"A Beginner’s Guide to Create Sunburst Chart in Tableau"

A Sunburst Chart is a multi-level pie chart that shows how data is broken down across multiple hierarchical levels. Each level of the hierarchy is represented as a ring or circle, with the innermost circle being the top-level category. As you move outward, each ring represents a deeper level of the hierarchy.

• Imagine peeling an onion in reverse—each layer reveals more detail, and all layers together show the big picture.

  
  

  Uses: Sunburst charts are particularly useful when:

  • You need to visualize hierarchical data with multiple levels.

  • You want to show proportional relationships within and across levels.

  • You aim for a visually engaging dashboard without sacrificing data clarity.

    
    

    Anatomy of a Sunburst Chart

    • Center Circle: Represents the root or top-level category.

    • Rings (Levels): Each concentric ring represents a deeper level in the hierarchy.

    • Arcs: The size of each arc is proportional to the value it represents.

    • Colors: Typically used to distinguish categories or indicate metrics (e.g., performance, risk).

      
      

  How to Build a Sunburst Chart in Tableau

  Required:

  • Tableau Desktop (any recent version)

  • A hierarchical dataset (e.g., Category → Sub-Category → Product)

  • A measure (e.g., Sales, Quantity) to size the chart segments

Step-by-Step Instructions

Step 1: Prepare Your Data

You need to create a dataset that reflects hierarchy. Here's an example structure:

Level 1 (Category)	Level 2 (Sub-Category)	Level 3 (Product)	Sales
Furniture	Chairs	Office Chair	200
Furniture	Chairs	Gaming Chair	400
Technology	Phones	iPhone	800

Each row should represent a full path from top to bottom level.

Step 2: Create a Path Field

To build a radial chart, Tableau needs points to draw paths between levels. You must generate points that represent each part of the arc using a data scaffold technique.

You can do this in two ways:

1. Use a scaffold file with values from 0 to N (e.g., 0–360 to simulate degrees of a circle).

2. Create a calculated field for path generation inside Tableau.

A sample scaffold table would look like:

Path ID

1

2

3

...

360

Then join this scaffold with your main dataset using a cross join (using a dummy field like “1” = “1”).

Step 3: Create Calculated Fields for the Radial Layout

You’ll need to calculate X and Y coordinates to position each point on a radial axis.

Examples of Calculated Fields:

1. Angle:

plaintext

CopyEdit

[Path ID] (2 PI() / 360)

2. Radius (based on hierarchy level):

plaintext

CopyEdit

CASE [Level] WHEN "Category" THEN 1 WHEN "Sub-Category" THEN 2 WHEN "Product" THEN 3 END

3. X Coordinate:

plaintext

CopyEdit

[Radius] * COS([Angle])

4. Y Coordinate:

plaintext

CopyEdit

[Radius] * SIN([Angle])

Step 4: Build the Visualization

1. Drag X to Columns and Y to Rows

2. Change the mark type to "Polygon"

3. Drag Path ID to Path

4. Drag your hierarchy fields (e.g., Category, Sub-Category, Product) to Detail

5. Drag your measure (e.g., Sales) to Color or Size

Step 5: Final Touches

• Adjust the color gradient for better visibility.

• Use tooltip customization to show hierarchy and value details.

• Hide headers and axis lines for a cleaner radial look.

• Consider duplicating the sheet to create labels using scatter plots.

Conclusion

Creating a Sunburst Chart in Tableau takes some creative data manipulation and calculations, but it’s a rewarding way to visualize complex hierarchies in a beautiful and interactive format.

This is how a sunburst chart looks like