PNG (4800x2700 px) and HTML
fig.write_image(f"plot-{THEME}.png", width=1600, height=900, scale=3)
fig.write_html(f"plot-{THEME}.html", include_plotlyjs="cdn")

Part of Time Series Line Plot on anyplot.ai.

Time Series Line Plot — Plotly

Python source (Plotly)

Other implementations