Funnel Charts

Learn how to build funnel charts to visualize progressive reduction through stages

Funnel charts visualize the progressive reduction of data as it passes through sequential stages. They're commonly used to track sales pipelines, user journeys, conversion processes, and any workflow where volume decreases through successive steps.

When to use Funnel Charts

Funnel charts are ideal when you want to:

• Visualize a sequential process with drop-offs between stages

• Track conversion rates through a pipeline

• Identify bottlenecks in a multi-step process

• Show how many records progress from one stage to the next

Configuring Your Funnel Chart

Funnel charts display stages in order, with each stage's width representing its volume relative to the first stage.

Setting the Stage (Category)

The category field defines your funnel stages. This should be a field that contains sequential stage values:

Best practices for Stage Field:

• Pipeline stages: Lead, Qualified, Proposal, Negotiation, Won

• User journey: Visitor, Sign-up, Trial, Paid

• Process steps: Applied, Reviewed, Interview, Offer, Hired

• Order status: Cart, Checkout, Payment, Completed

Important: The order of stages matters! Make sure your field values represent a logical progression.

Example: For tracking a sales pipeline, use a "Stage" field with values like Lead → Qualified → Proposal → Won.

Setting the Value

The value determines the size of each funnel stage:

1. Value Field: The numeric field to measure (or count of records)

2. Aggregation Method:

   • Count: Number of records at each stage (most common)

   • Sum: Total value at each stage (e.g., potential revenue)

   • Average: Mean value at each stage

Example Configuration

Scenario: Visualize sales pipeline from lead to close

Stage Configuration:

• Field: Pipeline Stage

• Order: Lead → Qualified → Proposal → Negotiation → Closed-Won

Value Configuration:

• Aggregation: Count (count of deals at each stage)

This creates a funnel showing how many deals are at each stage, with the funnel narrowing as deals progress (and some drop off).

Another Example with Value

Scenario: Show potential revenue at each pipeline stage

Stage Configuration:

• Field: Pipeline Stage

Value Configuration:

• Field: Deal Value

• Aggregation: Sum

This shows not just the count of deals, but the total potential revenue at each stage.

Understanding Funnel Metrics

Funnel charts automatically help you understand:

• Volume at each stage: The width of each section shows relative size

• Drop-off between stages: The narrowing shows where you lose records

• Conversion rates: Implied by the change in size between stages

• Bottlenecks: Stages with large drop-offs indicate problem areas

Common Use Cases

Sales Pipeline

• Stages: Lead → Qualified → Demo → Proposal → Negotiation → Won

• Value: Count of opportunities OR Sum of deal value

• Shows where deals are getting stuck or dropping off

User Onboarding Funnel

• Stages: Sign-up → Profile Complete → First Action → Active User

• Value: Count of users

• Shows where users drop off during onboarding

Recruitment Pipeline

• Stages: Applied → Phone Screen → Interview → Offer → Hired

• Value: Count of candidates

• Shows where candidates exit the process

E-commerce Conversion

• Stages: Product View → Added to Cart → Checkout → Payment → Order Complete

• Value: Count of sessions OR Sum of order value

• Shows where customers abandon the purchase process

Support Ticket Resolution

• Stages: New → Open → In Progress → Pending Customer → Resolved

• Value: Count of tickets

• Shows the flow of tickets through the support process

Tips for Better Funnel Charts

1. Use sequential stages: Ensure your stages represent a clear progression

2. Define stage order: Make sure stages appear in the logical sequence of your process

3. Choose appropriate value:

   • Use Count to show how many records move through stages

   • Use Sum to show the total value (like revenue) at each stage

4. Limit stages: 4-8 stages work best. Too many stages make the funnel hard to interpret

5. Add context: Include conversion rates or drop-off percentages in your chart title or subtitle

6. Filter appropriately: Use filters to focus on specific time periods or segments

7. Analyze drop-offs: The gaps between stages tell you where to focus improvement efforts

Calculating Conversion Rates

While the funnel visualizes drop-offs, you can calculate conversion rates:

• Stage-to-stage conversion: (Next Stage Count ÷ Current Stage Count) × 100

• Overall conversion: (Final Stage Count ÷ First Stage Count) × 100

Consider adding these as statistics charts alongside your funnel for complete analysis.

Funnel Chart vs. Stacked Bar Chart

Choose a funnel chart when:

• ✅ You have sequential stages with expected drop-offs

• ✅ You want to emphasize conversion through a process

• ✅ The order of stages is critical to understanding

Choose a stacked bar chart when:

• ✅ You want to show composition without implying sequence

• ✅ You need to compare funnels across multiple categories (e.g., by region)

• ✅ Values don't necessarily decrease from stage to stage

Advanced: Multiple Funnels for Comparison

To compare funnels (e.g., this quarter vs. last quarter):

1. Create separate views for each time period

2. Use filters to isolate each period

3. Place funnel charts side-by-side on a blank page

4. Compare conversion rates and stage volumes

Common Questions

Q: What if my stages aren't in the right order? Check your data source—you may need to adjust the stage field values or use a different field that maintains proper sequence.

Q: Can I show multiple metrics on one funnel? Not directly. Create separate funnels for different metrics (one for count, one for revenue) and display them side-by-side.

Q: How do I analyze why people drop off? Use filters on your view to drill into records at each stage and identify common characteristics of drop-offs.

Q: Should my funnel stages be mutually exclusive? Yes! Each record should be in exactly one stage at a time for the funnel to be meaningful.