Excel Pie Chart Template: Create, Customize, and Reuse

An Excel pie chart template is a reusable chart design: it saves a chart type and formatting so you can apply a consistent look to other data. In Excel for Microsoft 365 on Windows, select a chart and choose Chart Design > Save as Template; later, apply the saved .crtx file through Change Chart Type > Templates.

What an Excel pie chart template contains

A chart template is not a sheet of sample data and it is not the same thing as an Excel workbook template. The .crtx file stores chart settings, such as the chart type and much of its visual formatting. It does not store the original figures as a reusable data source. When you apply it to another chart, the new chart uses the new chart’s data while adopting the saved design where applicable.

This distinction matters when choosing what to save. If you want a standard appearance for pie charts across reports, a chart template is usually the useful option. If you need a complete workbook with prepared headings, example data, formulas, and a chart already on a worksheet, save that workbook as an Excel template instead. A workbook template is a separate file type and can include much more than a chart’s appearance.

A chart template can save time on repeat work: for example, a monthly report might use the same colors, title treatment, and data-label style for department spending every month. The underlying categories and amounts change, but the design remains familiar. Still, review the labels and readability after applying a template, because a design that works for five categories may not suit a chart with twelve.

When a pie chart is a good fit

Pie charts show how categories make up a whole. They are easiest to interpret when the categories are mutually exclusive, the values are nonnegative, and the total has a meaningful interpretation. A simple example is a month’s support requests divided among four issue types, where each request belongs to one type. Showing each category as a share of the total can answer a clear question at a glance.

They are less effective when there are many categories, when values are close together, or when readers need to compare small changes across multiple periods. People generally find it easier to compare lengths on a bar chart than angles or areas in a pie. A pie chart also represents one data series at a time; selecting several series does not create a set of comparable pie slices in the way many users expect.

Use a pie when the message is about parts of one whole and there are only a few meaningful categories.
Consider a bar chart when precise comparisons or category rankings matter.
Combine tiny categories only when grouping them as Other is honest and useful; do not hide categories readers need to see.

Excel can create a pie chart from data that is not a sensible parts-of-a-whole comparison, but the software cannot judge whether the chart’s message is appropriate. The choice of chart type is an interpretation decision, not just a formatting decision.

Prepare the data before inserting the chart

Put category names in one column and the values for the single series in the next. For example, enter Issue type in A1, Requests in B1, then categories such as Login, Billing, Setup, and Other in A2:A5 with their counts in B2:B5. Use one row per category, include clear headings, and avoid blank rows within the data. Selecting the headings as well as the values helps Excel identify the category labels and series name correctly.

Check the meaning and quality of the figures before charting. Categories should not overlap, and the values should use the same unit and cover the same time period. A pie chart of department expenses is misleading if one row is a monthly amount and another is an annual amount. Likewise, a set of percentages should add to approximately 100 percent if it is meant to describe the entire whole. Small differences can arise from rounding.

Zero values do not create visible slices. Negative values are not suitable for a pie chart because a negative quantity cannot sensibly represent a positive share of a whole. If some categories have missing values, decide whether they mean zero, unknown, or not applicable before creating the chart; those meanings should not be silently treated as interchangeable.

For a dataset that will grow, consider turning the range into an Excel table with Insert > Table, checking that the table has headers. A table can make it easier to maintain a chart as categories are added, although you should confirm the chart’s selected data range after changing the table or its columns.

Create a pie chart in Excel for Microsoft 365

On Windows, create the basic chart with these steps:

Arrange the category labels and one series of numeric values in adjacent columns, with a heading above each column.
Select the full range, including the headings.
Open the Insert tab, choose Insert Pie or Doughnut Chart, and select a 2-D Pie option for a straightforward chart.
Use the Chart Design tab to select a chart style or change chart elements. Click the chart title to replace the placeholder with a specific description.
Add labels if readers need the category names or values, then check the chart at the size at which it will appear in the report.

The ribbon may show contextual Chart Design and Format tabs only while the chart is selected. To add labels, use Chart Design > Add Chart Element > Data Labels and choose a position, or use the Chart Elements button beside the chart when it is available. For detailed control, open Format Data Labels and select the fields you want, such as Category Name, Value, or Percentage. Avoid showing every field if the result becomes crowded.

Excel for Mac has a similar chart workflow: select the data, use the Insert tab and choose a pie chart, then use the chart-formatting controls to edit its elements. Ribbon layouts and the placement of some controls can differ by platform and update, so the exact Windows contextual tab names may not appear in the same place on Mac. Excel for the web also offers chart insertion and basic formatting, but some advanced formatting and template-management choices may be more limited than in the desktop application.

Make the chart clear and accessible

A useful chart title says what the values represent and, when relevant, the period covered. Support requests by issue type, April is more informative than Pie Chart. If the whole is not obvious, add context in nearby worksheet text or a subtitle rather than expecting readers to infer it from the slices.

Data labels can show category names, values, percentages, or combinations. For a small chart with four categories, category and percentage labels may be enough. If values are important for audit or reconciliation, include the values too, provided they fit without overlapping. A legend is an alternative to labels on slices, but readers must then match each color to a category, which can be harder when colors are similar or the chart is small.

Do not rely on color alone to communicate meaning. Use clear labels and choose colors with enough contrast. Keep the category-color mapping consistent across reports if people will compare the same categories over time. Avoid 3-D pie effects for comparisons: perspective can distort the apparent size of slices. Exploding a slice can draw attention to one category, but excessive separation makes the whole harder to read.

For accessibility, use meaningful text in the title and labels, and do not make the chart the only place where essential figures appear. A small data table beside or below the chart can provide exact values for readers who cannot distinguish colors or who need precise numbers. If sharing a workbook, check the chart at normal zoom and in the exported or displayed context, not only while it is enlarged on the editing screen.

Save and apply a reusable chart template

To save a chart design in desktop Excel for Microsoft 365 on Windows, select the finished chart and choose Chart Design > Save as Template. In the dialog, choose a recognizable filename and save the chart template. Excel stores the design as a .crtx file. Give it a name that identifies its purpose, such as Monthly Pie with Labels, rather than a vague name such as Chart 1.

To reuse it, select a chart or first select the data and insert a chart. With the chart selected, choose Chart Design > Change Chart Type, open Templates, select the saved design, and confirm. The template applies the saved chart design to the chart’s data. Inspect the result: category count, long labels, and the range of values can affect whether the original formatting still works well.

Keep the .crtx file somewhere you can find and share it, especially if other people need the same design. A template file is separate from the workbook, so sending only the workbook does not necessarily give a colleague the saved template. If consistent appearance is essential for a team, distribute the template along with brief instructions and a sample chart. Users should confirm that the template is available in their Excel installation before relying on it in a production workflow.

On Mac, Excel provides chart formatting and chart-template options in supported desktop versions, but the dialogs and template locations can differ from Windows. If you cannot find a saved template, check the Chart Design or chart-type controls in your version of Excel and consult the app’s help for that release. Do not assume that a .crtx file is a workbook template or that a chart template will automatically travel with an .xlsx file.

Common problems and how to fix them

The chart shows the wrong categories: Select the chart and use Chart Design > Select Data to review the chart data range and category labels. Correct the range if it includes extra rows or misses a category.
The chart has one slice or no useful labels: Check that the values are numeric, that more than one category has a positive value, and that the selected range includes both labels and values.
Percentages do not look like expected totals: Check for duplicate categories, omitted rows, and values from inconsistent periods. Excel calculates displayed shares from the data included in the chart.
Labels overlap: Reduce the number of displayed fields, move labels outside the slices, enlarge the chart, or use a bar chart. Shrinking the font until it is unreadable is not a good fix.
The template does not appear: Confirm that you saved a chart template rather than a workbook, and check that you are using a desktop Excel version with access to that template file.

Another frequent misconception is that saving a chart template will save its data and automatically update every future report. It saves the design, not a connection to future monthly figures. Each new chart must be based on the correct data, and its source range should be reviewed when the worksheet changes.

Chart template or workbook template?

Choose a chart template when you want to reuse the appearance of a chart. Choose a workbook template when you want a repeatable starting file containing worksheets, headings, formulas, instructions, and possibly a prebuilt chart. In Excel, a workbook can be saved as an Excel Template file, commonly .xltx, through File > Save As and the file-type choice in the save dialog. The exact dialog wording can vary by platform.

A workbook template is often easier for a recurring report because it can include both a correctly structured data area and the chart. A chart template is more portable as a design element when charts are created in different workbooks. These options can also be used together: a workbook template can contain sample structure, while a .crtx file can help standardize chart formatting in other files.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does Excel include a pie chart template?
Excel includes built-in chart types and styles, and desktop Excel can save and apply chart templates. You can start with a built-in pie chart, customize it, and save the design as a .crtx file for reuse.

Can I download a free Excel pie chart template?
You can find downloadable workbook or chart templates from various sources, but check what the file contains and whether its data, formulas, and design suit your needs. A .crtx chart template is different from an .xlsx workbook and should come from a source you trust.

How do I show percentages on a pie chart?
Select the chart, add data labels, and open Format Data Labels. Select Percentage and, if needed, clear other label fields such as Value. Check that the included data represents the whole you intend to describe.

Can a pie chart show more than one data series?
A standard pie chart is designed to display one series as parts of a whole. If you need to compare several series, use a different chart type, such as a clustered bar or column chart, or consider a doughnut chart only when its structure communicates the comparison clearly.

Will a chart template update when I change the data?
The template itself does not update data. A chart linked to worksheet cells reflects edits to those source cells, but you must ensure its data range includes any newly added categories and that the figures are appropriate for the chart.

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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