Treemap and sunburst in Excel - Step-by-Step Guide

Introduction

Treemap and sunburst charts help you see parts of a whole in a clear way. They show how different categories and subcategories relate by size and hierarchy. These charts make it easy to spot big and small groups in your data.

When you want to show sales by product category and subcategory in one chart.

When you need to visualize budget distribution across departments and teams.

When you want to display website traffic sources and their sub-sources clearly.

When you want to compare parts of a whole with many levels, like company divisions and their projects.

When you want a colorful, easy-to-understand chart that shows hierarchy and size together.

Steps

Step 1: Select the data range including categories and values

- Excel worksheet

The data cells are highlighted and ready for chart creation

Step 2: Click the Insert tab

- Ribbon at the top of Excel

Insert tab options appear

Step 3: Click the Insert Hierarchy Chart button

- Charts group on the Insert tab

A dropdown menu with Treemap and Sunburst options appears

Step 4: Select Treemap or Sunburst chart

- Dropdown menu under Insert Hierarchy Chart

The selected chart appears on the worksheet showing your data visually

Step 5: Click the chart to select it

- Chart area on the worksheet

Chart Tools tabs (Chart Design and Format) appear in the ribbon

Step 6: Use Chart Design tab to customize colors and styles

- Chart Design tab on the ribbon

Chart colors and style update to your preferences

Step 7: Resize or move the chart as needed

- Chart border on the worksheet

Chart fits well in your worksheet layout

Before vs After

Before

Data table with categories, subcategories, and values listed in rows

After

Colorful Treemap or Sunburst chart showing categories and subcategories sized by their values

Settings Reference

Chart Type

📍 Insert tab > Insert Hierarchy Chart dropdown

Choose the type of hierarchy chart to display your data

Default: No chart selected

Chart Styles

📍 Chart Design tab > Chart Styles group

Change the look and feel of the chart colors and effects

Default: Colorful

Data Labels

📍 Chart Design tab > Add Chart Element > Data Labels

Show or hide labels that display category names and values on the chart

Default: None

Legend

📍 Chart Design tab > Add Chart Element > Legend

Show or hide the legend and choose its position

Default: Right

Common Mistakes

Selecting data without hierarchical structure

Treemap and Sunburst charts need data with categories and subcategories to show hierarchy

Organize your data with at least two columns for category levels and one for values before creating the chart

Including empty or non-numeric cells in the value column

Charts cannot calculate sizes properly if values are missing or not numbers

Ensure all value cells contain numbers and no blanks before inserting the chart

Trying to use Treemap or Sunburst for unrelated data types

These charts only work well for hierarchical data showing parts of a whole

Use other chart types like bar or pie charts for flat or unrelated data

Summary

Treemap and Sunburst charts visualize hierarchical data by showing parts of a whole with size and color.

They require data organized with categories, subcategories, and numeric values.

Use the Insert Hierarchy Chart button to create and customize these charts easily in Excel.