How to Create a Circular Progress Bar in Google Slides (Using a Donut Chart)

You know the slide. The weekly project update slide.

It usually features a massive bulleted list or a boring, blocky rectangle acting as a progress bar. It gets the point across, but it doesn't exactly look professional.

Now, think about the Apple Watch activity rings. They are essentially just circular progress bars. Yet, they look incredible, modern, and instantly grab your attention.

You can get that exact same look in your Google Slides presentations. You don't need expensive design software or complicated workarounds. All you need is a simple donut chart.

The Problem with Native Slides

Google Slides has a native chart tool, but getting a standard donut chart to look like a sleek progress ring is incredibly frustrating.

The labels get in the way. The colors are clunky to manage. And the worst part? When you need to update the numbers for next week's meeting, you have to fight with a linked Google Sheet just to change a single percentage.

This is exactly why I use ExtraChart. It’s a dedicated chart maker that lives directly inside Google Slides, allowing you to build and customize publication-quality visuals without ever leaving your deck.

Here is exactly how to build a circular progress bar in under two minutes.

If you haven't already, grab ExtraChart from the Google Workspace Marketplace.

Once installed, open your presentation and go to your top menu: Extensions -> ExtraChart -> Create & Edit Charts.

The ExtraChart sidebar will open up on the right side of your screen, giving you a clean list of 20 different chart types.

Step 2: Pick the Donut

Scroll down to the Pie & Donut Charts section and click the Donut Chart icon.

Select Donut Chart in ExtraChart

This opens the ExtraChart popup editor. You'll see a real-time preview of your chart on the left, and your controls on the right.

Step 3: The Data Hack

Here is the secret sauce. A circular progress bar is just a donut chart with exactly two slices: what is finished, and what is left to do.

In the Data tab, wipe out the default spreadsheet data. You only need two rows. Let's pretend your current project is 72% complete.

Set up your rows like this:

Row 1: "Complete" | 72
Row 2: "Remaining" | 28

Note: Make sure your two numbers always add up to 100.

Step 4: Styling the Ring

Now head over to the Settings tab. This is where we turn a basic chart into a modern UI element.

First, toggle the legend off. You don't need it for a progress ring; it just clutters the slide.

Next, let's fix the colors. Using ExtraChart's color palette manager, set your "Remaining" slice to a very light, subtle gray (something like #F0F0F0). Then, set your "Complete" slice to a bold brand color—maybe a vibrant blue or a striking green.

Instantly, the chart transforms. It looks exactly like a track with a progress bar filling it up.

Finally, find the "Inner Radius" setting. Push it higher, around 75% or 80%. This hollows out the middle, turning the shape from a chunky life preserver into a thin, elegant ring.

Step 5: Insert and Impress

Hit "Create." ExtraChart will drop a crisp, high-resolution image of your new progress ring directly onto your active slide.

To finish the look, just add a standard Google Slides text box right in the dead center of the ring and type "72%". Group them together, and you have a stunning, dashboard-quality metric.

The Best Part: Updating It Later

Projects move forward. Next week, that 72% might jump up to 85%.

If you built this by hand using basic Google shapes, you'd be dragging arcs around manually, trying to guess what 85% looks like. It's a massive waste of time.

With ExtraChart, updating is effortless. Just click your progress ring image on the slide and re-open the add-on. ExtraChart stores all the data and settings inside the image metadata. It will open up exactly where you left off.

Just change your data to 85 Complete and 15 Remaining, hit update, and your slide is ready for the meeting.

Stop settling for boring status bars. Give the donut chart hack a try on your next presentation.