How to Make a Pie Chart in Google Sheets (Data, Labels, Slices)

A pie chart answers one question brilliantly: how is the whole split up? Where did your new customers come from, which services took most of your week, which content type gets the most saves. Google's own help uses that first example, comparing how many new customers came through different marketing channels, and it's a perfect fit for a small business report.

Getting the chart in is quick. Getting it to look right depends almost entirely on how you lay out the data first, so that's where I'll start.

Laying out your data for a Google Sheets pie chart

Google's pie chart help asks for two columns:

Column	What goes in it
First column	A label or category for each slice, such as Instagram, email or referrals
Second column	A positive number for each label
Each row	One slice of the pie

You can add a heading in the first row, such as Channel and New customers. Google says that's optional. Keep it to one series of numbers, because a pie compares parts of a single series to the whole.

One rule catches people out: Google says that if a value is negative or 0, it won't show up in the chart. So if a slice is missing, check that row first.

Making a pie chart in Google Sheets on a computer

1. Select your two columns of data, including the heading row if you have one.
2. Click Insert, then Chart.
3. If the chart that appears isn't a pie, double-click it to open the chart editor on the right.
4. On the Setup tab, open the Chart type dropdown and choose Pie chart.
5. Close the editor. Your chart sits on top of the sheet, ready to move.

If the editor has closed, double-click the chart to bring it back. Google's chart help says the Setup tab holds Chart type and the Customize tab holds the styling.

Making a pie chart in the Google Sheets app

Google's help gives the same steps for Android and for iPhone and iPad:

1. Open the spreadsheet in the Google Sheets app.
2. Select the cells you want in the chart.
3. Tap Insert, then Chart.
4. Tap Type and choose a pie chart.
5. Tap Done.

To change it later on your phone, double-tap the chart and tap Edit chart. Google lists Type, Legend, Titles and Color there. The finer options, like slice labels, are in the computer version.

Labelling slices and pulling one out of a Google Sheets pie chart

Double-click the chart, then click Customize. Google's help lists two sections that only pie charts have:

• Pie chart: add a slice label, add a doughnut hole, or change the border colour.
• Pie slice: change the colour of one slice, or pull a slice out from the centre.

For labels, open Pie chart and choose an option under Slice label. Pick whichever label makes the split easiest to read at a glance, so nobody has to judge the slices by eye.

Pulling one slice out is a lovely trick for a presentation. If you want to highlight that email brings in more new customers than any other channel, pull that slice out and give it your brand colour, and leave the rest in a neutral shade.

Pie chart or doughnut chart in Google Sheets

Google lists the doughnut chart as a variation of the pie. It uses the same two-column layout, and Google says it can compare contributions from parts of one or more data series to the whole. In practice, a doughnut leaves a space in the middle where you can place a title or the total.

Chart	When I'd use it
Pie	A simple split of one total into a few parts
Doughnut	The same split with a cleaner, more modern look, or a total in the centre
Column or bar	Lots of categories, or values that are close together and hard to compare as slices

Pie charts that read well in reports and social posts

A few habits make the difference between a chart people understand and one they squint at:

• Keep it to a handful of slices. Group the tiny ones into Other.
• Sort your rows from biggest to smallest before you insert the chart, so the slices run in order.
• Use one strong colour for the slice you're talking about and calm colours for the rest.
• Give it a title that says the point, such as Most new customers came from email.

If the numbers in your second column come from a total of something else, check the total first. My guide on adding numbers together in Google Sheets helps you confirm the slices add up to what you expect.

Keeping a Google Sheets pie chart up to date

Because the chart reads straight from your cells, it redraws itself whenever the numbers change. That makes it ideal for a running tracker: add this week's new customers to the second column and the slices shift on their own. If you add a brand new category, check the data range on the Setup tab includes the new row, otherwise the slice won't appear. Extending the range once to cover a few spare rows saves you doing it every time.

If your Google Sheets pie chart looks wrong

• A slice is missing: Google says negative and zero values don't appear.
• It's showing as a different chart: change Chart type on the Setup tab.
• Labels look odd: you may have selected an extra column. Check the data range on the Setup tab.
• Too many slivers: combine small categories before charting.

If you're tracking which categories you've already reviewed, a tick box column beside your data works well, and my walkthrough of Google Sheets checkboxes sets one up in seconds.

Frequently asked questions

How do I make a pie chart in Google Sheets?

Select your label and number columns, click Insert, then Chart, and choose Pie chart from the Chart type dropdown on the Setup tab.

Why is a slice missing from my pie chart?

Google says a label whose value is negative or 0 won't show up in a pie chart.

How do I add labels to pie slices?

Double-click the chart, click Customize, then Pie chart, and choose an option under Slice label.

Can I make a pie chart on my phone?

Yes. In the Google Sheets app, select the cells, tap Insert, then Chart, tap Type to pick a pie, then tap Done.

How do I pull one slice out?

Double-click the chart, click Customize, open Pie slice, pick the slice and move it out from the centre.