Circle Bullet Chart in Excel: A Step-by-Step Guide

Create a circle bullet chart in Excel by plotting an actual value and the unused portion of a fixed scale in a doughnut chart, then placing a small line over the ring to mark the target. For example, a value of 68 on a 0–100 scale creates a 68% colored arc, while a marker at 80 shows the goal. You will need a few cells of data and desktop Excel for Microsoft 365 on Windows; the target marker is a shape, so you reposition it manually if the chart changes.

What You’ll Need

Excel for Microsoft 365 on Windows. Excel for Mac has similar chart and shape tools, though some ribbon labels and pane layouts may differ. Excel for the web can display the finished chart, but desktop Excel is preferable for precise marker placement and formatting.
An actual value, a target value, and a fixed maximum for the scale. In the example below, the actual is 68, the target is 80, and the maximum is 100.
A little room on the worksheet for the chart. A circle bullet chart works best when it is large enough to see the target tick clearly.

Step-by-Step

Enter the source values. In a blank worksheet, enter Actual in A2 and 68 in B2; Target in A3 and 80 in B3; and Scale maximum in A4 and 100 in B4. The maximum defines the full circle. Keep actual, target, and maximum in the same units—for example, all as percentages from 0 to 100 or all as whole-number counts. Do not enter 68% in one cell and 100 in another unless you intend to mix a decimal percentage with a whole number.
Make the two values the doughnut needs. In A6, type Progress shown; in A7, type Remaining. With Actual in B2 and Scale maximum in B4, enter =MIN(B2,B4) in B6. This gives 68 for the example, and prevents the plotted arc from exceeding the scale if the actual is above 100. With the same layout and the capped progress value in B6, enter =MAX(0,B4-B6) in B7. This gives 32, so the two chart values total 100. These formulas build the ring; they do not change the actual value displayed elsewhere.
Insert a doughnut chart. Select A6:B7, then choose Insert > Insert Pie or Doughnut Chart > Doughnut. Excel creates a chart with a colored progress segment and a remaining segment. If you see an empty chart, check that you selected both the category labels and the values. If your ribbon shows a chart menu with slightly different icons, choose Doughnut rather than Pie.
Set the ring’s starting point. Click the chart, right-click the colored ring, and choose Format Data Series. In Series Options, set Angle of first slice to 0 degrees. The progress arc now starts at the top of the circle and runs clockwise, making it easier to judge where a target belongs. If the pane is hidden, right-clicking the ring and selecting Format Data Series opens it. On Mac, the same formatting options are available in the Format Data Series pane, though the pane may open at a different side of the window.
Format the actual and remaining segments. Click a segment once to select the series, then click it again if needed to select just that point. Use the Fill options in Format Data Point to give Progress shown a strong color and Remaining a pale gray. For a clear dashboard, use a color with good contrast against the worksheet and avoid making the remaining segment so dark that it competes with the progress. Under Series Options, set Doughnut Hole Size to about 60–70% to leave a readable center. The exact value is a design choice, not a change to the data.
Add a readable actual-value label. The simplest option is to put the value in the center of the doughnut. Choose Insert > Text Box, click inside the doughnut hole, and type 68 or a short label such as 68%. Add a smaller text box nearby for a label such as Actual. If you want the number to update with B2, insert a text box, select its border, click the formula bar, type =B2, and press Enter. Format B2 as a percentage first if that is the unit you want to show. A text box linked this way displays the cell value, but it does not format the number independently of the source cell.
Place the target marker. First decide where the target falls around the ring. With a 0–100 scale and the chart set to start at the top, a target of 80 is 80% of one clockwise turn, or about 4:48 on a clock face. Choose Insert > Shapes > Line, then draw a short line across the ring at that position, from just inside to just outside the colored track. Use a contrasting line color and a width that remains visible without covering a large part of the chart. For the example, the target tick sits after the 68% progress endpoint but before the full-circle endpoint. This shape is a visual marker, not chart data, so its position will not move automatically when B3 changes.
Add context and finish the layout. Select the chart title and give it a specific name, such as Sales target or Weekly completion. Add a small note that states the scale or units if they are not obvious. Remove the legend if it merely repeats Progress shown and Remaining; select it and press Delete. Resize the chart before fine-tuning the line, then check that the center value, arc, and target tick are all legible at the size people will see on the dashboard. Save the workbook after checking the result.

Common Mistakes

Using only Actual and Target as the doughnut values. A doughnut chart interprets its values as parts of one whole, so it would show 68 and 80 as slices of a 148 total—not as progress toward a target. Use Actual and Remaining, where Remaining is Scale maximum minus the capped actual. Show the target separately as a marker.
Choosing an unclear scale. The ring represents the whole scale, not the target. If the maximum is 100, a target of 80 occupies 80% of the circle. If you want the target to define the end of the scale, use the target as the maximum instead and explain that choice in the chart label.
Allowing actual values to exceed the scale in the ring data. An actual of 112 with a maximum of 100 cannot be represented as a segment plus a nonnegative remainder. The example formula caps the ring at 100; display the uncapped actual separately and consider adding an Over target label.
Making the target tick too subtle or too large. A thin tick in a similar color to the arc can disappear. A thick line can obscure the data. Use a distinct color and test the chart at its final displayed size.
Assuming the marker updates by itself. A line shape does not calculate its location from the target cell. If the target changes, move the line to the new position—or use a more advanced chart construction that encodes the marker as data.

Tips

Use a fixed maximum when comparing several circle bullet charts. If each chart uses a different scale, similarly sized arcs can represent very different values and invite misleading comparisons.
Keep the full-scale value visible somewhere near the chart, for example, 68 of 100. The arc alone is harder to interpret when the audience does not know the scale.
Use one strong progress color and a neutral remainder color. Reserve a contrasting accent for the target marker so readers can distinguish actual from goal without relying on color alone.
For multiple metrics, create one small chart per metric and keep the same diameter, hole size, starting angle, and scale. Align the charts using Shape Format alignment commands where available, and check that every target tick uses the same direction convention.
Because the target is a manually placed shape, finalize the chart’s size and position before placing the marker. After moving or resizing a chart, check the marker again; it may not remain aligned with the ring.

Troubleshooting

The chart looks like a complete circle with no progress segment. Check that B6 and B7 contain different values and that the chart includes both rows. For the example, the values should be 68 and 32. If B7 is blank or zero, the ring may appear fully colored.
The colored segment runs in the wrong direction or starts in the wrong place. Reopen Format Data Series and confirm Angle of first slice is 0. If you choose a different starting angle, recalculate where the target belongs before moving the marker.
The ring shows more than one color in unexpected places. The chart may contain extra rows or columns in its source range. Right-click the chart and choose Select Data to check the chart data range, or recreate the chart using only A6:B7.
The target line is behind the chart or disappears. Select the line and use Shape Format > Bring Forward, or right-click it and choose Bring to Front. If it is difficult to select, click near the edge of the ring and use the selection pane where available. Confirm the line color is not the same as the chart background.
The value in the center does not update. If it is linked to B2, select the text box border and inspect the formula bar for =B2. A number typed directly into a text box is static. Also verify that B2 contains the current numeric value and that the workbook has recalculated.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is a circle bullet chart built into Excel?
Excel does not provide a one-click chart type named Circle Bullet Chart. This method combines a doughnut chart, a text label, and a manually positioned target line to create the visual.

Can the target marker update automatically?
Not when it is an ordinary line shape. You must reposition it if the target changes. A more advanced chart can use additional plotted data to draw a marker, but it takes more setup and is less straightforward to maintain.

Can I show a target above 100%?
Yes, but decide what the circle’s maximum means. If the maximum remains 100, the ring is capped and the actual should be labeled separately. To show values above 100 proportionally, increase the scale maximum and calculate both the progress segment and target position against that new scale.

Can I use percentages instead of whole numbers?
Yes. Keep the inputs consistent. For example, enter 68% as 0.68 and 100% as 1.00, then format the source cells as percentages. The chart will use the same proportions. If you use whole numbers such as 68 and 100, label the chart so the audience knows these are percentage points on a 0–100 scale.

Will the chart work in Excel for Mac?
Yes. Doughnut charts, data-series formatting, text boxes, and line shapes are available in current Excel for Mac. Ribbon placement and pane appearance can differ. Excel for the web can show the chart, but desktop Excel is more suitable for drawing and carefully aligning the marker.

When should I choose a regular bullet chart instead?
Use a traditional horizontal bullet chart when precise comparison against multiple performance bands is important, or when readers need to compare many values on a shared scale. The circle version is compact and visually distinctive, but its curved scale can be slower to read accurately.

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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