How to Create a 3D Pie Chart in Google Sheets with ChatGPT
Creating a 3D pie chart in Google Sheets can be frustrating because, unlike Excel, there's no built-in option for it. But that doesn't mean it's impossible. This article will show you a clever workaround using ChatGPT to generate a visually impressive 3D pie chart that you can then place directly into your spreadsheet for reports and dashboards.
Why Doesn't Google Sheets Offer a 3D Pie Chart?
Before jumping into the solution, it’s helpful to understand why this feature is missing in the first place. Google Sheets prioritizes data accuracy and clarity, and data visualization experts often caution against using 3D charts. The 3D perspective, with its angles and shadows, can distort the proportions of the slices. A slice in the foreground might look much larger than a slice of the same value in the background, making it harder to compare data accurately.
While 2D charts are better for precise analysis, 3D pie charts have an undeniable aesthetic appeal. They can make a presentation slide or a high-level dashboard look more dynamic and professional. For those situations where visual impact is more important than granular precision, our workaround is the perfect solution.
How to Create a 3D Pie Chart with ChatGPT
The core idea is to bypass Google Sheets' charting limitations entirely. We will use ChatGPT to write a small piece of code that generates an interactive 3D pie chart. Then, we will save this chart as an image and insert it into our Google Sheet. It sounds technical, but it’s surprisingly straightforward if you follow the steps.
Step 1: Prepare Your Data in Google Sheets
First, you need clean and simple data. Pie charts work best when you have one set of categories and their corresponding numerical values. Anything more complicated will be difficult to represent effectively.
For this tutorial, let’s imagine we’re looking at website traffic sources for a month. Your data in Google Sheets should look something like this:
Column A: Source (e.g., Organic Search, Direct, Social Media)
Column B: Sessions (e.g., 8,240, 4,150, 2,890)
Make sure your data is neatly organized in two columns, as this is what we'll be feeding to ChatGPT.
Step 2: Ask ChatGPT to Generate the Chart Code
Now, let's head over to ChatGPT. Our goal is to ask it to generate a self-contained HTML file that uses a JavaScript library (like Google Charts) to draw the 3D pie chart for us. You don't need to know how to code, you just need to provide a clear prompt.
Copy and paste your data directly into the prompt. Be specific about what you want.
Example Prompt:
You can copy this prompt and simply replace the data and title with your own: Generate a single, self-contained HTML file that uses the Google Charts JS library to create a 3D pie chart.
The chart title should be "Website Traffic by Source".
Here is the data:
Source: Organic Search, Sessions: 8240
Source: Direct, Sessions: 4150
Source: Social Media, Sessions: 2890
Source: Referral, Sessions: 1670
Source: Paid Search, Sessions: 1130
Make the chart 3D and set custom colors: #4285F4, #34A853, #FBBC05, #EA4335, #DA00FF.
ChatGPT will process your request and generate a block of HTML and JavaScript code. It should look something like this (don't worry if it's not identical):
Step 3: Render Your Chart in a Browser
Now that you have the code, you need to turn it into a visual chart. The easiest way to do this is by saving it as an HTML file and opening it in your web browser.
Copy the Code: Click the "Copy code" button that ChatGPT provides.
Open a Text Editor: Open a very basic text editor like Notepad (on Windows) or TextEdit (on Mac). If using TextEdit, make sure to switch it to "Plain Text" mode (Format > Make Plain Text).
Paste the Code: Paste the entire block of code into the blank document.
Save as an HTML file: Go to "File > Save As...". In the save dialog, name your file something like
my-3d-chart.html. The.htmlpart is crucial. Make sure the "Save as type" is set to "All Files".Open in Browser: Find the file you just saved and double-click it. It will open in your default web browser (like Chrome, Firefox, or Safari), and you will see your interactive 3D pie chart!
Step 4: Import the Chart Image into Google Sheets
Since we can't embed this interactive HTML object directly into Google Sheets without complicated scripts, the simplest and most effective approach is to save it as an image.
Take a Screenshot: With the chart open in your browser, take a screenshot of just the chart area.
On Windows: Use the Snipping Tool or Snip & Sketch (press
Windows Key + Shift + S).On Mac: Press
Command + Shift + 4to drag and select the area you want to capture.
Save the screenshot to your desktop or downloads folder.
Insert into Google Sheets: Head back to your Google Sheet.
Click on the cell where you want to place the chart.
Go to the menu and select Insert > Image > Insert image over cells.
Upload the screenshot file you just saved.
You can now resize and position the image of your beautiful 3D chart right next to your data table. You have a professional-looking visual that wasn't possible with the standard Google Sheets tools.
Best Practices for Using 3D Pie Charts
Now that you know how to make one, it's worth remembering when and how to use it effectively.
Limit the Number of Slices: Pie charts become cluttered and unreadable with more than 5-7 slices. If you have more categories, consider a bar chart instead.
Show a Part-to-Whole Relationship: Only use a pie chart when your data adds up to 100%. If you're comparing categories that aren't parts of a whole, a pie chart is the wrong choice.
Keep the 3D Effect Subtle: In the ChatGPT prompt, you can ask for a more or less pronounced 3D effect. A steep angle can make data misleading. Stick with a subtle tilt that adds depth without sacrificing too much clarity.
Use for Presentations, Not Deep Analysis: A 3D chart is great for a project proposal, a sales presentation, or a high-level marketing dashboard. For detailed analysis where you need to compare values precisely, a classic 2D bar or column chart is always a safer bet.
Final Thoughts
While Google Sheets doesn't provide a native 3D pie chart, this simple guide shows you can still create one with a little help from AI. By using ChatGPT to generate the necessary code, you can produce a sharp, professional-looking chart and drop it right into your reports, solving a common frustration for many spreadsheet users.
Manually creating one-off charts is a fun and useful skill, but it highlights how much time can be spent on reporting. When your data is spread across different platforms like Google Analytics, Shopify, or HubSpot, pulling it all together is a constant chore. We built Graphed to solve this by automating the entire process. Instead of working with code and screenshots, you connect your sources once, then just ask a question like, "Show me a pie chart of sales by product category for last month." We instantly build a live, interactive dashboard that updates automatically, helping you get from data to decision in seconds, not hours.