How to Create Donut and Sunburst Charts in Tableau with Viz Extensions

Overview

Donut and sunburst charts in Tableau rely on Viz Extensions to overcome the platform’s native limitations and unlock more flexible radial visualizations. Donut charts are built by layering a hollow centre over a pie‑style layout, allowing creators to emphasize proportions while preserving space for labels or KPIs. Sunburst charts extend this idea into multiple hierarchical rings, making them useful for drilling into categories and subcategories in a single, compact view. Viz Extensions streamline both chart types by providing prebuilt radial layouts, customizable inner and outer radii, color controls, and hierarchical mapping without complex data reshaping.

Using these extensions, analysts can quickly transform categorical or hierarchical datasets into interactive radial visuals that would otherwise require workarounds with dual‑axis pies or polygon calculations. The result is a more intuitive workflow, cleaner design, and richer interactivity - ideal for dashboards that need to communicate structure, composition, and drill‑down relationships at a glance.

Useful: Explore How to Create a Donut Chart in Tableau Using Multiple Map Layers

Useful: Explore How to Create a Sunburst Chart in Tableau Using Multiple Map Layers

Step-by-Step Guide

To create a sunburst chart in Tableau. Add viz extension by going to the Marks card and select Add Extension.

On the pop-up window – choose “Radial” and open it.

Notice the changes on the marks card and the view.

Dragging a dimension field e.g., Segment to the Ring.

And a measure field e.g., Sales to the Angle, creates a donut chart as shown below.

Adding more dimensions to the Ring shelf such as Category and Sub-Category creates a sunburst chart as shown below.

Note under Format Extension, you can customize.

• Ring padding.

• Segment padding.

• Segment labels and font.

• Center labels and font.

• And choose a suitable color palette.

Note, you can also sort your dimensions in descending order by the measure field to enhance your viz.

Conclusion

Donut and sunburst charts offer a clean, intuitive way to communicate proportions and hierarchical relationships in Tableau. Their radial structure helps viewers grasp both the overall composition and the deeper layers of a dataset without overwhelming the dashboard. When designed with clear color logic, thoughtful labelling, and consistent hierarchy, these charts become powerful storytelling tools that highlight patterns that might be missed in more traditional layouts.

As data teams continue to prioritize clarity and visual impact, these chart types provide a compelling option for presenting complex information in a compact, engaging form. They encourage exploration, support quick interpretation, and elevate the overall design quality of a dashboard - making them a valuable addition to any visualization toolkit.

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