How to Make a Pie Chart in Google Sheets

To make a pie chart in Google Sheets, select a category column and a numeric value column, choose Insert → Chart, and select Pie chart in Setup. In Customize → Pie chart, choose Percentage for the slice label if you want each part's share of the total.

A pie chart needs one meaningful whole. This example divides a fictional campaign budget of 1,000 units across four channels. It is appropriate for showing how that budget is allocated, but not for comparing unrelated conversion rates or figures from different reporting periods.

The steps target Google Sheets in a desktop browser. Google's pie chart documentation describes the category-and-value structure and doughnut variation. The example below uses Charttoolbox to show the expected shares; the Sheets editor has its own appearance.

1. Prepare parts that add to one whole

Download the fictional channel budget CSV. In a blank spreadsheet, choose File → Import and open it from your device, or enter this two-column table in A1:B5.

Channel,Budget
Search,420
Social,240
Email,180
Events,160

Search has 420 units, Social 240, Email 180, and Events 160. Their total is 1,000. Dividing each amount by 1,000 gives 42%, 24%, 18%, and 16%. Sheets can calculate those displayed shares from the amounts; you do not have to replace the source values with percentages.

Keep any spreadsheet Total formula outside the selected chart range. If you include both these four parts and a Total row of 1,000, the plotted sum becomes 2,000. Half the pie would then describe the sum of the other half, a common mistake that produces a mathematically valid but meaningless chart.

2. Create the pie chart in Google Sheets

1. Select A1:B5, including Channel and Budget and excluding totals or notes.
2. Choose Insert → Chart.
3. In Chart editor → Setup, change Chart type to Pie chart.
4. Confirm Channel is used for labels and Budget supplies the values. Check that the first row is treated as headers.
5. Inspect the four legend entries and compare the largest slice with Search's 420 units.

If you select additional numeric columns, the chart may use a series you did not intend. Start with one category column and one value column; pie charts compare a single set of contributions. Google describes the general range and editor controls in its chart creation help.

3. Show percentages or switch to a doughnut

Double-click the chart and open Customize → Pie chart. Use Slice label to display percentages. Check that the sample reads 42%, 24%, 18%, and 16%; these labels express shares of the selected values, not independent rates pulled from elsewhere in the workbook.

To create a doughnut chart, return to Setup and select Doughnut chart from Chart type. Adjust the hole in the available Pie chart customization settings. It is the same part-to-whole relationship with a different center; adding a hole does not make comparisons more precise.

Leave category names visible through a legend or suitable labels. A printed chart, a small image, or a reader who cannot distinguish two colors still needs to know which slice represents which channel. If the labels collide, enlarge the chart or use a bar graph instead of hiding necessary information.

4. Make the denominator clear

In Customize → Chart & axis titles, set a title such as “Campaign budget allocation, October 2026.” Add the currency and scope in the surrounding report. If the data covers only selected channels, say so: the chart's percentages describe the selected total, not an unlisted organization-wide budget.

Do not interpret a rounded label as an exact measurement. Values with many decimal places may produce displayed percentages that add to 99% or 101%. Keep the original amounts, choose sensible precision where available, and explain rounding when it matters.

Use one coherent palette rather than a different visual effect for every slice. Avoid three-dimensional presentation: perspective can make equal sectors appear unequal. The chart should help the reader understand the allocation, not make the allocation look more dramatic.

When a pie chart gives the wrong answer

Sheets does not display negative or zero-valued slices in a pie chart. If a category disappears, inspect its source cell and sign before assuming the chart lost it. A missing visible slice is a data question, not a reason to change the amount until the graphic looks right.

Download an image without publishing the sheet

Open the chart's three-dot menu, choose Download, and select PNG, SVG, or PDF as appropriate. The official saving instructions distinguish downloading from publishing. You can keep your workbook private while downloading an image to your device.

If you prefer Charttoolbox's presentation styles, copy A1:B5 from the grid, open the pie chart maker, and choose Paste data. Map Channel to Category and Budget to the value field. Try Pie or Donut, review the shares, add a title and source note, and export PNG or SVG.

Charttoolbox supports up to 12 unique categories, requires non-negative values with a positive total, and rejects mixed percentage/plain-number formats within the selected value column. It reads the pasted values locally and does not maintain a live connection to Sheets. Optional analytics requires consent and does not receive your table contents.

Frequently asked questions

Do I have to calculate percentages first?

No. Sheets can show the selected amounts as shares of their total. For this sample, 420 divided by 1,000 is 42%. Keep the underlying amount when that is your original measure.

Why are my percentages different from the spreadsheet?

Check the selected range and denominator. A pie normalizes the plotted values to their combined total. A percentage calculated using a larger population can therefore differ from the pie's share.

Can I compare two months with two pies?

You can create separate charts, but similar angles are difficult to compare across circles. A grouped bar chart often makes channel changes clearer; a line graph suits a longer time sequence.