Create a Pie Chart in Google Sheets

[nerdslife_team]

Visualizing data is a great way to make information easier to understand. Pie charts are really useful in Google Sheets for showing how different parts contribute to a whole. This guide will walk you through creating and customizing a pie chart in Google Sheets, so you can present your data effectively.

A pie chart is basically a circle divided into slices, where each slice represents a proportion of the total. It works best for comparing parts within a single data series. Unlike bar or line charts, which can handle multiple data sets, pie charts focus on one dataset, showcasing the relative size of each element.

You could use a pie chart to illustrate stuff like company market share, budget breakdowns, or the popularity of products sold.

To make a pie chart in Google Sheets, you need to get your data in the right format, then insert the chart, and finally, tweak it to your liking.

Preparing your Data

Before you can make a pie chart in Google Sheets, it’s important to have your data structured correctly. Pie charts use a single data series – that’s one set of related values. Your data should be in two columns: one for the category labels and one for the numerical values. Each row will become a slice of the pie.

Keep in mind that the values have to be positive numbers. If you have negative values or zeros, they won’t show up on the chart.

Here’s an example of what your data might look like, using a survey of 1,000 people to see how many are fans of different TV shows.

We’ll be using this dataset to create a pie chart in Google Sheets.

Inserting Your Pie Chart

Alright, now that your data is set up, it’s time to make the pie chart.

1. First, select the range of cells that contain your data, including the headers. This tells Google Sheets what to include in the chart.
   
   
2. Next, go to the “Insert” menu at the top and choose “Chart.” Or, you can click the chart icon in the toolbar.
   
   
3. Google Sheets will create a chart automatically based on your data.
   
   

Changing the Chart Type

Sometimes, Google Sheets might pick a different type of chart by default. If it isn’t a pie chart, you can change it easily.

1. Click the three dots (more options) on the top-right corner of the chart and select “Edit chart” to open the Chart editor.
   
   
2. In the Chart editor on the right, under the “Setup” tab, click the “Chart type” dropdown. Then, scroll down to the “Pie” section and choose the pie chart you want.
   
   

To create a doughnut chart, select the second option under “Pie” charts.

Here’s how a doughnut chart looks:

If you’d prefer a 3D pie chart, pick the third option in the “Pie” charts section.

This is what the 3D pie chart will look like:

To make a 3D doughnut chart, first choose the “Doughnut chart” option and then turn on the 3D option in the chart settings.

Editing and Customizing the Pie Chart

After inserting the chart, you can adjust how it looks. Google Sheets lets you change pretty much everything through the Chart editor panel.

The Chart editor has two tabs: “Setup” and “Customize”. The “Setup” tab is for changing the data range and chart type, while the “Customize” tab lets you tweak the chart’s appearance.

If the Chart editor doesn’t pop up automatically, click the three dots on the top-right of your chart and select “Edit chart”.

Changing the Data Range

If you need to use a different dataset for your chart, you can change the data range in the Chart editor.

1. In the Chart editor, go to the “Setup” tab and click the grid icon beside the “Data range” field.
   
   
2. In the “Select a data range” box, you can either type in the new range manually or select it directly from your sheet.
   
   

Your pie chart will update right away to reflect the new data.

Modifying Labels and Values

You can also change the labels and values used in the pie chart.

To update the labels:

1. In the Chart editor, under the “Setup” tab, click the “Label” dropdown menu. Choose a different range or category for your labels.
   
   

To adjust the values (which determine the size of the slices):

2. Click on the “Value” dropdown menu and select a different range or click the grid icon to choose a new set of data.
   
   

Adjusting the Chart Style

In the “Customize” tab of the Chart editor, the “Chart style” section is where you can modify the general look of your pie chart. You can change the background color, border color, and font style.

You can also maximize the chart to reduce the margins and make the chart area larger.

Checking the “3D” option will transform your flat pie chart into a 3D version.

Customizing Pie Chart Options

In the “Pie chart” section of the “Customize” tab, you can customize the pie chart further. You can turn your pie chart into a doughnut, change the slice borders, and add labels with different formats.

To see these settings, expand the “Pie chart” section.

To turn your pie chart into a doughnut chart, use the “Doughnut hole” slider to set the size of the hole. You can also adjust the border color of the slices with the “Border color” option.

To customize labels on the slices, click the “Slice label” dropdown. You can display category names, values, percentages, or both values and percentages.

Once you pick the label type, you can tweak the font style, size, format, and color as needed.

Customizing Pie Slices

You can change the color of each slice to make your pie chart more visually appealing.

1. In the “Customize” tab, expand the “Pie slices” section.
2. From the dropdown menu, choose the slice you want to change.
3. Use the color picker to select a new color for the chosen slice.
   
   

You can also emphasize a slice by “exploding” it, which separates it slightly from the rest of the pie.

To explode a slice:

1. In the “Pie slices” section, choose the slice you want to highlight. You can also double-click directly on the slice on the chart to access its settings.
   
   
2. Adjust the “Distance from center” to set how far the slice should be offset from the pie.
   
   
   
   
   

The selected slice will stand out.

Adding a Chart Title

In the “Chart & axis titles” section of the “Customize” tab, you can add or change the title and subtitle of your pie chart.

1. Expand the “Chart & axis titles” section.
2. From the dropdown menu, pick “Chart title” or “Chart subtitle”.
3. Type your text in the “Title text” box.
   
   

You can also customize the font style, size, format, alignment, and color with the options below the text box.

Adjusting the Legend Position

In the “Legend” section of the “Customize” tab, you can tweak the appearance and position of the chart’s legend.

1. Expand the “Legend” section.
   
   
2. Use the “Position” dropdown menu to choose where the legend should be on the chart. You can choose “Right,” “Left,” “Top,” “Bottom,” or “Inside.”
   
   

You can also click and drag the legend to reposition it on the chart.

3. You can also adjust the legend’s font style, size, format, and color.

If moving the legend causes layout problems, you can resize the chart by clicking and dragging the handles at the edges.

Here’s the final pie chart after some customizations.

Downloading the Pie Chart

After creating and customizing your chart, you can download it to use outside of Google Sheets. You can save it as a PNG image, a PDF, or an SVG file.

To download the chart:

1. Click on your pie chart to select it.
2. Click the three dots (more options) on the top-right corner of the chart.
3. Hover over “Download” and select the format you want.
   
   

Your chart will be saved to your computer in the chosen format.

Publishing the Chart

If you need to share your pie chart with others or embed it on a webpage, you can publish it directly from Google Sheets.

To publish your chart:

1. Click your chart to select it.
2. Click the three dots on the top-right corner and choose “Publish chart”.
   
   

The “Publish to the web” dialog box will pop up.

3. If you have multiple charts, make sure the correct one is selected in the “Link” section.

4. Choose to publish the chart as an interactive chart or an image. Select “Interactive” if you want viewers to interact with the chart online. Then, click “Publish.”

5. Confirm by clicking “OK”.

A link will be generated that you can share. Anyone with this link can view the chart.

To embed the chart on a webpage, use the link provided under the “Embed” section.

Keep in mind that any changes you make to the chart in Google Sheets will automatically update the published version.

To stop publishing the chart:

1. In the “Publish to the web” dialog, click “Published content & settings” at the bottom.
   
   
2. Click “Stop publishing.”
   
   
3. Confirm by clicking “OK”.
   
   

Once unpublished, the chart won’t be accessible through the shared link, and anyone trying to view it will see an error message.

You can also unpublish the chart by deleting it from your sheet or by deleting the entire sheet.

Making and customizing a pie chart in Google Sheets is pretty straightforward and can make your data presentations much better. By following these steps, you can show data proportions effectively and share your insights with others.