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Bullet Sparklines

Bullet sparklines are compact bar charts to show progress toward a goal. They typically include a measure bar, a target line, and shaded areas that represent the actual value, benchmark value, and ranges, respectively.

When to use bullet sparklines​

  • Tracking performance against a target: Compare a value to a predefined objective—ideal for KPIs, sales goals, or benchmarks.
  • Showing progress: Highlight underperformance, acceptable ranges, or strong results using color-coded zones such as red, yellow, or green.
  • Providing quick insights: Present key metrics clearly in dashboards or reports where space is limited.

Create a bullet sparkline​

  1. On the Insert tab, select Sparklines.
  2. Under Other Sparkline, choose Insert Bullet sparkline. The BulletSparkline Setting dialog opens.
  3. Set the parameters.
  4. Click Ok. The sparkline is inserted into the selected cell.

Edit a bullet sparkline​

  1. Select the bullet sparkline in your workbook.
  2. On the Sparkline tab, select Settings. The BulletSparkline Setting dialog opens.
  3. Adjust the parameters, then click Ok.
  4. Copy and paste the sparkline cell to duplicate the configuration in another location, as needed.

Bullet sparkline parameters​

The bullet sparkline formula supports the following format:
=BULLETSPARKLINE (measure, target, maxi, good, bad, forecast, tickUnit, colorScheme, vertical, measureColor, targetColor, maxiColor, goodColor, badColor, forecastColor, allowMeasureOverMaxi, barSize)

ParameterDescription
MeasureDefines the length of the measure bar. Accepts a number or a cell reference.
TargetSets the location of the target line. Accepts a number or a cell reference.
MaxiSets the maximum value of the sparkline. Accepts a number or a cell reference.
ForecastDefines the length of the forecast line. Accepts a number or a cell reference. Default is 0.
Good(Optional) Sets the length of the good bar. Accepts a number or a cell reference. Default is 0.
Bad(Optional) Sets the length of the bad bar. Accepts a number or a cell reference. Default is 0.
Tickunit(Optional) Sets the interval between tick marks. Accepts a number or a cell reference. Default is 0.
ColorScheme(Optional) Specifies the base color used to generate a set of sparkline colors. Default is #A0A0A0.
Vertical(Optional) Display the sparkline vertically when selected.
Additional Formula Parameters(Optional) Customize the sparkline appearance:

  • measureColor – Sets the color of the measure bar.
  • targetColor – Sets the color of the target line.
  • maxiColor – Sets the color of the maximum area.
  • goodColor – Sets the color of the good area.
  • badColor – Sets the color of the bad area.
  • forecastColor – Sets the color of the forecast line.
  • allowMeasureOverMaxi – Allows the measure bar to exceed the maximum when set to true.
  • barSize – Sets the bar thickness according to the cell height/width (between 0 and 1).