plotly / plotly/plotly.py

Bug: `make_subplots()` doesn't use shared x-axes for traces on different subplots, even when `shared_xaxes` is set to True

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bug P3
Dominant language
Python
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Description

Description

When using make_subplots() with shared_xaxes=True, spike lines only appear on the subplot where the cursor is hovering, rather than showing across all subplots simultaneously.

Expected Behavior

When hovering over any subplot, a vertical spike line should appear at the same x-position across all subplots, similar to the behavior in TradingView or other financial charting tools.

Current Behavior

The spike line only appears on the subplot currently under the cursor. When moving to a different subplot, the spike line moves with the cursor instead of showing on all subplots.

Code Example

import plotly.graph_objects as go
from plotly.subplots import make_subplots
import pandas as pd

# Create sample data
df = pd.DataFrame({
    'x': pd.date_range('2024-01-01', periods=100),
    'y1': range(100),
    'y2': [x**2 for x in range(100)]
})

# Create subplots
fig = make_subplots(
    rows=2, cols=1,
    shared_xaxes=True,
    vertical_spacing=0.02
)

fig.add_trace(go.Scatter(x=df['x'], y=df['y1'], name='Line 1'), row=1, col=1)
fig.add_trace(go.Scatter(x=df['x'], y=df['y2'], name='Line 2'), row=2, col=1)

fig.update_xaxes(
    showspikes=True,
    spikemode='across',
    spikesnap='cursor',
    spikecolor='black',
    spikethickness=1
)

fig.update_layout(hovermode='x unified')
fig.show()

What I've Tried

  1. hovermode='x unified' - Only unifies hover labels, not spike lines
  2. fig.update_traces(xaxis='x') - Shows spikes across all subplots but breaks subplot layout (all data gets squeezed into first subplot's x-axis range)
  3. Various combinations of spikemode, spikesnap, and matches='x' - No effect

Use Case

This feature is critical for financial/trading dashboards where users need to compare multiple indicators (price, volume, RSI, MACD, etc.) at the same point in time across multiple subplots.

Contributor guide

Open the contributing guide

First steps

  1. Read the whole issue, then the project's contributing guide.
  2. Comment on the issue to say you are picking it up — it saves two people doing the same work.
  3. Fork the repository and make your change on a branch.
  4. Open a pull request that references the issue number.

Research direction

Start by reproducing the supplied make_subplots() example with shared_xaxes=True and the configured spike-line options. Trace how subplot x-axes and hover behavior are represented, then identify the relevant implementation and tests before changing them. Done means hovering any subplot shows an aligned vertical spike line across all subplots without breaking their layout.

Written by the indexing model from the issue text.

Assessment

Tech stack
pandas, python
Domain
data-visualization
Issue type
Bug
Difficulty
4/5
Estimated time
3-5 days
Activity status
Quiet
Clarity
Mostly clear
Newbie friendliness
48/100

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