How to Make a Pie Chart in Excel That Reads at a Glance

Pie charts get a bad name because people use them for the wrong data. Used well, though, nothing beats a pie for one simple message: how a whole splits into parts. Where your website visitors come from, which services make up your workload, how your audience answered a poll.

Microsoft's help has some firm rules about when a pie works, and following them is the difference between a chart people understand in a second and one they squint at. I'll start there, then build one together.

When your data suits a pie chart in Excel

Microsoft's guidance boils down to four checks. Your data should be:

• One column or one row of numbers, with labels beside them.
• A single data series, not several sets of numbers side by side.
• Free of zero and negative values.
• No more than seven categories, because Microsoft says more than seven slices can be hard to read.

If your data breaks one of these, Microsoft suggests a bar, column or line chart instead. A common example: monthly results over a year. That's change over time, so a line chart tells the story far better than twelve thin slices.

Making a pie chart in Excel step by step

1. Put your labels in one column and the numbers in the next, for example traffic sources in A2 to A6 and visits in B2 to B6.
2. Select both columns, including the headings.
3. Go to the Insert tab and select Insert Pie or Doughnut Chart.
4. Choose the style you want, such as a flat pie, a 3-D pie or a doughnut.

The chart appears on your sheet. Drag it into position and pull a corner to resize it. Each slice shows its share of the whole, so you don't need to work out any shares yourself.

Showing labels and shares on an Excel pie chart

A pie without labels makes readers match colours to a legend, which is hard work. I'd always put the labels on the slices themselves.

1. Click the chart, then select the plus icon beside it.
2. Tick Data Labels. Use the small arrow next to it to choose where they sit.
3. For more control, right-click a label, choose Format Data Labels, then Label Options.
4. Under Label Contains, choose what each label shows, such as the category name and its share of the whole.

Microsoft also offers Data Callout, which puts each label inside a little text bubble. On a Mac, use Control-click where these steps say right-click.

Why Excel pie chart shares may not add up

Here's a quirk that puzzles people. Microsoft says the shares shown in data labels may be rounded, so they won't always total 100. Nothing is wrong with your data; it's just display rounding.

If it matters, for example in a client report, add a decimal place. Microsoft points to the Number tab of the Format Cells box to change the decimal places shown.

Pulling a slice out of your Excel pie chart

Want to highlight one slice, such as your biggest source of leads? Pull it out from the rest.

1. Click the pie chart once to select it.
2. Double-click the slice you want to highlight.
3. Drag it away from the centre of the chart.

To separate every slice slightly, right-click the chart, choose Format Data Series, and move the Pie Explosion slider. I'd use this sparingly. One pulled-out slice draws the eye; every slice pulled out just looks broken.

Handling lots of tiny slices with Pie of Pie

If you've got a few big categories and several tiny ones, Excel can move the small ones into a second, smaller chart beside the main pie.

1. Right-click the chart and choose Change Series Chart Type.
2. Select Pie, then Pie of Pie or Bar of Pie.
3. Click a slice and use Split Series By in the Format Data Series pane to decide what goes into the second chart.

Microsoft says that if you don't choose, the three smallest slices go into the secondary chart by default. It's a tidy fix when grouping small items into an Other slice isn't an option.

Styling your Excel pie chart for social posts and reports

Select the chart and you'll see three icons beside it. Chart Elements handles titles and labels, Chart Styles changes the colours and look, and Chart Filters lets you hide a category without deleting it from your data.

A few habits I'd recommend for anything you'll share:

• Sort your data from largest to smallest so the slices run in order.
• Write the takeaway in the title, such as Most visits come from search.
• Use your brand colours, with one strong colour for the slice that matters.

Pie charts are a natural fit for poll results. If you've asked your community a question with a Messenger poll, the answers drop straight into a pie. And to place the finished chart on a branded graphic, my guide to giving a design a see-through background in Canva is worth a look.

If your Excel pie chart looks wrong

1. Only one slice showing? You may have selected a single cell. Select the full label and number columns.
2. A slice missing? Check for a zero or a blank. Microsoft advises avoiding zero values.
3. Several pies or odd results? You've probably selected more than one series. Pies take one column of numbers.
4. Shares total slightly over or under? That's rounding. Add a decimal place.

Frequently asked questions

How do I make a pie chart in Excel?

Select your labels and numbers, go to Insert, choose Insert Pie or Doughnut Chart, then pick a style. Add data labels with the plus icon beside the chart.

How many slices should an Excel pie chart have?

Microsoft recommends no more than seven categories, because more slices get hard to read.

Why don't my pie chart labels add up to the whole?

Microsoft says the shares in data labels may be rounded. Change the decimal places on the Number tab of Format Cells.

How do I pull one slice out of a pie chart?

Click the chart, double-click the slice, then drag it away from the centre.

Can I use negative numbers in an Excel pie chart?

No. Microsoft advises avoiding zero and negative values in pie charts. Use a bar or column chart instead.