What is the Tableau Donut Chart?
Tableau Donut Chart is a specific variation of a pie chart with a hole in the middle that resembles a doughnut. It displays the data segmented in proportion to the defined measure, similar to a Pie chart, and hence is often perceived as a modified pie chart. You can use the hole in the middle to convey additional helpful information for your visualization requirements. In terms of visual appearance, data representation, data comparison, and straightforward interpretation, donut charts are often preferred over pie charts.
A typical tableau donut chart looks like the one below. As you can see, there are different proportions, i.e., the Tableau donut chart percentage shows different categories such as Technology, Furniture, and Office Supplies. The hole in the middle displays the total sales combined in these categories. The arc length can be used to perform the comparison of different categories in your dataset.
Table of contents
Key Takeaways
- Tableau Donut charts are a variation of Pie charts with a hole in the middle resembling a doughnut.
- These charts are easy to interpret, display data in proportions, and can be used to perform data comparison making them a preferred choice over the Pie charts.
- While Tableau doesn’t have a direct feature to create donut charts, unlike Pie charts, with a little tweak you can create donut charts.
Features
A typical donut chart has the following features.
- It is similar to a Pie chart with a shape resembling a doughnut
- The data is displayed in proportions for easy interpretation of the dataset
- It has a hole in the middle that can be used to convey additional useful information
- It allows you to compare two different datasets in a single chart
Let’s now look at how to create a donut chart in Tableau.
How to create a Donut chart in Tableau?
Tableau doesn’t have an in-built Donut chart for use. However, you can create it by tweaking the Pie chart. To create a Tableau donut chart with one measure, follow the steps highlighted below:
Step 1: Import the dataset into Tableau using the File – Open. Once the data is imported, open a new sheet by clicking on the New Worksheet icon.
Step 2: In the worksheet, drag the dimension (Segment) to the Color in Marks.
Step 3: Change the Marks type from Automatic to Pie under Marks.
It will create a Pie chart.
Step 4: Drag and drop measure (Sales) to Angle.
Step 5: Drag and drop dimension (Segment) and measure (Sales) to Label.
Step 6: Right-click on SUM(Sales) Label and choose Quick Table Calculation – Percent of Total.
It will replace the absolute Sales number with total percentages.
Step 7: Click on the Size icon and adjust the size as applicable.
Step 8: Double-click on the Rows section and type AVG(0).
Once you hit Enter, you will see the following.
Step 9: Double-click on the Rows section and type AVG(0) next to the one you have already created.
It will create two Pie charts, as shown below.
Step 10: Expand the 2nd Marks card. i.e., AGG(AVG(0)) and drop all the measures and dimensions.
It will create a circle structure, as shown below.
Step 11: Click on Color the 2nd Marks card, i.e., AGG(AVG(0)), and choose White as the background color.
Now you can see that the 2nd pie chart is invisible.
Step 12: Click on the Size icon and adjust as appropriate.
Step 13: Now right-click on the 2nd AGG(AVG(0)) and select Dual Axis.
It will merge two Pie charts and create a donut chart, as shown below.
Step 14: Right-click on each of the axes and deselect the Show Header option.
Step 15: Change the view from Standard to the Entire View.
It will change the view, as shown below.
Step 16: Adjust the size of the 1st Marks card.
Step 17: Similarly, adjust the size of the 2nd Marks card.
Step 18: Drag and drop the Sales measure to the Label in the 2nd Marks card.
Your Tableau donut chart with one measure is now ready for use.
Examples
In this section, we will go through different examples demonstrating the Donut charts in Tableau.
Example #1 – Donut chart with multiple measures Tableau
In this example, we will demo creating a donut chart with multiple measures in Tableau by using the Superstore dataset. This dataset is available in Tableau and can be used to create the visualization.
Follow the instructions below to create the donut chart with multiple measures in Tableau:
Step 1: Follow the instructions as outlined in the “How to create a Donut chart section” to create the Donut chart.
Step 2: Once the chart is created, click on Label in the 2nd AGG(AVG(0)) and then click on the 3 dots next to the Text section.
Step 3: In the Edit Label window, provide the meaningful text to define the measure and click on OK.
It will add text to the Tableau donut chart labels inside, as shown below.
Step 4: Similarly, add other measures, such as Total Quantity Sold and Total Profit, by dragging the Profit and Quantity measures to the Label and following the steps outlined above. It will create the donut chart with multiple measures.
Example #2 – Multiple donut charts in Tableau
In this example, we will expand example 1 to demo multiple donut charts in Tableau. To create multiple donut charts, follow the instructions below:
Step 1: Create a donut chart following the instructions as outlined in Example 1.
Step 2: Drag the dimension Category to the Columns section. It will create multiple donut charts, as shown below.
Step 3: Adjust the size of the donut charts appropriately to fit the screen.
As you can see, three donut charts were created based on the values of the category.
Example #3 – Half donut chart in Tableau
For this demo, we have used the Vehicle Sales dataset containing Vehicle category, Sales volume, and total number of vehicles sold attributes.
You can create a half-donut chart in Tableau by following the steps below:
Step 1: Import the dataset to Tableau using the File Navigator.
Step 2: In the new worksheet, type 0 in the Rows section and hit Enter. Repeat the same step.
It will create axes, as shown below.
Step 3: Click on the down arrow next to the SUM(0) and choose Dual Axis.
It will create a dual axis as shown below.
Step 4: Expand All and select Marks Type as Pie.
A pie chart will be created as shown below.
Step 5: Change the view to Entire View.
Step 6: Adjust the size of the chart by expanding the 1st SUM(0) card.
Similarly, you can adjust the 2nd Pie chart by expanding the 2nd SUM(0) card.
Step 7: Remove the Measure Name from the All Marks card.
Step 8: On the 2nd SUM(0), click on Color and select White background.
It will create a donut chart.
Step 9: Expand the 1st SUM(0) and drag the Vehicle Category to Color and Sales Volume to Angle.
Step 10: In the Vehicle Category, rearrange the categories.
Step 11: Double-click on the Total category – Total and choose White from Custom colors.
It will create a half-donut chart, as shown below.
Step 12: Right-click on the axes and uncheck Show Header.
Step 13: Adjust the size as needed to accommodate the size as per below.
Example #4 – Double donut chart in Tableau
To create a double donut chart in Tableau, follow the instructions outlined below:
Step 1: Create two different donut charts following the steps outlined in previous examples.
Here, we have created 2 Donut charts, i.e., Donut chart by Segment and Donut chart by Category, in 2 different worksheets.
Step 2: Click on the New Dashboard icon.
Step 3: Drop the newly created sheets into the dashboard.
Step 4: Click on the 2nd donut chart, i.e., Donut charts by Category, and click on the down arrow, i.e., More options.
Step 5: In the contextual menu, select Floating.
It will create a floating card for the 2nd donut chart.
Step 6: Right-click on the Title of the 2nd chart and select Hide Title.
It will hide the Title of the chart.
Step 7: Drag the 2nd chart to fit inside the 1st donut chart, as shown below.
Step 8: Change the view to Entire View and adjust the border lines to match the 1st donut chart. It will create a double donut chart, as shown below.
Example #5 – Concentric donut chart Tableau
To demonstrate the concentric donut chart, we have used the Sales Dataset. To create this chart, follow the steps outlined below:
Step 1: Import the dataset to Tableau using File – Open.
Step 2: In the new worksheet, drag the category to Color and change the Marks type from Automatic to Pie.
Step 3: Drag the Revenue to Angle.
Step 4: Type 0 in the columns section and hit Enter.
Repeat the same again
Step 5: Adjust the size of the Pie charts.
Step 6: Drag the Sub-category to Color.
Step 7: Click on the down arrow next to SUM(0) and choose Dual Axis.
It will create a merged Pie chart.
Step 8: Swap the SUM(0) in the Rows section. This will change the Pie chart to the 1st one.
Step 9: Change the view from Standard to Entire View and adjust the size of the Pie chart.
Step 10: Drag the Sub-category to the Label.
Step 11: Drag Category to Label.
Right-click on the axis and uncheck the Show Header.
Step 12: It will create the Concentric Donut chart in Tableau.
Important Things to Note
- Too many categories or dimensions may clutter the Donut chart making it complex to use for data analysis.
- Ensure that you apply Tableau donut chart labels inside and chart formatting for effective data representation.
- Follow the Tableau donut chart tutorial to build your understanding of further details.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Yes, you can customize the appearance of a Tableau donut chart. They include:
• Customize the color of the chart per your display requirements
• Adjust the size of the chart to fit your screen layout
• Add data labeling for measures and dimensions
• Add tooltips to display additional information
• Other Formatting options: Add other formatting options such as transparency, borders and lines, background, etc.
The benefits and drawbacks of a Tableau donut chart include:
Some of the key best practices for using Tableau donut charts include:
• Limit the categories to an optimal number (max 4-6) to ensure the readability of the chart
• Where applicable, make sure you apply Tableau donut chart labels inside with tooltips and color for easy data representation
• Use the central hole portion to convey additional information about the chart
• Consider using alternative charts such as Pie or Bar or Line charts depending on your dataset
• Refer to the Tableau donut chart tutorial to follow the steps for your visualization purpose.
While Tableau doesn’t have any built-in feature to support the animation of the Donut chart, there are a few workarounds that include:
• Use of external tools for creating animations
• Use data filters, cross-highlights or even creating multiple views with variations that create a view of animation in Tableau.
Recommended Articles
This has been a guide to Tableau Donut Chart. Here we explain how to create a donut chart with multiple measures in Tableau with examples, features, and points to remember. You can learn more from the following articles –
Leave a Reply