# A readable gauge in Power BI: target, ranges and gap at a glance

> Get started with Gauge Plume: prepare the measures, insert the gauge, add the target, show the % of target, color red, amber and green ranges and show the needle.

- Language: English
- Web page: https://plumevisuals.com/en/tutorials/gauge-plume-prise-en-main
- Published: 2026-10-21
- Visual: Gauge Plume, technical reference: https://plumevisuals.com/ai/visuals/gauge.md
- If an option name in this tutorial differs from the technical reference, the reference is right (it is generated from the visual's code).

## In short

**What is a gauge?** A gauge shows **one value on a scale**, like a car speedometer: you see at once how far you are from the maximum and, above all, from the **target**. It answers a single question: "Where do we stand?".

Mini example. Your 2025 revenue is $1.53M, the target is $1.8M, and last year you were at $1.40M. The gauge fills 77% of its arc, draws a line at the target and writes under the value "▼ 15% below target" (and, with the comparison ★, "▲ +9.4% vs Revenue LY").

- **What the visual does.** Gauge Plume takes the fields of the Power BI gauge (Value, Minimum value, Maximum value, Target value) and adds what it lacks: eight shapes (semicircle, arcs, ring, custom angles, linear gauges, bullet chart), red, amber and green ranges, a needle, the gap to target written with ▲▼ and one gauge per category. Premium (★): a play axis that steps through the months, the comparison with last year, the thermometer, ranges in % of the target, the gap arc, a history sparkline under the gauge, several needles, car-dashboard dials and gradient ranges.
- **When to use it.** One key indicator against its target: revenue, satisfaction rate, service level, budget used, warehouse fill.
- **When to choose something else.** To follow a trend over time, a line chart (Line Plume); to compare many categories, bars (Bar Plume); for several indicators as cards, KPI Plume.
- **What you will learn.** Create the measures, insert the gauge, add the target and last year, choose the shape, color three ranges and show the needle.
- **What you need:** Power BI Desktop, the Gauge Plume visual installed (see [the common basics](/en/tutorials/bien-demarrer-visuels-plume)), a table with an amount. The **PlumeGauge-Sample-EN** sample report, in your ["Downloads"](/en/account/downloads) area, shows the shapes (page 1), one gauge per region and bullets (page 2) and the ★ features, including the play axis (page 3).

## The data to provide

**The shape.** A gauge only needs a **measure** (a calculation Power BI redoes for the current filters, written in DAX; see the [glossary](/en/tutorials/bien-demarrer-visuels-plume#glossary)) for the value; target, minimum and maximum are optional. For one gauge per region, add a category column.

| Region | Month | Amount | Target amount | Amount 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| North | 1/1/2025 | 112,400 | 108,000 | 101,900 |
| North | 2/1/2025 | 118,900 | 110,000 | 109,300 |
| South | 1/1/2025 | 86,200 | 95,000 | 80,100 |
| South | 2/1/2025 | 91,700 | 96,000 | 84,600 |
| East | 1/1/2025 | 74,300 | 81,000 | 70,800 |
| East | 2/1/2025 | 79,900 | 82,000 | 74,200 |

To try it without a file: **Modeling › New table**, then paste:

```dax
Sales =
DATATABLE (
    "Region", STRING, "Month", DATETIME, "Amount", DOUBLE, "Target amount", DOUBLE, "Amount 2024", DOUBLE,
    {
        { "North", "2025-01-01", 112400, 108000, 101900 },
        { "North", "2025-02-01", 118900, 110000, 109300 },
        { "South", "2025-01-01", 86200, 95000, 80100 },
        { "South", "2025-02-01", 91700, 96000, 84600 },
        { "East", "2025-01-01", 74300, 81000, 70800 },
        { "East", "2025-02-01", 79900, 82000, 74200 }
    }
)
```

**The measures.** One sum per column is enough:

```dax
Revenue = SUM ( Sales[Amount] )                -- the value of the gauge
Target = SUM ( Sales[Target amount] )          -- the target line
Revenue LY = SUM ( Sales[Amount 2024] )        -- the comparison ★ (use cases)
```

**Pitfalls.**
- A gauge shows **one number** per category: if you drop the `Amount` column instead of the measure, Power BI summarizes it (sum by default); check the summarization with the arrow of the field.
- A rate (satisfaction, margin) must be a percentage measure (`0.72` for 72%) with the % format: the gauge then picks the 0 to 100% scale automatically.
- Without "Maximum value", the maximum is **rounded above** the value and the target ($2M for $1.53M and $1.8M): never "twice the value" like the Power BI gauge, unless you choose it.

## Step by step: your first gauge in 10 minutes

1. In the **Visualizations** pane, click the **Gauge Plume** icon. An empty frame appears, with a landing page that lists the fields to drop.
2. Drop the `Revenue` measure into **Value**. A semicircle fills up to the value, "$0M" and the maximum are written under the ends, and the value shows in the center.
3. Drop `Target` into **Target value**. A line marks the target, with its "Target: …" label (the measure name), and the "▼ … below target" (or "▲ … above target") line appears under the value.
4. Open **Format › Callout value › Value › Content** and choose *Value and % of the target*: "$7.28M · 99%" in the center.
5. Open **Format › Gauge › Shape › Gauge type** and try *Arc (240°)*, *Ring (full circle)*, *Horizontal linear*. Go back to *Semicircle (180°)* or keep the one you like.
6. Open **Format › Color ranges** and turn on **Show**. Three ranges appear in the track: red up to 50% of the scale, amber up to 80%, green beyond; the arc and the value take the color of the range reached.
7. In the same card, type `70` in **Limit 1** and `90` in **Limit 2**: red up to 70% of the scale, amber up to 90%, green beyond.
8. Type `Watch;Close;Reached` in **Range names (separated by ;)**: the name of the range reached is written under the value.
9. Open **Format › Needle** and turn on **Show**: a tapered needle points at the value and the value moves under the hub.
10. Hover over the gauge: the tooltip gives the value, the target, the % of target, the gap, the minimum, the maximum and the range.

> **Tip:** Everything you just did is free: no watermark. The ★ features (play axis, comparison, thermometer, ranges in % of the target, gap arc, 4 or 5 ranges, dials, several needles, history) remain usable with a "Premium preview" watermark until a key is entered.

## Troubleshooting

| What you see | Likely cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| "Add a measure in "Value"" | Only the target or the comparison ★ is placed | Drop the main measure into **Value** |
| The gauge is almost empty or full | The maximum or minimum does not fit | **Format › Scale › Minimum and maximum**, or drop a measure into **Maximum value** |
| "140%" instead of 72% | The measure returns 72 instead of 0.72 | Divide by 100 in the measure, or set the scale from 0 to 100 |
| A ▲ tip at the end of the arc | The value is above the maximum | Expected: the exact value is still written; or **Value out of scale › *Extend the scale*** |
| The target label shows only the number | Not enough room next to the marker | Make the visual larger; the gauge already shrinks its radius to keep the label readable |
| The ranges do not follow the target | **Range limits** is *In % of the scale* (or there is no target: the visual then falls back to % of the scale) | Choose *In % of the target ★* and drop a measure into **Target value**, or drop measures into **Range limits** (free) |
| A "Premium preview" watermark | A ★ feature is on | Look for the ★ in the Format pane, or paste your key in **Format › Plume Studio License** |

## Key takeaways

- One measure in **Value** is enough; **Target value** adds the ▲▼ gap written under the value (and **Comparison ★** the change since last year).
- The automatic maximum is rounded above the value and the target.
- **Color ranges**: in % of the scale, as values or from measures (in % of the target ★); the color of the range reached colors the arc.
- Eight free shapes (plus the thermometer ★) in **Format › Gauge › Gauge type**.

**Going further:** the [use cases](/en/tutorials/gauge-plume-cas-pratiques) (one gauge per region, bullets, "lower is better", play axis ★, history ★), the [fields and settings](/en/tutorials/gauge-plume-champs-et-reglages) reference, [the common basics](/en/tutorials/bien-demarrer-visuels-plume), the [visual page](/en/visuals/gauge) and [support](/en/support).