Tableau Circle Timeline

This article shows how to create a Tableau circle timeline of order date with an example. It is helpful to show the sales or profit timeline.

How to Create a Simple Circle Timeline in Tableau?

Drag and drop the order date to the column shelf and click the down arrow to change it from Discrete to Continuous.

change Order Date from Discrete to Continuous

To Create a Simple Circle Timeline in Tableau, please change the Marks from Automatic to Circle.

Change the Marks from Automatic to Circle

We are using the size help to increase the size of the circles.

Use Size Shelf to increase the size of the circles

Drag and drop Sales to Color, Size, and Label Shelves. It means the circle color and size depend on the Sum of sales and adds a data label to the circle timeline.

Add Measure to Color shelf to Create a Simple Circle Timeline in Tableau

Expand the Color shelf and click the Edit Colors button to change the Palette.

Change the Color Palette

Expand the label shelf and change the Horizontal alignment to the Center to place the data labels inside the circle timeline.

How to Create a Simple Circle Timeline in Tableau and add data labels

The below screenshot shows the Simple Circle Timeline on the Tableau desktop.

How to Create a Simple Circle Timeline in Tableau output

Let me add the axis line at the center. To do this, double-click the empty space in the rows shelf and add 0. Otherwise, create a calculated field with a 0 value.

Remove zero axis line

Please change the Vertical alignment to the center to put the data labels inside the circles. In some cases, you have to adjust the circle sizes as well.

How to Create a Simple Circle Timeline in Tableau and Align data labels

By default, the zero axis value will also show in the Tooltip, so edits the Tooltip and remove it.

Remove zero axis value from tooltip

The final output of the Simple Circle Timeline in Tableau is.

How to Create a Simple Circle Timeline in Tableau output

Tableau Circle Timeline of Month Calendar

First, drag and drop the order date to the column shelf and click the down arrow to change it from Discrete Year to Continuous Month.

Change Order date from Year to Month

Next, change the Marks from default Automatic to Circle to create a Tableau Circle Timeline.

Change Mark Type  from Automatic to Circle

Double-click the empty space beside the rows shelf and add 0 or create a calculated field with any name and 0 as a value.

Add 0 calculated field to rows shelf

Right-click on the axis and uncheck the Show Header option to remove the axis for this 0 calculated field.

Remove Zero Header

Drag and drop the Profit to the Color shelf and Sales to the Size Shelf to generate a circle timeline. You can also use the Sales measure for the color.

Add Profit to Color to create a Tableau Circle Timeline

Let me drag the product category to the Rows shelf to display category sales in the circle timeline.

Add Dimension to Rows to create a Categorical Tableau Circle Timeline

If we replace the Category with a product Subcategory, you can see the circle timeline for subcategories.

Replace the Row Dimension

Expand the Color shelf to change opacity and click the Edit Colors button to change the Palette or colors of the circle timeline.

Change the Color palette

Use the Size shelf to extend or shrink the circle sizes.

Use Size shelf to increase or decrease the circle of Tableau Circle Timeline

The below screenshot shows the Tableau Circle Timeline for order date months.

Tableau Circle Timeline Output