How to Create a Donut Chart in Tableau

Data becomes more meaningful when presented visually, and one of the most effective and visually appealing ways to display data is with a donut chart. This chart is commonly used in Tableau, a leading data visualization tool known for its flexibility and ease of use. A donut chart represents parts of a whole using a circular layout with a blank center, making it easier to compare values at a glance. Its clean and simple design makes it ideal for dashboards, reports, and presentations where quick understanding and visual clarity are important. In this blog, you will understand what a donut chart is, when to use it, and how to create one step by step using Tableau.

Table of Contents:

• What is a Donut Chart?
• When to Use a Donut Chart in Tableau?
• How to Create Different Types of Donut Charts in Tableau
• How to Customize a Tableau Donut Chart 
  1. Adjusting the Size of a Donut Chart in Tableau
  2. Adjusting the Colors of a Donut Chart in Tableau
• Types of Donut Charts in Tableau
• Best Practices for Donut Charts in Tableau
• Common Mistakes to Avoid When Creating Donut Charts
• When to Use Donut Charts vs Pie Charts in Tableau
• Real-World Use Case of a Donut Chart in Tableau
• Conclusion

What is a Donut Chart?

A donut chart is a circular chart that looks like a pie chart but with a blank space in the center. This center space is useful for showing extra details, such as the total value or key labels, which makes the chart easier to read and understand. Like a pie chart, a donut chart shows how different parts contribute to a whole. Each slice represents a category, and the size of the slice shows its share of the total. Donut charts are commonly used in dashboards and reports because they are clean, modern, and make data visualization easier.

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When to Use a Donut Chart in Tableau?

Use a donut chart in Tableau when you want to present clear, concise insights through a circular visual format. The points below describe ideal scenarios for using this chart effectively.

• You need to show a part-to-whole relationship (like sales by category), making it easy to understand how each segment contributes to the total.
• You have fewer categories, typically between 3 to 5, which keeps the chart readable and avoids clutter.
• You want to show value comparisons quickly, allowing users to grasp the differences between segments at a glance.
• You’d like a chart that is clean and modern-looking, offering a visually appealing alternative to traditional pie charts.
• You want to show percentages inside the center of the chart, adding extra context without taking up additional space.

How to Create Different Types of Donut Charts in Tableau

Tableau doesn’t have a built-in donut chart type, but you can create one using a simple trick. This involves layering a pie chart with a smaller white circle in the center to create the donut effect. So, let’s import the dataset and see how this simple trick helps us build a donut chart in Tableau.

Step 1: Import data into Tableau

For creating the donut chart in Tableau, we will use a sample dataset of “Hollywood’s Most Profitable Stories”, which is available as a CSV file on Tableau’s sample datasets page, which you can download into your system for creating the donut chart.

Step 2: Load the dataset into Tableau

We will connect the tableau to the data source and import the dataset from our systems.

Once the data has been extracted, look closely at the Genre, Worldwide Gross, and Year columns, as they will be the ones we are working with. Worldwide Gross will show the amount of profit that each movie is generating each year, total across the globe.

Step 3: Create a Pie Chart

As we have mentioned, to prepare a donut chart in Tableau, we first have to prepare a pie chart. We can prepare a pie chart as follows:

• First of all, change the Marks type from Automatic to Pie.
• Drag the Genre field onto the Color card.
• Drag the Worldwide Gross field onto the Angle card (this only works if you have changed the Marks type to Pie).

If you place your cursor over the slices of the pie chart, you will see Worldwide Gross represented as a number. We will change this later, but for now, we want to change this number to a percentage. To do this: 

• Right-click on the Worldwide Gross field in the Angle card.
• Select Quick Table Calculation.
• Then select Percent of Total.

Step 4: Converting a pie chart to a donut chart

Now let us perform the trick with the help of which we will convert the pie chart into a donut chart. We need to create two pie charts.

1. Click the small downward arrow next to the search bar on the left pane.

2. Select Create Calculated Field, name it Donut Middle Circle, and type 0 in the calculation box. Click OK.

3. Drag and drop the Donut Middle Circle variable again (twice) onto the Rows shelf. You should now see two pie charts.

4. Right-click on the second Donut Middle Circle variable on the Rows shelf, and choose Dual Axis. You will see that the second pie chart has taken over the first.

5. In the Marks card area, you will now see three tabs: All, and two separate Donut Middle Circle mark cards. Click on the bottom-most Donut Middle Circle mark card to edit only the top pie chart.

6. Remove the Genre field from the Color card. This will turn the pie chart into a single solid-colored circle.

7. Decrease the size of the overlying circle by clicking on the Size card and decreasing the circle size. 

8. To create the hole effect, change the circle’s color to white (or match it with the background color).

And now your donut chart is ready! The last step is to make it look clean by hiding the axes and removing the zero line and borders around the chart. To do this:

9. First, right-click on either of the two axes headers. 

10. Click on Show Header to uncheck it. 

11. You can right-click anywhere in the view.

12. Choose Format, and on the left side in the Format pane, click on Lines.

13. For the Sheet tab, set the Zero Lines to None.

14. Then go to Borders and for the Sheet tab, set the Row Divider and the Column Divider panes to None.

How to Customize a Tableau Donut Chart 

We have successfully created our donut chart, now it’s time to customize it for better fetching of insights.

1. Adjusting the Size of a Donut Chart in Tableau

You’ll probably see that the donut chart is, by default, relatively small. This is because our donut chart is set to Standard view, which means it will remain the same size regardless of how much space we have in our dashboard. In my opinion, the Standard view is not ideal for donut charts. Instead, we want the chart to take up its full available space, so we need to change the view from Standard to Entire View. Next, we will go to the Size card and drag the slider. Since there are two Mark cards (one for the underlying pie and one for the circle on top), we will do this for both. 

• Click on the Size card. 
• Use the slider to drag to the right and watch the pie, or white circle, grow.

Final Result:

Explanation: Here, this diagram shows the donut chart, created by following the steps above.

2. Adjusting the Colors of a Donut Chart in Tableau

We can also change the colour of the slice of the pie chart, just like we do in Power BI.

1. Select the first Marks card to manage the base pie.
2. Select the Color card.
3. Select Edit Colors.
4. Double-click on Comedy and select a unique color.
5. Select OK.
6. Do the previous two steps with the other genres, giving them all the same amount of grey.

Final Output:

Explanation: As you can see, we have assigned different colors to the slices of the donut chart.

Types of Donut Charts in Tableau

There are different types of donut charts available.

1. Stacked Donut Chart

Features:

• Shows multiple values within one donut.
• Each segment can be stacked with sub-values.
• Looks like layered pieces inside the same donut ring.

Use Case: Use it when you want to compare categories within the same group, like sales by sub-category inside the main category.

2. Donut Chart for Multiple Measures

Features:

• Displays two or more measures in the same chart.
• Each section shows a different measure’s value.
• Uses calculated fields or measure names.

Use Case: Great when you want to show Revenue vs Profit or Planned vs Actual in a single visual.

3. Multiple Donut Charts

Features:

• Shows separate donut charts side by side.
• Each donut represents a different group or region.
• Easy to compare across different items.

Use Case: Best when showing performance by region, product, or department.

4. Half Donut Chart

Features:

• Looks like a semi-circle or half ring.
• Saves space on dashboards.
• Gives more focus to key values.

Use Case: When you want to highlight a single key metric, like goal progress or completion rate.

5. Double Donut Chart

Features: 

• Two donut rings stacked on top of each other.
• Each ring represents a different metric or level.
• Inner and outer rings can represent related data. 

Use Case: Best for comparing a main category and a sub-category, such as Total Sales (outer) and Online Sales (inner).

6. Donut Pie Chart 

Features: 

• A simple donut made using a pie chart layout. 
• Has a hole in the middle.
• Can hold text in the center. 

Use Case: Especially useful for displaying percentages or part-to-whole values, such as market share or budget utilization.

7. Concentric Donut Chart 

Features: 

• Multiple donut rings or circles stacked in layers.
• Each ring represents a different category or period.
• Very visual and visually attractive. 

Use Case: This format can be used in many ways, such as showing trends over time. For example, sales across each quarter of the year.

8. Donut Chart with Percentage 

Features: 

• Donut with percentage labels inside or on the chart. 
• Provides a fast way to assess data sharing. 
• The center space can state the total or summary.

Use Case: This is useful when showing how much each data category contributes, such as the percentage of sales by product type.

Common Mistakes to Avoid When Creating Donut Charts

1. Overcrowding: Including too many categories in a donut chart causes tiny slices, which makes it hard for viewers to quickly understand the data distribution.
2. Ambiguous colours: Avoid using similar colours, which can make slices look identical and create confusion for viewers in identifying which slices represent which category.
3. No labels: Without data labels, users are forced to guess the values or percentages. Labels provide clarity and context, which makes the chart more interactive.
4. Inappropriate use of the central area: By failing to utilize the central hole, you omitted a relevant opportunity. The central hole could have been used to convey total values or important labels, which would increase the interpretability and usability of the chart.
5. Using donut charts for complicated data: Donut charts are not well suited to a comparison of a lot of similar values. Donut charts should not be used when detailed or close comparisons are to be made, as they can be confusing for the viewer in terms of perceiving the disparities between segments.

Best Practices for Donut Charts in Tableau

1. Sort the slices: Always arrange slices from largest to smallest to guide the viewer’s eye clearly.
2. Limit the number of slices: Use no more than 3 to 5 categories to keep the chart clean and easy to read.
3. Use distinct colors: Apply clearly different colors to each slice to improve visual separation and impact.
4. Add percentage or value labels: Display labels directly on the chart to make the data quick to grasp at a glance.
5. Use the center space wisely: Show total values or key metrics in the center for added context and usefulness.
6. Avoid overuse: Donut charts are best for simple breakdowns, not detailed comparisons or large data sets.

When to Use Donut Charts vs Pie Charts in Tableau

Donut charts and pie charts in Tableau both display how different categories contribute to a total value. Choosing between them depends on your goal, the data structure, and how you want users to view the comparison.

Use Donut Charts When:

• You prefer modern, trendy, and cleaner visualization styles in dashboards or presentations.
• You want to be able to not only express the distribution of your information, but also that it is a total or key metric, which might go in the middle.
• You have a small number of categories (usually 3 to 6) and want people to be able to get a sense of a comparison quickly.
• You want to emphasize the design and simplicity aspect.
• You are creating an interactive dashboard that must save space while also maintaining clarity.

Use Pie Charts When:

• You have very few categories (2-4) and want to show a simple breakdown.
• You do not need to display any words or values in the center of the chart.
• You want a quick visual of how data is split, especially in static reports.
• You are presenting to an audience that is comfortable with traditional charts, like pies.
• You do not care about having that area visually customized.

Real-World Use Case of a Donut Chart in Tableau

The situation: A company has implemented a monthly dashboard to show Sales by Product Category.

Here, the donut chart is used to:

• Show the total sales in the centre.
• Split the outer ring into 4 segments: Electronics, Furniture, Office Supplies, and Others.
• Use different colors to show the percentage contribution of each segment, with clear labels for better understanding.

Here are the benefits of the donut chart:

• Reading the chart is simple.
• The design is clean.
• Shows which category sells the most.

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Conclusion

Donut charts in Tableau are an effective way to visualize how different categories contribute to a total and offer a clean, engaging visual format. They are especially useful for simple comparisons involving a small number of categories. Tableau also supports various donut chart styles, such as stacked donuts, double donuts, half donuts, and concentric donut charts. These variations enhance visual appeal and improve user interaction within dashboards. By following the steps above, you can now create your own donut chart in Tableau and present your data in a more structured and visually appealing way.

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How to Create a Donut Chart in Tableau – FAQs