Exploded Donut Chart in Power BI Explained

An Exploded Donut Chart in Power BI is a variation of a regular donut chart, where the slices (segments) are pulled away or separated from the center to highlight each category more clearly.

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🍩 What is a Donut Chart?

A donut chart is like a pie chart with a hole in the middle. It's used to:

• Show part-to-whole relationships
• Compare percentage share of categories

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💥 Exploded Donut Chart – Key Features

• Visual Emphasis: Each slice is separated slightly from the center.
• Makes it easier to distinguish individual segments
• Great for highlighting important categories or differences

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🛠️ How to Create an Exploded Donut Chart in Power BI

Power BI doesn't offer a built-in exploded donut chart by default, but you can achieve it using custom visuals or workarounds:

✅ Option 1: Use a Custom Visual

1. Go to Visualizations > Get more visuals (AppSource)
2. Search for "Donut" or "Exploded Pie/Donut"
3. Add and use a visual like: "Pie Chart with Legends" by MAQ Software "Advanced Donut Visual"

✅ Option 2: Use the Pie Chart Trick

1. Use a Pie Chart
2. In the Format pane, go to "Detail Labels" and "Slice Explosion"
3. Increase the explosion value to pull slices apart (Note: this works for Pie, not Donut — but gives a similar feel)

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📌 Use Cases

• Highlighting top-performing categories
• Drawing attention to a particular data point
• Creating visually appealing dashboards for business reviews