How to Create Sunburst in Tableau

Creating a sunburst chart in Tableau might seem like a daunting task, as there isn't a one-click option waiting for you in the "Show Me" panel. But don't worry, building this powerful and visually appealing chart is completely achievable. This guide will walk you through the entire process, step-by-step, to help you visualize hierarchical data in an intuitive new way.

What Exactly is a Sunburst Chart?

Think of a sunburst chart, also known as a radial treemap or multi-level pie chart, as a donut chart with extra layers. At its core, it shows how a whole is broken down into its constituent parts, but it doesn't stop at one level. Each ring of the sunburst represents a level in a hierarchy, with the innermost ring being the highest-level category.

Each ring is then sliced up to show its contribution to the category in the next ring inward. The result is a chart that clearly displays relationships and proportions across multiple hierarchical levels at once.

When to Use a Sunburst Chart

Sunburst charts are fantastic when you need to visualize nested data structures. They excel at showing part-to-whole relationships across a hierarchy. Some common use cases include:

• Sales Data: Visualizing sales broken down by Product Category, then Sub-Category, and even by individual Product.
• Website Traffic: Showing user sessions by Channel (e.g., Organic Search, Social), then by Source (e.g., Google, Facebook), and then by specific Campaign.
• Organizational Structure: Mapping out a company's budget by Department, then by Team, then by individual project.
• Inventory Management: Displaying stock levels by Warehouse, then by Aisle, then by Shelf.

A word of caution: while they look great, sunburst charts can become cluttered and hard to read if you try to stuff too many levels or too many narrowly-sliced categories into them. They are most effective with two to three hierarchical levels and categories that are distinct enough to be visible.

Preparing Your Tableau Worksheet for a Sunburst Chart

Luckily, the structure needed for a sunburst is fairly simple. The main requirement is that your data has a clear hierarchy - a parent category and at least one child category. The more levels in your hierarchy, the more rings your sunburst chart will have.

For this tutorial, we'll use the sample "Superstore" dataset that comes with Tableau. Our hierarchy will be:

• Level 1 (Inner Ring): Category (Furniture, Office Supplies, Technology)
• Level 2 (Outer Ring): Sub-Category (Bookcases, Chairs, Phones, etc.)

The size of each slice in the chart will be determined by our measure, which will be Sales.

The fundamental technique we will use is to create two pie charts and stack them on top of each other using Tableau's dual-axis feature. By making the background chart larger than the foreground chart, we create the classic ring/donut effect.

Step-by-Step: Building Your Sunburst Chart in Tableau

Let's get started. Open Tableau with the Superstore dataset and follow these steps. For this to work, we need to create two axes that we can control independently.

Step 1: Create the Chart Foundation

The easiest way to create two axes on the same chart is by using a simple calculation in the Rows shelf.

1. On a new sheet, double-click in the Rows shelf. A text box will appear.
2. Type in AVG(0) and press Enter. A single pill titled "AVG(0)" will appear.
3. Drag this "AVG(0)" pill from the Rows shelf and drop it next to itself while holding Ctrl (on Windows) or Cmd (on Mac). This duplicates the pill. You should now have two "AVG(0)" pills next to each other on the Rows shelf.

This creates two axes for our two chart layers. On the Marks card, you will now see options for "All," "AVG(0)," and "AVG(0) (2)." These allow you to control each layer individually.

Step 2: Build the Outer Ring (Sub-Category Level)

First, we’ll build the pie chart that will become our outer ring, which represents the second level of our hierarchy.

1. On the Marks card, click on the first AVG(0) section.
2. Change the chart type from "Automatic" to Pie using the dropdown menu.
3. Drag the Sub-Category dimension to the Color shelf.
4. Drag the Category dimension to the Color shelf as well. It’s important to have both so the colors align later.
5. Drag the Sales measure to the Angle shelf. This tells Tableau to size each slice based on its sales value.
6. Drag the Sub-Category dimension to the Label shelf to see which slice is which.

You should now see a pie chart sliced by Sub-Category. We'll adjust its size and position later.

Step 3: Build the Inner Circle (Category Level)

Now, let's create the chart for our innermost ring, which is the primary level of our hierarchy.

1. On the Marks card, click on the second AVG(0) section (titled "AVG(0) (2)").
2. Change its chart type to Pie as well.
3. Drag the Category dimension to the Color shelf.
4. Drag the Sales measure to the Angle shelf.
5. Finally, drag the Category dimension and the Sales measure to the Label shelf, which will label the center of our chart later.

You now have two separate pie charts being managed by two different Marks cards.

Step 4: Combine the Charts with a Dual Axis

This is where the magic happens. We'll layer the two charts to create the sunburst effect.

1. In the Rows shelf, right-click the second "AVG(0)" pill.
2. Select Dual Axis from the dropdown menu.

The two pie charts are now stacked on top of each other! It might look a little messy, but we are just a few formatting steps away from a clean sunburst chart.

Step 5: Adjust Sizing and Formatting

To create the ring effect, all we need to do is make the back chart larger than the front chart.

1. Go to the Marks card for the first chart (the AVG(0) one for Sub-Category). Click on the Size button. Drag the slider to the right to make this chart larger. This will be our outer ring.
2. Now, go to the Marks card for the second chart (the AVG(0) (2) one for Category). Click its Size button and make sure its slider is positioned to the left of the other chart's slider, making it smaller. This is our inner circle.
3. To add some definition, go into the Color shelf for both charts and add a white Border.
4. Finally, right-click on the "AVG(0)" axes on the left and right of the chart and uncheck Show Header to hide the axes and give you a clean visualization.

And that’s it! You have successfully created a two-level sunburst chart in Tableau. You can see your sales by Category in the center, and the outer ring breaks down how each Sub-Category contributes to its parent Category.

Tips for Improving Your Sunburst Chart

To make your chart even more effective, consider these final touches:

• Sort Your Slices: On each chart's Marks card, you can right-click the dimension on the Color shelf (e.g., Sub-Category) and select 'Sort.' Sorting by sales in descending order can make the chart easier to interpret.
• Clean Up Tooltips: A sunburst chart relies heavily on tooltips, especially for smaller slices. Go to the Tooltip shelf for each Marks card and edit the text to be clear and concise, showing the category, sub-category, and specific sales value.
• Expand to Three Levels: To create a chart with three levels (e.g., Category > Sub-Category > Region), you would simply duplicate the AVG(0) pill one more time, follow the same steps, and carefully manage the sizing for three different charts on a single dual axis.
• Use Dashboard Actions: Sunburst charts pair wonderfully with other visualizations. On a dashboard, you can set up actions so that clicking a slice of your sunburst filters other charts, like a bar chart or a map, allowing users to explore the data interactively.

Final Thoughts

Creating a sunburst diagram in Tableau is a great example of the platform's flexibility. While it requires a few manual steps using the dual-axis technique, the process unlocks a powerful method for showcasing hierarchical data that traditional pie charts simply can't handle. With this guide, you now have the skills to build your own.

While mastering techniques like these is rewarding, it can be a huge investment of time, especially with the steep learning curve of advanced BI tools. At Graphed, we've built a different path. We believe getting insights shouldn't require tutorials, complex setup, or manual report building. Instead of spending hours creating a single sunburst chart, you can just ask a question like, "Show a sunburst of sales by category then sub-category," and our AI handles building the visualization, pulling from your live data in real-time. If you'd like to spend more time analyzing data and less time wrangling charts, give Graphed a try.