# Welcome to the Highcharts Maps JS (highmaps) Options Reference

These pages outline the chart configuration options, and the methods and properties of Highcharts objects.

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# colorAxis

A color axis for series. Visually, the color axis will appear as a gradient or as separate items inside the legend, depending on whether the axis is scalar or based on data classes.

For supported color formats, see the docs article about colors.

A scalar color axis is represented by a gradient. The colors either range between the minColor and the maxColor, or for more fine grained control the colors can be defined in stops. Often times, the color axis needs to be adjusted to get the right color spread for the data. In addition to stops, consider using a logarithmic axis type, or setting min and max to avoid the colors being determined by outliers.

When dataClasses are used, the ranges are subdivided into separate classes like categories based on their values. This can be used for ranges between two values, but also for a true category. However, when your data is categorized, it may be as convenient to add each category to a separate series.

Color axis does not work with: `sankey`, `sunburst`, `dependencywheel`, `networkgraph`, `venn`, `gauge` and `solidgauge` series types.

Since v7.2.0 `colorAxis` can also be an array of options objects.

See the Axis object for programmatic access to the axis.