Pie

A Pie chart shows how a total is divided across categories. Use it for quick part-to-whole breakdowns.

A Pie chart shows how a total is divided among categories. It answers one question:

“What portion of the whole does each category represent?”

It’s ideal for:

• Market share / contribution

• Status distribution (success vs failure)

• Resource usage split by category

• Error breakdown by type

What a Pie chart represents

A Pie chart displays a single total (100%) broken into slices. Each slice represents a category’s share of that total.

• Full circle = 100%

• Each slice = percent of total

Example Pie chart

Data it uses

A Pie chart requires two fields:

• Label: category name

• Value: numeric measure

Example input:

category  value
A         40
B         35
C         25

Configure a Pie chart

Set Chart type to Pie. Pick:

• Label column (category)

• Value column (numeric)

Pie chart configuration options

Option	Purpose
Chart type	Must be Pie.
Label column	Category name for each slice.
Value column	Numeric value used to size slices.

Key rules:

• A Pie chart is about proportions, not trends.

• Use 2–6 categories for readability.

• Too many slices = switch to a bar chart.

What this chart tells you

A Pie chart helps users understand:

• Which category is largest

• How data is distributed

• Whether one category dominates

• Relative contribution of each part

When to use a Pie chart

Use a Pie chart when:

• You’re showing part-to-whole.

• The category count is small (2–6).

• Differences are visually clear.

When not to use a Pie chart

Avoid a Pie chart when:

• There are too many categories.

• Values are very similar.

• You need precise comparisons.

• You’re showing trends over time.

Use a bar/line chart instead.