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Displaying real-time data in the dashboard is not a walk in the park.
It would be ideal if you had a visualization chart that’s easy to interpret.
Why?
Tracking real-time and continuous data with inappropriate graphs may distort the key findings or mislead the intended audience.
This is where a Speedometer Chart (also known as a Gauge Chart) comes in.
A Speedometer Chart is arguably among the easiest-to-read visualization designs you can leverage to persuade your audience. The uniqueness of this chart lies in its minimalist design and appearance. You can easily get insights without subjecting your brain to cognitive overload.
Definition: A Speedometer Chart in Excel (also known as a Dial Graph) is a visualization design you can use to display progressive data points.
The advantage of this visualization design lies in its ease of interpretation. Moreover, it utilizes various colors to divide a scale into segments, representing different values of the same metric.
In most cases, these colors usually show the maximum, medium, and minimum value of the data displayed based on its performance. In other words, it employs the use of three colors, namely:
The chart indicates the reading on a dial with the help of a needle. And this makes it incredibly valuable in comparing smaller data points.
This chart has ranges that communicate insights instantly. So, you don’t have to struggle to see the bigger picture.
The tested and proven way of visualizing your data effectively using a Speedometer Graph in Excel, using colors strategically. And this includes red-poor performance, yellow-average performance, and green-target or top performance.
Well, don’t get us wrong.
The fact above is based on what’s working. We’ve discovered that the aforementioned colors get an overwhelming response.
These colors are somewhat embedded into our brains as a reference for a particular phenomenon. For instance, red mostly stands for danger or hazard. And green is most associated with optimum performance.
In this video, you’ll learn how to create a Speedometer Chart in Excel.
The fact that this chart type is mostly used to display one metric at a time makes it a straightforward visualization.
With the right tool, you can easily create a professional chart with just a few clicks. We will go a bit deeper into this point further in the post.
One of the aspects that makes the Dial Graph in Excel popular is that the majority of people are usually familiar with it. Thanks to its resemblance to a car speedometer or a temperature indicator.
The chart has an amazing user-friendly interface, which makes it quite easy to interpret. The sequence of colors, usually from green to red, makes them intuitive and easy to understand.
Ideally, a gauge chart consists of three major parts, namely:
This is the most important part of any Dial Graph as it represents the range of information (mostly in a numeric form). Apart from the data range, it also defines different intervals and colors.
A needle points to a certain value on the scale. Ideally, the tip of the needle can change its location over time.
A pivot point is the center of the needle where the value of its present placement is displayed for us to see.
Take a look at the table below.
| Activity | Actual | Target |
| Actual Sales | 7000 | 10,000 |
Note the difference after visualizing. You can easily extract high-level insights with just a glance at the chart.
Use a Speedometer Chart to track monthly or quarterly sales against a target. The needle points to actual revenue, while color-coded zones show performance levels (e.g., below target, on target, exceeded target).
Display the percentage of tasks completed in a project using a Speedometer. The chart provides a quick visual summary of how close you are to completing the full scope.
Track your CSAT score from survey responses on a scale of 0 to 100. A Speedometer visually communicates how well your service team is performing.
Measure how well your website is converting visitors into customers. Set a benchmark (e.g., 5%) and display the current conversion rate as a needle on the dial.
Show how much of the allocated budget has been used so far. This is especially helpful for departments needing to track expenses without overspending.
Excel is a trusted data visualization tool because it’s familiar and has been around for decades.
However, the spreadsheet application lacks ready-made Excel Speedometer Charts.
We understand switching tools is not an easy task.
This is why we’re not advocating you ditch Excel in favor of other expensive data visualization tools.
There’s an easy-to-use and amazingly affordable visualization tool that comes as an add-in for Excel Mac you can easily install it in your Excel-ready-made visual analytic charts, such as a Circular Chart. The tool is called ChartExpo.
So, what is ChartExpo?
ChartExpo is an incredibly intuitive add-in you can easily install in your Excel without watching hours of YouTube tutorials.
With many ready-to-go visualizations, the Meter Graph in Excel turns your complex, raw data into compelling, easy-to-digest, visual renderings that tell stories in real-time.
More benefits
In the coming section, we’ll take you through how to install ChartExpo into your Excel.
You don’t want to miss this!
This section will use the Speedometer Chart to display insights into the table below.
| Activity | Actual | Target |
| Actual Sales | 7000 | 10,000 |
To install the ChartExpo chart add-in for Excel, click the following link.
.A Meter Graph in Excel is a dynamic visual that shows progress toward a goal, making it ideal for KPIs, performance tracking, and dashboards. Below are the top 5 essential steps to use an Excel Speedometer Chart Template effectively:
Start by opening a ready-made Speedometer Chart template in Excel or downloading one online. Most templates are pre-formatted with editable data fields and a semi-circle gauge. Ensure you’re using Excel 2016 or newer for better compatibility.
Locate the data input section, usually found beside or below the chart. Insert your actual value, along with the minimum and maximum range (e.g., 0 to 100). These values control where the needle points.
Define performance thresholds by adjusting the gauge’s segments, often shown in red (low), yellow (moderate), and green (high). This allows you to visually evaluate performance levels at a glance.
If you’re tracking live KPIs, link your chart to real-time data sources or Excel formulas. This ensures the needle updates automatically when the data changes—ideal for dashboards or regular reporting.
Tailor the chart to match your project or brand—adjust the chart title, labels, font style, and colors. Once finalized, embed the chart into your Excel report, dashboard, or export it as a PDF for sharing.
The Excel dial chart provides a quick and clear view of how a value performs against a target. With one glance, users can assess whether the metric is low, acceptable, or high, thanks to intuitive color bands and the dial needle.
Their unique design mimics a real-world gauge, making them visually attractive and easy to understand. This is especially helpful when presenting data to non-technical stakeholders or during executive meetings.
If you need to track just one critical metric—like revenue achievement, budget utilization, or completion rate Excel dial chart is a great fit. They focus attention and avoid clutter.
Although not native to Excel, Speedometer Charts can be customized with colors, ranges, thresholds, and labels to suit any KPI or department goal, providing a personalized visual experience.
Speedometers work well in high-level dashboards, summarizing performance in areas like marketing, finance, or operations. Their compact, standalone nature makes them ideal for side-by-side KPI comparisons
Excel doesn’t offer a pre-made Speedometer Chart. Creating one involves combining a doughnut chart (for the arc) with a pie chart (for the needle), which can be time-consuming for beginners.
Speedometers are limited to displaying a single value. They aren’t suitable for showing trends, comparisons between datasets, or changes over time.
Despite presenting only one metric, these charts take up a relatively large amount of space on a dashboard, making them inefficient if screen real estate is limited.
If not scaled properly or if ranges are not defined clearly, users might misinterpret the performance level. Poor design choices can distort data perception.
In workbooks with frequent data changes or multiple charts, updating Speedometer logic, labels, and needle placement manually can become tedious and error-prone.
The first step is to define the metrics to visualize using the Speedometer Chart in Excel. The aforementioned will help provide the context for your data narrative.
Visual information is more appealing to our brains than words and numbers only. Studies show we can process visual content 60,000 times faster than numbers and words. High-contrast colors are ideal because they bring out comparison insights.
A speedometer graph, often referred to as a Speedometer Graph in Excel, looks like a dial or meter and is used to display performance metrics. It’s widely used for tracking KPIs and measuring progress toward set targets.
The Doughnut Chart is the base used to create a speedometer in Excel. It is combined with a Pie Chart to form the needle. Together, they mimic the look of a traditional gauge.
Excel doesn’t offer a built-in speedometer or Needle Graph. However, you can create one manually using Doughnut and Pie Charts. Templates and add-ins can simplify this process.
A Speedometer Chart is a visualization design you can use to display progressive data points.
The advantage of this visualization design lies in its ease of interpretation. It uses various colors to divide a scale into segments representing different values of the same metric.
Showcasing real-time data in a dashboard is not a walk in the park.
It would be ideal if you had a visualization chart that’s easy to read and interpret.
Why?
Tracking real-time and continuous data with inappropriate graphs may distort the key findings or mislead the intended audience.
This is where a Speedometer Graph comes in.
A Speedometer Chart is arguably among the easiest-to-read visualization designs you can leverage to persuade your audience. The uniqueness of this chart lies in its minimalist design and appearance. You can easily get insights without subjecting your brain to cognitive overload.
Excel lacks a ready-to-use Speedometer Chart.
So, what’s the solution?
We recommend you install third-party apps, such as ChartExpo, to access a ready-to-use Speedometer Chart in Excel.
ChartExpo is an add-in for Excel that’s loaded with insightful and ready-to-go Speedometer Graphs. You don’t need programming or coding skills to use ChartExpo.
Sign up for a 7-day free trial today to access ready-made Speedometer Charts that are easy to interpret and visually appealing to your target audience.
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