What is a semi donut chart?

A semi donut chart shows a part-to-whole breakdown as a half-ring instead of a full circle, with each segment's arc length proportional to its share of the total. It reads like a donut chart cut in half - the same proportional information, in roughly half the vertical space, which is why it's common in compact dashboard tiles and gauge-style displays.

Why is the bottom half of the chart always empty?

The chart is built from a real full circle with a transparent filler segment covering exactly the bottom half - that's what makes the visible top half's proportions mathematically correct relative to the whole. The orientation is fixed; there's no setting to rotate the half-ring to show the bottom, left, or right half instead.

Can I rotate which half of the ring is visible?

No. The starting angle is fixed so the visible half is always the top, which is what makes this chart type's gauge-like appearance consistent. The Start Angle control that exists for full Pie and Donut charts has no effect here - it's intentionally not wired up for this chart type, to preserve the upper-half shape this chart exists for.

How is this different from a Donut Chart?

Visually, a semi donut is exactly half of a donut chart - same ring-with-hollow-center structure, same per-segment proportional arc length, just the bottom half permanently hidden. The formatting options are nearly identical, but a semi donut has no Start Angle control, since rotating the visible half would break the layout this chart type is designed around.

Can I change the inner and outer radius of the ring?

Yes, in Pie Radius. Inner Radius defaults to 40% and Outer Radius defaults to 70%, so the ring occupies the band between those two values, with the inner 40% left as hollow space. Both are independently adjustable.

Semi Donut Chart | Edilitics Docs

Show a part-to-whole breakdown as a fixed upper half-ring, gauge-like and compact. Best for dashboards where a full donut takes more space than the data needs.

A semi donut chart shows a part-to-whole breakdown as a half-ring, with each segment's arc length proportional to its share of the total. Drop exactly one categorical or date field into Column and exactly one numeric field into Row. Use it when a part-to-whole breakdown matters but a full circle takes more vertical space than a compact dashboard tile can spare.

When to Use

A semi donut communicates the same proportional information as a full donut chart - which category dominates, how evenly the total is split - in roughly half the height. It reads naturally as a gauge-like dial, which makes it a common choice for KPI tiles and compact dashboard widgets where a full circle would feel oversized relative to the rest of the layout.

The bottom half isn't missing - it's a real, invisible segment that makes the math work. The chart is a full circle internally, with a transparent filler segment sized to exactly match the bottom half. This is what keeps the visible top half's segment proportions mathematically correct relative to the whole, rather than just rendering the top half of the data on its own.

Switch to a different chart when:

You want the full ring visible, not just the top half - use a Donut Chart
You need a single number with a target range, not a part-to-whole breakdown - use a Gauge Chart
You're comparing precise values across many categories - use Horizontal Bar

Scenario	Dimension	Measure
Storage usage breakdown in a compact widget	Storage type	Space used
Budget allocation snapshot on a dashboard tile	Budget category	Amount allocated
Quota attainment by team, gauge-style display	Team	Deals closed
Survey response split in a small panel	Response option	Response count
Device type breakdown in a sidebar tile	Device type	Session count

Required Inputs

Field	Type	Count
Dimension	Categorical or Date	Exactly 1
Measure	Numeric	Exactly 1

For step-by-step build instructions, see Build Your First Chart.

Formatting Options

The Format tab unlocks after both fields are assigned.

Style

Use the chart title to state what the breakdown represents, since the half-ring shape alone doesn't carry that context.

Control	What it does
Show Chart Title	Shows or hides the title.
Enter Chart Title	Title text. Maximum 50 characters.
Font family	Font applied to the title.
Font size	5 to 30.
Bold / Italic	Weight and style.
Alignment	Left, center, or right within the chart container.

Pie Styles controls the color gradient across segments and the border between them. Unlike on a full Pie or Donut chart, Start Angle in this panel has no effect here - it's intentionally not wired up, since rotating the start point would break the fixed upper-half layout this chart type is built around.

Control	What it does
Start Color / End Color	The gradient's two ends, spread across segments by value rank.
Border Width	0 to 10px. Thickness of the line separating segments.
Border Color	Color of that border, shown only once Border Width is above 0.
Border Type	Solid, dashed, or dotted, shown only once Border Width is above 0.

Start Angle appears in this panel because it's shared with Pie and Donut charts, but it does nothing on a semi donut. The visible half is always the top - there's no setting that changes this.

Pie Radius controls the size of the ring and the size of the hollow center - the same control that distinguishes a donut shape from a solid pie wedge, just applied to a half-ring.

Control	What it does
Inner Radius	0 to 80%. Size of the hollow center. Defaults to 40%.
Outer Radius	20 to 80%. Overall size of the ring. Defaults to 70%.

Pie Data Label controls what text appears on or near each segment and how it's formatted. By default, labels show only the category name - turn on Show Value and Show Percentage to add more detail.

Control	What it does
Show Data Labels	Shows or hides labels entirely.
Position	Inside or Outside the ring.
Auto Format Labels	When on, thins labels automatically past Max Labels to avoid crowding.
Max Labels	1 to 100. Used only when Auto Format Labels is on.
Show Percentage	Adds each segment's share of the total to its label.
Show Value	Adds the segment's raw value to its label.
Number Type	Default, Scientific, Decimal, Currency - Custom, Currency - Standard, Percentage, or Custom. Applies when Show Value is on.
Currency	Choose the currency code. Available when Number Type is Currency - Standard.
Display Unit	None, Thousand, Million, or Billion.
Decimal Places	0 to 6. Available when Number Type isn't Default.
Prefix / Suffix	Custom text added before or after the value. Available when Number Type is Currency - Custom or Custom.
Font Family / Color / Font size / Bold / Italic	Styling for the label text.
Text Case	Uppercase, lowercase, capitalize, or none.

The legend lists each segment by name, useful when labels are turned off or segments are too small to label individually.

Control	What it does
Show Legends	Shows or hides the legend entirely.
Vertical Position / Horizontal Position	Where the legend sits within the chart area.
Show Name	Default (always visible) or On Hover (names appear only while hovering a segment). Defaults to On Hover.
Orientation	Horizontal or vertical layout of legend items.
Item Gap	Spacing between legend entries.
Font Size / Color	Styling for the legend text.

Interactivity

The tooltip appears on hover over a segment, showing its name and value, with an optional percentage.

Control	What it does
Show Tooltip	Shows or hides the tooltip entirely.
Show Percentage	Adds a percentage line to the tooltip.
Header / value text styling	Font, size, and color for the lines shown in the tooltip.

Animation controls the segments' transition when the chart first renders or the data changes.

Control	What it does
Enable Animation	Turns the transition animation on or off.
Duration	How long the transition takes.
Delay	How long the transition waits before starting.
Easing Function	The transition curve.

Emphasis controls the visual response when hovering a segment - a scale-up effect and a drop shadow. Off by default.

Control	What it does
Show Emphasis	Turns hover effects on.
Focus Type	Item, Series, or None.
Enable Scale	Scales the hovered segment up slightly.
Scale Size	1.0x to 2.0x.
Shadow Blur / Color / Offset X / Offset Y	Drop shadow styling on the hovered segment.
Border Width	Border added around the hovered segment.

Enable the Toolbox when viewers need to export the chart or inspect its underlying data.

Control	What it does
Show Toolbox	Shows or hides the toolbox icon bar.
Save as Image	Adds a download icon that saves the chart as a PNG.
Data View	Adds an icon that opens the underlying data table in a separate view.

Best Practices

Don't expect Start Angle to rotate the visible half. It's listed in Pie Styles because the panel is shared with Pie and Donut charts, but it has no effect on a semi donut - the visible half is always the top, by design.

Use this chart when vertical space is the actual constraint. If a dashboard tile has room for a full circle, a Donut Chart shows the same data with the bottom half put to use rather than hidden. Reach for the semi donut specifically when the gauge-like, compact footprint is the point.

Keep the category count low. A half-ring has less arc length to work with than a full circle, so segments get visually cramped faster. Two to five categories read clearly; beyond that, consider a table or a bar chart instead.

Turn on Show Percentage for at-a-glance proportion. Since the chart's whole purpose is part-to-whole comparison, a percentage on each segment's label communicates the takeaway faster than requiring the viewer to compare arc lengths by eye.

Match Inner Radius and Outer Radius to how much hollow center space the design needs. A wider inner radius leaves more room for a centered title or KPI number layered on top; a narrower one makes the ring itself more prominent.

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Semi Donut Chart