Sample CSV
| Metric | Value | Target |
|---|---|---|
| Customer Satisfaction | 82 | 90 |
| On-Time Delivery | 76 | 85 |
| Server Uptime | 99 | 99 |
| NPS Score | 45 | 60 |
How to Create a Gauge Chart
A step by step walkthrough for building a grid of speedometer style gauges with targets, colour bands and a needle in PlotSet.
About 6 minutesYou will end up with a grid of gauges, one per row of your data, each with its value in the middle and an optional target marker.
Expect about six minutes. Most of it goes on choosing the scale and the colour bands.
The data you need
One row per gauge, with a value and, if you want them, a metric name and a target.
Values must be plain numbers, with no percent signs.
The minimum and maximum are settings, not data, so every gauge shares one scale.
Up to 24 gauges are drawn. After that a note says how many are not shown.
The metric and target columns are optional.
The steps
The exact click path in PlotSet, from a blank template to a finished chart.
- 01
Open the Gauge template
From the PlotSet dashboard, start a new project and choose Gauge Chart from the Other category. It loads with a sample of eight KPIs.
Every guide starts here. Pick the category, then the template: it is the same grid whichever chart type you are after. - 02
Add your values
Import a CSV or .xlsx file, paste rows from a spreadsheet, or connect a Google Sheet. Each row becomes one gauge.
The data view, shown here on a bar chart project. Upload a CSV, lift the numbers out of an image with Magic Import, or sync a Google Sheet. The panel is identical for every chart type. - 03
Check the column bindings
Bind the value column, then the metric name as the label and the target if you have one.
Bindings decide which column becomes the label, which supplies the values and which drives the colour. Auto Binding guesses them from your headers, so check it rather than assume it. - 04
Set the scale
In the Scale tab, set the minimum and maximum. A percentage metric usually runs from 0 to 100.
The Preview tab for a Gauge Chart. Every styling control lives in the outlined panel, each on its own tab: appearance, header, footer and the options specific to this chart type. - 05
Add colour bands
In the Bands tab, set two thresholds and a colour for each of the poor, fair and good ranges.
- 06
Switch on the needle
The Needle tab adds a pointer at the value, and sets its colour and width.
- 07
Shape the arc
The Arc tab sets the start and end angle and the thickness, and whether the ends are rounded.
- 08
Publish and embed
Publish for a live chart and copy the embed code from the Share dialog. Check how it looks at the width of your page before you share it.
Share is how a finished chart becomes a public link and an embed code.
Start from the Gauge Chart template with sample data already loaded, then swap in your own.
Open the templatePublish, embed or export it
The last stretch is the same for every chart type: Share turns the chart into a live public link and an embed code, Export writes it out as a static file.
Share: public link and embed code
Activating the embed code and public link publishes the chart. The link is safe to send to anyone, and the embed code drops into any page as an iframe that keeps the hover tooltips and the interactivity. Edit the chart later and hit Recreate to push those changes out to both.
Export: SVG, PNG or JPG
Export writes a static copy at whatever size you need. SVG stays sharp at any scale and can still be edited in a design tool; PNG and JPG are the safe choices for slides and documents. The scale multiplier is what gets you a crisp image on a retina screen.
Styling tips for a Gauge Chart
Keep the grid small
Eight gauges or fewer stay readable. Beyond that, a bullet chart fits more.
Use bands sparingly
Three colours is enough. More makes the dial hard to read.
Shorten the labels
Short metric names stay whole under each gauge.
Share one unit
Put percentages on one board and counts on another.
Common mistakes when making a Gauge Chart
The arcs look almost empty
The maximum is far above the values. Lower it so the scale fits the data.
A value is off the scale
It is above the maximum or below the minimum, so the arc is clipped. Widen the range.
There is no target marker
The target column is not bound. Check the bindings.
Some gauges are missing
Only 24 gauges are drawn. Split the data across charts.
Learn more about the Gauge Chart
Not sure the Gauge Chart is the right choice? See what it is, when to use it and when not to.
Gauge Chart: common questions
Yes. With a single row the gauge fills the canvas.
Make your Gauge Chart now
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