Sankey Chart
Free Online Sankey Chart Maker
What is a Sankey Chart?
A Sankey chart visualizes how quantities flow between connected nodes, where the width of each link is proportional to the volume it carries. They're ideal for revealing where the largest transfers, losses, or concentrations occur within a system. Use them to map energy flows, trace budget allocations, or follow users through a multi-step journey — any time the relative size of flows tells the real story.
Key Features
Flow-Width Encoding
Link widths scale automatically with flow values, so dominant paths are instantly visible without reading labels.
Multi-Stage Flows
Show how a quantity splits, recombines, or shrinks across as many stages as your data requires.
Node & Link Customization
Assign custom colors to nodes, control label placement, and adjust link opacity to keep the diagram readable.
Inline Value Labels
Display exact flow values on each link so stakeholders can read precise numbers alongside the visual proportions.
Auto Layout
Nodes are positioned automatically to minimize link crossings and keep the diagram clean with no manual arrangement needed.
Color Schemes
Choose per-node colors to group by category, or use gradient flows to trace individual paths across stages.
Best For
When to Use
- When a total quantity splits into multiple destinations across stages
- When the relative size of flows matters as much as the individual values
- When you want to pinpoint where the biggest transfers or losses occur
- When tracing inputs through a process to show what reaches the output
- When comparing how multiple sources contribute to multiple outcomes
- When a plain table of flows is too hard to read at a glance
Common Mistakes
- !Adding too many nodes — diagrams with more than 15–20 nodes become unreadable
- !Using flows that don't balance (inputs don't equal outputs), which misleads readers
- !Labeling every thin flow when narrow links can't fit readable text
- !Mixing unrelated flow types in one diagram, blurring the message
- !Ignoring flow direction, leaving readers unsure which way quantities move
- !Choosing colors at random instead of grouping related nodes visually
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Templates
Start with professionally designed templates
Blank Sankey Diagram Template
Start from a ready-to-edit Sankey diagram and visualize any flow — revenue, energy, budget, or process — in minutes.
Supply Chain Sankey Diagram Template
Visualize the complete flow of goods across your supply chain — from raw materials through suppliers, manufacturing, distribution, and all the way to end consumers.
Water Flow Sankey Diagram Template
Visualize the complete water cycle — from precipitation sources through treatment and distribution to end use and return — in one clear, compelling Sankey diagram.
Energy Flow Sankey Diagram Template
Visualize how energy moves from primary sources through generation to end-use sectors with a clear, interactive Sankey flow chart.
Sankey Diagram Template - Map Flows Clearly
Use this blank Sankey template to visualize how energy, money, or resources move through any system - fully customizable in minutes.
Carbon Circular Flow Sankey: See Where Carbon Goes
This template maps carbon from extraction and manufacturing through product use, energy, recycling, reuse, sequestration, and final sinks.
View All Templates
Browse the full library to find more templates tailored to your chart.