How to Create and Configure Funnel Charts

Estimated reading time: 5 minutes

Prerequisites: How to build queries using the Define panel – read this article first

What you’ll learn

By the end of this article, you’ll know how to:

• Create a funnel chart to visualise a multi-stage process.
• Choose between the two query structures (metric + dimension, or multiple metrics).
• Display conversion rates and percentage of previous steps.
• Customise the funnel’s appearance including in-step legends and data labels.

Overview

A Funnel Chart visualises a sequential process where values decrease at each stage - like a recruitment pipeline (applied → screened → interviewed → offered → hired) or an onboarding flow. The width of each stage represents the volume, making it easy to spot  where the biggest drop-offs occur.

Before you begin

Confirm that you have the CanCreateStoryboard and CanExploreData permissions. Your Admin configures these in Admin > Application Role > Permissions. Without CanCreateStoryboard, the options to create a new Storyboard won’t appear.

To build tiles using the Define panel, you also need CanExploreData. See Roles and Permissions for full details.

Creating a funnel chart

There are two ways to structure the data for a funnel:

Option A: One metric + one dimension

Use this when a single metric (like Candidate Count) naturally breaks down by a dimension (like Recruitment Stage). The dimension provides the stages.

1. Enter Modify Mode by clicking on the pencil icon at the top right of the Storyboard title bar and click the Add (+) icon.
2. Select Funnel Chart.
3. Add one Metric, one Dimension (the stages), and a Time Period.
4. Click Run & Preview Query.
5. Click Insert to Storyboard.

Option B: Multiple metrics

Use this when each stage is a different metric (like Applications, Screens, Interviews, Offers, Hires). Each metric becomes a funnel stage.

6. Select Funnel Chart from the Add menu.
7. Add multiple Metrics (one per stage) and a Time Period.
8. Click Run & Preview Query.
9. Click Insert to Storyboard.

Conversion rates

Funnel charts can display conversion rates between stages – the percentage of items that progressed from one stage to the next. Toggle this on in the Design panel. Conversion rates appear between the funnel stages.

Percentage of previous step

In addition to overall conversion rates, you can show the percentage of previous steps for each stage. This highlights how much each individual stage retains from the one before it, which is useful for identifying exactly which transition loses the most volume.

In-step legend

The in-step legend displays the stage name and value directly inside each funnel segment rather than in a separate legend. This reduces the need for viewers to cross-reference between the chart and a legend, especially when the funnel has many stages.

Design options

Key Design panel settings for funnel charts:

• Chart background colour and funnel colour palette.
• Data labels – position, colour, font size, bold, and rotation.
• Neck height and width – control the shape of the funnel’s narrow end.
• Legend – horizontal or vertical orientation, position.
• Conversion rate display – toggle on/off and style the conversion labels.

Quick reference – Sankey vs Funnel

Next steps

Now that you can build funnel charts, you might want to explore:

• How to create and configure Sankey diagrams – for flow-based visualisations that aren’t strictly sequential.
• How to use Storyboard filters – filtering funnel stages dynamically.
• How to add reference lines and annotations to charts – adding context to your funnel.