Excel Half-Moon Chart: Add Red, Yellow, and Green Zones

To create a red, yellow, and green half-moon chart in Excel, make a doughnut chart from three equal zone values plus a fourth value equal to their combined total, then hide that fourth slice. Rotate the first slice to 270 degrees so the three colored segments form the upper half of the ring. This creates a static, semicircular display; it does not include a moving needle or automatically show a changing score.

What You’ll Need

Excel for Microsoft 365 on Windows is the primary version covered here. Excel for Mac has similar chart options, though ribbon and pane layouts may differ slightly.
A small data table with four categories: Red, Yellow, Green, and Hidden. The example uses values of 1, 1, 1, and 3.
A few minutes to format the chart. No formula or add-in is required.

Excel for the web can create doughnut charts, but some chart-formatting controls may be limited or arranged differently. If you cannot set the first-slice angle or remove the hidden slice’s fill, open the workbook in the desktop app.

Step-by-Step

Enter the chart data. In an empty worksheet, type Zone in A1 and Value in B1. Enter Red and 1 in A2:B2, Yellow and 1 in A3:B3, Green and 1 in A4:B4, and Hidden and 3 in A5:B5. The three colored slices add up to 3, and the hidden slice is also 3, so each half of the doughnut represents exactly 50 percent of the total. The relative values among the colored zones determine their widths. Equal values make equal thirds; you can change them later if you want different-sized bands.
Insert a doughnut chart. Select A1:B5, including the headings. On the Windows ribbon, choose Insert > Insert Pie or Doughnut Chart > Doughnut. Excel inserts a full ring chart with four slices. If the chart appears as a pie instead, undo the insertion and choose Doughnut from the chart menu. Drag the chart away from the source table if it covers the data, and resize it using a corner handle so it has room to display as a semicircle.
Set the colored half across the top. Click the chart, then click a slice once if needed to select the data series. Right-click and choose Format Data Series. In the pane, open Series Options and set Angle of first slice to 270 degrees. The colored slices now run from the left end of the semicircle, over the top, to the right end; the Hidden slice occupies the lower half. If your colored half appears underneath instead, return to the angle setting and try 90 degrees. Excel’s display can be affected by the order of the categories, so use the visual result to confirm the orientation.
Make the lower half invisible. Select the Hidden slice by clicking it once to select the ring and clicking that same slice again to select just that data point. Right-click and choose Format Data Point. In the formatting pane, open Fill & Line, choose Fill > No fill, then choose Border > No line. The lower half should disappear, leaving a colored upper semicircle with an open space beneath it. Take care not to apply No fill to the whole data series, which would make all four slices invisible. If the selection is hard to target, use the chart’s Format tab and its Current Selection list to choose the Hidden data point.
Color the three visible bands. Select the Red slice as a single data point, open Format Data Point, and choose Fill & Line > Fill > Solid fill. Pick a red color. Repeat for Yellow and Green, choosing distinct fills that remain easy to tell apart. For more consistent colors, use More Colors and enter a custom color if your version offers that option. Do not recolor the entire series: that would give every slice the same fill. Keep the category order Red, Yellow, Green if you want those colors to progress from left to right across the top.
Adjust the ring and tidy the chart. Select the doughnut series and change Doughnut Hole Size under Series Options. A setting around 55 to 65 percent is a useful starting point; a larger hole makes the band thinner. Remove the legend if it is not needed by selecting it and pressing Delete. You can also select the chart title and delete it, or replace it with a short, meaningful heading. To reduce surrounding clutter, use the Chart Elements button next to the chart to turn off elements you do not want. Keep the chart wide enough that the two ends of the semicircle are visible.

At this point, the chart is a decorative half-moon divided into three color zones. The values in the source table control the proportions, not the colors themselves. For instance, values of 1, 2, and 3 make the colored area still occupy half the circle because Hidden must equal their sum, 6. The red, yellow, and green segments would then have different widths.

Common Mistakes

Leaving the hidden slice visible: A white slice is not always truly invisible; it may show a border or cover a colored chart background. Set both its fill to No fill and its border to No line. If the chart has a colored background, a white fill will stand out.
Using the wrong hidden value: If the Hidden value is smaller or larger than the sum of the three zone values, the blank section will not take up half the ring. For a half chart, make Hidden equal to Red plus Yellow plus Green. With the example values, 3 equals 1 + 1 + 1.
Formatting the series instead of one slice: Selecting the whole series changes all the segments together. Click once to select the series, then click the individual slice again. Confirm the pane says Format Data Point before changing an individual fill.
Expecting the angle to change the gap size: Angle of first slice rotates the chart; it does not change the proportions. Change the source values to alter the segment widths, or change the doughnut hole size to alter the ring thickness.
Choosing colors that are difficult to distinguish: Very similar shades can make the zones hard to read. Use clearly different red, yellow, and green fills, and consider adding text labels if readers need to understand the thresholds without relying on color alone.

Tips

Use proportions that fit the meaning. Equal values create three equally wide bands, which works for a simple visual. If the zones represent ranges of different sizes, enter values in proportion to the ranges. Keep Hidden equal to the sum of all three visible values so the chart remains a half-circle.
Add labels outside the chart when needed. Doughnut data labels can be awkward on a half chart because the lower slice is invisible and there is no full ring around which to place labels. A practical alternative is to put Red, Yellow, and Green in worksheet cells beside the chart, or use text boxes positioned near the relevant bands. Check their placement again if you resize the chart.
Keep the data table easy to maintain. Put the source values close to the chart or on a clearly named worksheet. If you change the categories, preserve the Hidden row and update its value to the sum of the visible rows. This prevents a chart edit from accidentally turning the half-moon into a full or uneven ring.
Use a chart title that states what the zones mean. For example, a title such as Service status or Risk range gives context that three colors alone cannot provide. If the chart is only a visual element in a dashboard, a nearby worksheet label may be cleaner than a title inside the chart.
Check accessibility and printing. Color alone may not communicate the meaning to everyone. Add nearby labels or a short note, and preview the worksheet in print view if the chart will be printed. A pale yellow may look especially faint on a white page, so select a shade with enough contrast.

Troubleshooting

The colored section is on the bottom: Reopen Format Data Series > Series Options and adjust Angle of first slice. Try 90 degrees if 270 places the visible zones below. The direction also depends on the order of the data rows; keep Red, Yellow, and Green together and the Hidden row last for the layout described here.
The chart is still a complete ring: The Hidden slice may still have a fill, or you may have formatted a different point. Select the slice corresponding to the Hidden row and set No fill and No line. If it is difficult to identify, temporarily give each slice a different bright fill, find the Hidden one, and then restore the intended colors.
The chart has an unwanted white wedge or outline: Select the Hidden data point again and check both Fill and Border. Set them to No fill and No line. Also check whether the chart has a border or background that is creating the visible edge; removing a chart-area outline is separate from hiding the data point.
The segment sizes look wrong: Compare the three zone values with the Hidden value. The colored slices together should equal half of the total; therefore Hidden should equal their combined value. If one colored slice is unexpectedly large, check for a mistyped number or an extra row included in the chart’s data range.
You cannot find Angle of first slice or No fill: Make sure the chart is selected and you are using Excel’s desktop app. The options are in the Format Data Series or Format Data Point pane, and the pane changes depending on what is selected. On Mac, use the chart formatting sidebar and look for the equivalent Series Options or Fill controls. In Excel for the web, open the file in the desktop app if the needed control is unavailable.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can the half-moon chart show a live score or needle?
A doughnut chart made with these steps only displays the three color zones. It does not include a needle. A live marker requires additional chart data and formatting, such as an overlaid pie or doughnut series, and is a separate build from this basic half-moon.

Can I change the widths of the red, yellow, and green sections?
Yes. Change the three source values to the relative widths you want, then set Hidden to their sum. For example, values of 1, 2, and 3 make the visible bands one-sixth, two-sixths, and three-sixths of the colored half, respectively.

Why does the Hidden value need to equal the other values combined?
A doughnut divides the full circle according to each value’s share of the total. When Hidden equals the sum of the visible values, it accounts for half of the total, leaving the other half for the three colored slices.

Can I put labels inside the colored bands?
You can try data labels, but Excel may position them poorly on a semicircle, especially with a narrow ring. Text boxes or adjacent worksheet cells often provide more control. If you use text boxes, review their placement after changing the chart size.

Will the chart update if I change the values?
Yes. The chart reflects edits to values in its source range. If you add or remove a zone, update the chart’s data range as well, and recalculate Hidden so it remains equal to the total of the visible zones.

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

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