Here is how to make a pie chart in Google Sheets in six steps, with percentage labels and your own colors. Sheets draws the pie from a column of names and a column of numbers, and the Chart editor handles everything else.
In a hurry? Copy the two columns from Sheets, paste them into the maker above, and download the chart. It reads tab-separated data straight from the clipboard.
How should the data look?
Put the names in the first column and the numbers in the second, with one header row:
| Source | Visits |
|---|---|
| Organic search | 5200 |
| Direct | 2900 |
| Social media | 1800 |
| 1100 | |
| Referral | 600 |
Keep totals and blank rows out of the range, and sort the numbers from largest to smallest (Data > Sort range) so the biggest slice starts at the top.
How do you insert the pie chart?
- Select the range, headers included (A1:B6).
- Click Insert > Chart. Sheets adds a chart and opens the Chart editor on the right.
- On the Setup tab, open Chart type and choose Pie chart. Sheets picks a column chart for some data sets, so check this every time.
- Confirm that Label points at your names column and the series at your numbers. Tick Use row 1 as headers if the header turned into a slice.
How do you show percentages and change the look?
- Switch to the Customize tab and open Pie chart:
- Slice label: Percentage for shares, Value and percentage for both.
- Donut hole: pick a size for a donut chart.
- Leave 3D off: tilted pies distort the slice sizes.
- Open the other sections as needed:
- Chart & axis titles: type a title, such as Website visits by source, October.
- Pie slice: choose a slice to set its color or pull it out with Distance from center.
- Legend: set the position, or choose Labeled to put the names next to the slices.
Double-click the chart any time to reopen the editor.
What if you only have raw answers?
Survey forms export one row per answer, like “Instagram” or “Friend”, with no counts. A pie chart needs counts, so add a summary table first. In an empty cell, type:
=QUERY(B2:B, "select B, count(B) where B is not null group by B")
Sheets returns every distinct answer with its count, and it updates when new answers arrive. Chart that two-column result. If you prefer simpler formulas, list each answer once and use =COUNTIF(B:B, D2) next to it.
How do you download or share the chart?
- Image: click the chart, open the three-dot menu, choose Download, and pick PNG image, PDF or SVG.
- Slides and Docs: copy the chart and paste it into Google Slides or Docs. Keep it linked to update it from the sheet later.
- Website: the three-dot menu has Publish chart, which gives you a link or embed code that updates with the data.
Which Google Sheets pie chart mistakes should you avoid?
- Charting a whole column with a total at the bottom. The total becomes a slice the size of everything else combined.
- Using a pie for multiple-choice questions. When people pick several answers, percentages add up to more than 100%. Use a bar chart.
- Keeping slices under 3%. Group them into “Other” with a SUM row.
- Relying on color alone. Turn on slice labels, so the chart still works when printed in black and white.
Is there a quicker option?
For a single chart, the pie chart generator is faster than a spreadsheet: paste, pick labels, download. It also shows the degrees of each slice, which Sheets doesn’t. The Excel guide covers the same steps for Microsoft Excel, the Numbers guide for Apple’s spreadsheet app, and the gender pie chart page shows how to word survey answers before you chart them.
The guide comes from Fe/male Switch, a startup game for women founders. Traffic sources like the example above are one of the first charts a new founder makes, and a fixed part of most monthly investor updates.
Published 26 October 2026 · by the Fe/male Switch team