Funnel Chart
Visualize sequential stages and conversion rates
Use me when you want to watch things flow through stages, like water through a funnel. Perfect for sales pipelines (1000 leads → 500 qualified → 100 proposals → 20 deals), user journeys, or any process where you start with many and end with few. I'll show you exactly where you're losing people - and where to focus your improvement efforts.
Overview
A funnel chart displays values as progressively decreasing stages, typically representing a linear process where each stage filters or converts a subset of the previous stage. The funnel shape immediately shows where the biggest drop-offs occur, making it ideal for conversion analysis and process optimization.
Best used for:
- Conversion funnel analysis (website, sales, marketing)
- Sequential process visualization
- Stage-by-stage drop-off identification
- Pipeline health monitoring
- Multi-step process optimization
- Identifying bottlenecks in workflows
Common Use Cases
Sales & Marketing
- Sales pipeline stages (leads → opportunities → closed deals)
- E-commerce checkout process (cart → info → payment → confirmation)
- Marketing funnel (awareness → interest → consideration → purchase)
- Lead qualification process
- Customer journey mapping
Business Processes
- Recruitment pipeline (applicants → interviews → offers → hires)
- Loan application process
- Customer onboarding stages
- Support ticket resolution flow
- Approval workflows
Product & Analytics
- User activation funnel (sign-up → profile → first action → retention)
- Feature adoption stages
- Trial to paid conversion
- Retention cohort analysis
- Multi-step form completion
Options
Stage/Category
Required - Column representing funnel stages.
Each unique value represents one stage in the funnel. The order matters - stages should be in sequential order.
Value/Metric
Required - Define what value to display at each stage.
Column
Select the numerical column containing values (e.g., number of users, revenue, count).
Aggregation Function
Choose how to aggregate values:
Options:
- Sum - Total values per stage
- Mean - Average value per stage
- Count - Number of records per stage
- Median - Middle value per stage
- Min - Minimum value
- Max - Maximum value
Group By (Optional)
Optional - Create stacked funnel by group.
When specified, creates segments within each funnel stage showing the breakdown by this categorical column.
Settings
Hide Empty Values
Optional - Exclude stages with no data.
Funnel Type
Optional - Choose funnel visualization style.
Options:
- Standard Funnel - Traditional trapezoidal funnel with straight edges
- Funnel Area - Pyramid-style area funnel with smooth curves
Text Position
Optional - Where to display stage labels and values.
Options:
- Inside - Text inside the funnel segments
- Outside - Text outside the funnel segments
- Auto - Automatically position based on space
Text Info
Optional - What information to display on stages.
Options:
- Value Only - Show just the numerical value
- Percent Initial - Show percentage relative to first stage
- Percent Previous - Show percentage retained from previous stage
- Percent Total - Show percentage of total across all stages
- Value + Percent Initial - Both value and % of initial
- Value + Percent Previous - Both value and % of previous
Opacity
Optional - Transparency of funnel segments.
Show Connector Lines
Optional - Display lines connecting funnel stages.
Connector Color
Optional - Color of connector lines.
Connector Width
Optional - Thickness of connector lines.
Connector Style
Optional - Line style for connectors.
Options:
- Solid - Continuous line (default)
- Dot - Dotted line
- Dash - Dashed line
- Dash-Dot - Alternating dash and dot
Show Patterns
Optional - Add pattern fills to segments.
Useful for accessibility and print-friendly versions.
Pattern Shape
Optional - Type of pattern fill.
Options:
- Diagonal Lines /
- Backslash \
- Cross +
- Dots
- X Pattern
Understanding Funnel Metrics
Conversion Rate
(Stage N / Stage 1) × 100%
Percentage of initial stage that reaches each subsequent stage.
Stage-to-Stage Conversion
(Stage N / Stage N-1) × 100%
Percentage retained between consecutive stages. Most useful for identifying specific drop-off points.
Overall Conversion
(Final Stage / First Stage) × 100%
End-to-end conversion rate through the entire funnel.
Drop-off Rate
100% - Conversion Rate
Percentage lost at each stage.
Tips for Effective Funnel Charts
-
Order Stages Correctly:
- Ensure stages are in proper sequential order
- First stage should have highest value
- Each stage should be a subset of the previous
-
Choose Right Percentages:
- Percent Initial: Best for overall conversion tracking
- Percent Previous: Best for identifying specific problem stages
- Value + Percent: Provides complete picture
-
Optimize Stage Count:
- Keep to 3-7 stages for clarity
- Too many stages make patterns hard to see
- Combine similar sub-steps if needed
-
Highlight Problems:
- Large drops between stages indicate bottlenecks
- Focus optimization efforts on largest drop-offs
- Compare funnels over time to measure improvements
-
Use Grouping Wisely:
- Group by channel, device, campaign to identify which performs best
- Stacked segments show composition at each stage
- Compare conversion rates across groups
-
Consider Context:
- A 20% conversion might be excellent or terrible depending on industry
- Compare to benchmarks and historical data
- Look for trends over time, not just absolute numbers
Example Scenarios
E-Commerce Checkout Funnel
Stages: Cart → Checkout → Payment → Confirmation
Sales Pipeline
Stages: Leads → Qualified → Proposal → Negotiation → Closed
User Onboarding
Stages: Sign Up → Email Verify → Profile Setup → First Action → Active User
Recruitment Process
Stages: Applications → Phone Screen → Interview → Offer → Hire
Troubleshooting
Issue: Stages are in wrong order
- Solution: Data needs to be ordered correctly. Ensure stage column has proper ordering or manually order in data preparation.
Issue: Funnel shows increasing values
- Solution: Funnels should decrease at each stage. Check if stages are in reverse order or if you're measuring the wrong metric.
Issue: Text labels overlap or are cut off
- Solution: Change "Text Position" to "Outside" or "Auto". Reduce number of stages or increase plot size.
Issue: Can't see percentage drop-offs
- Solution: Use "Text Info" setting to show "Percent Previous" or "Value + Percent Previous" to see stage-to-stage conversion.
Issue: Grouped funnel is too cluttered
- Solution: Consider creating separate funnels for each group using faceting or filters instead of stacked segments.
Issue: Small stages are hard to see
- Solution: Use "Funnel Area" type which allocates more visual space to smaller stages. Consider log scale if values vary greatly.
Issue: Connector lines are distracting
- Solution: Disable "Show Connector Lines" or change connector style to "Dot" or "Dash" for less prominence.