How to create thermometer goal chart in Excel?
Have you ever imaged to create a thermometer goal chart in Excel? This tutorial will show you the detailed steps of creating a thermometer goal chart in Excel.
Create thermometer chart in Excel with 10 steps
Create thermometer chart in Excel with 3 steps by using a powerful Charts tool (recommend)
Comparison of Methods for Creating a Thermometer Goal Chart in Excel
A thermometer goal chart provides a clear visual representation of progress toward a target. Excel can create this type of chart manually by customizing a standard column chart, while Kutools for Excel provides a dedicated Thermometer Chart tool. The following table compares the two methods introduced in this article.
| Feature | Excel Built-in Method | Kutools Thermometer Chart |
|---|---|---|
| Create a thermometer goal chart | ✔ | ✔ |
| Dedicated thermometer chart feature | ✘ Requires customizing a standard chart | ✔ |
| Requires inserting a standard column chart first | ✔ 100% Stacked Column or Stacked Column | ✘ |
| Requires switching row and column | ✔ | ✘ |
| Requires manual series formatting | ✔ | ✘ Automatically configured |
| Requires adjusting Gap Width | ✔ Set to 0% | ✘ |
| Requires manually configuring fill and border | ✔ | ✘ During initial creation |
| Requires manually removing chart elements | ✔ Legend, horizontal axis, and gridlines | ✘ |
| Requires inserting an additional shape | ✔ Oval shape for the thermometer base | ✘ |
| Select current value directly | Uses the source chart data | ✔ Select in dialog |
| Select target value directly | Uses the source chart data | ✔ Select in dialog |
| Choose vertical axis type during creation | ✘ Requires manual chart configuration | ✔ |
| Requires formulas | ✘ | ✘ |
| Requires VBA / coding | ✘ | ✘ |
| Manual chart-formatting effort | High | Low |
| Main setup process | Insert a stacked column chart, switch rows and columns, remove unnecessary chart elements, format the data series, set Gap Width to 0%, configure fill and borders, resize the chart, insert an oval shape, and format the final chart. | Choose Kutools > Charts > Progress > Thermometer Chart, select the current and target values, choose a Vertical Axis Type, and click OK. |
| Approximate workflow length shown in article | 10 steps | 3 steps |
| Best for | Users who want a built-in Excel solution and are comfortable manually formatting charts | Quickly creating thermometer goal charts without manually rebuilding and formatting a standard chart |
| Ease of use | Moderate to Advanced | Very easy |
Create thermometer goal chart
For example, you have below data needed to create a thermometer goal chart, and do as below steps.
1. Select the data, and click Insert > Column > 100% Stacked Column. See screenshot:
Tip: You can also select Stacked Column as your need.
2. Click Design > Switch Row/Column. See screenshot:
3. Select the legends in the chart, press Delete key to remove them.
Note: In Excel 2013 the legends are not added by default, so you can just skip this step.
4. Right click at the Whole project series (the red one), then select Format Data Series from context menu.
5. In the popped out dialog/pane, do below operations:
(1) Click Series Options section, and drag the arrow point under Gap Width to left until 0%.
(2) Click Fill section, and check No fill;
(3) Click Border Color section, check Solid line, and select the color you like in the Color drop down list.
(4) Click Border Styles section, and type 2pt into the Width text box.
In Excel 2013’s Format Data Series pane,
(1) Click the Series Options tab, and type 0% in the Gap Width text box;
(2)Click the Fill & Line tab, check No Fill option in Fill section; next in the Border section check the Solid line option, specify a border color with clicking the Color button and enter 2pt in the Width text box.
6. Close the dialog, now remove the horizontal axis, then click Layout > Gridlines > Primary Horizontal Gridlines > None. See screenshot:
In Excel 2013, click Design > Add Chart Element > Gridlines > Primary Major Horizontal.
7. Now you can see the top border color is green, click on the border, and click Format > Shape Outline to select the color as you need. See screenshot:
8. Now resize the chart area as your need.
9. Click Insert > Shapes, and select the Oval shape, then draw the oval to overlap the chart, see screenshot:
10. Click at Format > Shape Outline, then select the color to meet your chart color. See screenshot:
Now a thermometer goal chart is created.
Create thermometer chart in Excel with 3 steps by using a powerful Charts tool (recommend)
With the built-in feature to create the thermometer chart is so complex and time-wasted, however, the Charts group of Kutools for Excel provides a quick way to create the thermometer chart which only need 3 clicks.
After free installing Kutools for Excel, please do as below:
1. Click Kutools > Charts > Progress > Thermometer Chart.
2. In the Thermometer Chart dialog, select the current values and target values as you need, then choose one chart type you want to create in the Vertical Axis Type section.
3. Click Ok, then a thermometer chart has been created. Is not it easy?
Tip:
1. If you are the first time using this tool, you can click the Sample button to show how this tool work.
2. You can change the chart color as you need under the Format tab.
Conclusion
Excel's built-in method can create a thermometer goal chart without any add-ins, but Excel does not provide a dedicated thermometer chart type. Instead, users need to build the effect manually from a stacked column chart. This involves switching the chart orientation, removing unnecessary chart elements, adjusting the series gap width, changing fills and borders, resizing the chart, and adding an oval shape to complete the thermometer appearance.
Kutools for Excel's Thermometer Chart greatly simplifies the process by providing a dedicated chart-creation dialog. Users only need to select the current values and target values, choose the desired vertical axis type, and click OK. The thermometer chart is then generated automatically, eliminating most of the manual formatting required by Excel's built-in method. It is especially useful for users who frequently create progress, KPI, sales target, fundraising, or project-completion charts.
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