Half Circle KPI Chart in Excel: Build It Step by Step

To create a half-circle KPI chart in Excel, enter the KPI value, the amount remaining to its target, and a third slice equal to the target; insert a doughnut chart, rotate it, and hide the third slice. The result is a semicircular gauge that shows progress at a glance. The steps below use Excel for Microsoft 365 on Windows and an example value of 65 against a target of 100.

What You’ll Need

Excel for Microsoft 365 on Windows. Excel for Mac has similar doughnut-chart formatting, although the Format Data Series pane and ribbon layout can look different. Excel for the web may have fewer controls for formatting an individual slice; use the desktop app if you cannot set a slice to No fill.
A KPI value and a maximum or target expressed in the same units. For example, use 65 and 100, not 65 and 1.
A blank worksheet and, optionally, a label such as Completion or Sales target.

Step-by-Step

Set up a small source table. In A1, type Segment, and in B1, type Amount. Enter Completed in A2 and 65 in B2. Enter Remaining in A3, and Hidden half in A4. In A5, type Maximum and enter 100 in B5. Keeping the maximum outside the three chart rows makes it easy to change the target without including it as an extra slice. You can use other labels, but keep the three plotted rows in the order completed, remaining, hidden half.
Calculate the remaining amount. With the actual KPI value in B2 and the maximum in B5, enter =B5-B2 in B3. For this example, the result is 35, because 100 minus 65 equals 35. The completed and remaining values will therefore add up to 100, which is the visible half of the gauge.
Create the slice that will be hidden. With the maximum still in B5, enter =B5 in B4. This returns 100. The chart will have 65 + 35 + 100 = 200 total units. The first two slices together occupy half of the full doughnut; the final 100-unit slice occupies the other half and will be made invisible. If you change B2 or B5 later, the formulas update the chart inputs automatically.
Select only the three chart segments. Select A1:B4, including the headings. Do not include row 5: Maximum, because its value is a helper input, not another segment. On the ribbon, choose Insert > Insert Pie or Doughnut Chart > Doughnut. Excel inserts a full doughnut chart with three slices. If the chart shows an unexpected legend or title, that is fine for now; you can remove or edit those elements after you format the gauge.
Rotate the chart so the hidden segment is underneath. Right-click a slice and choose Format Data Series. In the Format Data Series pane, open Series Options and set Angle of first slice to 270 degrees. This positions the final slice across the lower half in the usual layout. The orientation can appear reversed if the rows are in a different order or the chart has been rotated differently, so check that Completed and Remaining form the upper arc and Hidden half is at the bottom. If needed, adjust the angle until the blank portion is below the visible arc.
Make the lower slice invisible. Click the bottom slice once to select the series, then click that slice again to select just that data point. Right-click it and choose Format Data Point. In the formatting pane, set Fill to No fill and Border to No line. In some Excel layouts the border control is called Line; choose No line there. The bottom half should disappear, leaving the upper semicircle. If you hide the wrong slice, use the pane’s selection controls or click another segment carefully and repeat the formatting.
Style the visible progress arc. Click the Completed slice and choose a strong color in the Format Data Point pane under Fill. Select the Remaining slice and give it a pale, contrasting color. Remove the chart legend if it is not useful: select it and press Delete. Add a clear chart title, such as Completion, by selecting the chart and using Chart Design > Add Chart Element > Chart Title. Keep the chart background and border simple so the colored arc remains easy to read.
Put a value in the open center. The doughnut hole is a convenient place for the KPI value. One straightforward option is to insert a text box, place it over the center, and type 65 or a short label such as 65 of 100. To make the text box update with B2, select the text box border, click the formula bar, type =B2, and press Enter. The text box displays the value from B2 and updates when that cell changes. If you prefer a percentage, use consistent decimal inputs, such as 0.65 and 1, and format the displayed KPI cell as a percentage; the chart still uses the same three-part structure.
Resize and verify the gauge. Drag a corner handle to size the chart without distorting it. Check that the center label is not covering the arc, the hidden half is genuinely transparent, and the Completed arc represents the right proportion. For 65 out of 100, the colored section should cover about 65% of the visible semicircle. Change B2 temporarily to another valid value, such as 40, to confirm that the arc and linked label respond, then restore the intended KPI.

Common Mistakes

Including the maximum row in the chart. If you select A1:B5, Excel treats Maximum as a fourth slice. That changes the proportions and can leave the gauge looking lopsided. Select only the headings and the three component rows, A1:B4.

Using the wrong value for the hidden slice. The hidden slice must equal the maximum, not the remaining amount. With a maximum of 100, a hidden value of 100 makes the complete chart total 200 and gives the visible components exactly half of the circle. A hidden value of 35 would not produce the intended semicircle.

Mixing units or using a value above the maximum. If the KPI is 65 and the maximum is 100, the remaining amount is 35. If the KPI exceeds the maximum, the remaining formula becomes negative, which a doughnut chart cannot display as a normal slice. Use a maximum that is at least as large as the KPI, or decide how your report should handle an over-target result before charting it.

Hiding a visible slice instead of the lower one. Excel can make the selection difficult because clicking once selects the series and clicking again selects an individual data point. Check the highlighted slice before choosing No fill. Also avoid using a fill color that merely matches the chart background: it may look hidden on one background but show up after the chart is placed elsewhere.

Tips

Keep the table in a dedicated area of the worksheet and use cell labels that make the calculations obvious. If you plan to build several gauges, copy the same four-row layout and change only the actual value and maximum for each one. Use a similar semicircle size, color scheme, and title style across the dashboard so readers can compare KPIs without relearning the design.

Choose a sensible scale for the KPI. A gauge is most useful when its minimum and maximum have a clear meaning, such as tasks completed out of a fixed total. For percentages, keep the stored values consistent: either use 65 and 100, or 0.65 and 1. Do not mix these approaches in the same chart. You can format the cells to display percent signs or units, but cell number formatting does not change the underlying proportions.

Make the number in the center do useful work. A large value such as 65 paired with a smaller label such as of 100 or Complete gives context that the arc alone cannot provide. If the KPI is a rate, show its unit or percentage in a nearby text box. Avoid relying on color alone to communicate status; include the value and, where appropriate, a short status label.

For a dashboard, consider whether users need to see changes over time. A half-circle gauge communicates one current value well, but it does not show a trend. Pair it with a small line chart or a previous-period comparison if direction matters. Keep the gauge focused on the current KPI rather than adding many decorative labels around the arc.

Troubleshooting

The chart is a full doughnut, not a half circle: confirm that the source contains three values: actual, remaining, and a hidden slice equal to the maximum. Then select the third slice as an individual data point and set its fill and border to No fill and No line. A blank cell is not a reliable substitute for the hidden value; enter the formula that returns the maximum.

The empty part appears at the top: return to Format Data Series > Series Options and change Angle of first slice. The intended angle is commonly 270 degrees for the row order in this guide, but chart orientation depends on slice order and rotation. Use the preview to place the hidden slice at the bottom, and confirm the two visible slices make the upper arc.

The chart shows a gap or outline at the bottom: select the hidden data point and set both its fill and border or line to No fill and No line. Then check the visible slices for borders. If a line still appears, select the chart area and confirm it is not the chart-area outline rather than a slice border.

The gauge is blank, incomplete, or has an error: check that B2 and B5 contain numeric values, B5 is greater than or equal to B2, and B3 and B4 contain the formulas shown above. Make sure the chart references A2:B4 and that the formulas have not been replaced by text. If you use percentages, verify that both the actual and maximum use the same scale.

The center value does not update: select the text box border rather than the text inside it, then inspect the formula bar. It should refer to the intended cell, such as B2. If the link is missing, type the cell reference in the formula bar and press Enter. On Excel for Mac, use the same general approach; the ribbon and formatting pane may be arranged differently. If Excel for the web does not expose the individual-slice fill control, open the workbook in the desktop app to finish the formatting.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I make the gauge show a percentage?
Yes. Use matching scales, such as an actual value of 0.65 and a maximum of 1, or use 65 and 100. Format the center value as a percentage only when its underlying value is a decimal such as 0.65. With 65 as the underlying value, a percentage format would display an unintended 6500%.

Can the KPI value update automatically?
Yes. If B2 is linked to a calculation or updated from another sheet, the remaining formula and doughnut chart recalculate when the value changes. A linked text box referring to B2 can update the center label too. Keep the actual value within the maximum if you want a standard gauge.

Can I change the gauge to show a different target?
Yes. Change B5 to the new maximum. Because B3 calculates the difference and B4 refers to B5, the chart proportions adjust automatically. Check that the KPI in B2 does not exceed the new maximum and that the chart still uses only rows 2 through 4.

Can I use more than one color for progress?
You can, but the basic chart uses one Completed slice and one Remaining slice. To divide progress into several categories, add more visible component rows whose values together equal the maximum, followed by a hidden slice equal to that maximum. Keep the total of the visible components at the maximum so they occupy one half of the doughnut.

Can I create this chart in Excel for the web?
You may be able to insert and edit a doughnut chart there, but controls for formatting one individual data point can vary. If the web app does not let you remove the fill and line from the hidden slice, open the workbook in Excel for Microsoft 365 on Windows or Mac, format it there, and then save the workbook.

Try it: the Percentage Formula Generator: percent of, percent change, increase and decrease, with the formula.

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Sources: Function behaviour and menu paths: Microsoft Support documentation for Excel. Method & sources

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