Overview

Pie and doughnut charts show how parts relate to a whole. The pptx.dev API supports both — use PIE for traditional pie charts and DOUGHNUT for the modern ring variant.

Chart Types

Example: Market Share Pie Chart

{
  "layout": "chart-1x-title-center",
  "content": {
    "heading": "Market Share — Q1 2026",
    "chart": {
      "type": "PIE",
      "categories": ["Our Product", "Competitor A", "Competitor B", "Others"],
      "series": [
        { "name": "Share", "values": [35, 28, 22, 15] }
      ]
    }
  }
}

Example: Budget Allocation Doughnut

{
  "layout": "chart-1x-title-center",
  "content": {
    "heading": "2026 Budget Allocation",
    "chart": {
      "type": "DOUGHNUT",
      "categories": ["Engineering", "Sales", "Marketing", "Operations", "G&A"],
      "series": [
        { "name": "Budget %", "values": [40, 25, 15, 12, 8] }
      ]
    }
  }
}

Pie vs. Doughnut

Both display the same data. Choose based on aesthetics:

• Pie — classic, universally understood. Good for audiences unfamiliar with data visualization.
• Doughnut — modern, less visual weight. The hollow center can be used for a summary number in print designs.

Best Practices

1. Limit to 5-6 segments. More than that makes the chart hard to read. Group small segments into "Others."
2. Order slices by size. Largest segment first (clockwise from 12 o'clock) helps scanning.
3. Use meaningful labels. "Engineering — 40%" is better than just "40%."
4. Avoid pie charts for close values. If all segments are similar sizes, use a bar chart instead — it is easier to compare.

When Not to Use Pie/Doughnut

Next Steps

• Explore column and bar charts for comparisons
• Try specialty charts like treemap and funnel
• See all chart types