Settle
The Bristol Stool Chart,
made simple.
Seven types, from hard lumps to liquid. Learn what each one says about your gut — then track yours in seconds with Settle.
What is the Bristol Stool Chart?
The Bristol Stool Chart (or Bristol Stool Scale) is a medically recognized tool that classifies human stool into seven types by shape and consistency. Developed at the University of Bristol, it gives a shared vocabulary for something notoriously hard to describe.
Because it's standardized, it makes tracking meaningful: instead of vague notes, each entry maps to a type. Settle uses the Bristol scale so your logs are consistent and easy to interpret — for you and your doctor.
What you get with Settle
Types 1–2: Constipation
Separate hard lumps or a lumpy sausage — signs stool moved too slowly and lost water.
Types 3–4: Healthy
A cracked or smooth, soft sausage — the ideal range for most people.
Types 5–7: Loose
Soft blobs to fully liquid — signs stool moved too fast, toward diarrhea.
The 7 stool types explained
Types 1 & 2 — too slow
Type 1 is separate hard lumps (like nuts); type 2 is a lumpy, sausage-shaped mass. Both suggest constipation and that stool spent too long in the colon.
Types 3 & 4 — the healthy zone
Type 3 is a sausage with surface cracks; type 4 is smooth and soft like a snake. These are generally considered the ideal, easy-to-pass forms.
Types 5, 6 & 7 — too fast
Type 5 is soft blobs with clear edges, type 6 is mushy with ragged edges, and type 7 is entirely liquid. These trend toward urgency and diarrhea.
Frequently asked questions
What is a healthy stool type?
Types 3 and 4 on the Bristol Stool Chart — a soft, formed sausage — are generally considered healthy and easy to pass.
What does type 1 or 2 mean?
Hard, lumpy stools (types 1–2) usually indicate constipation and that stool moved too slowly. More water, fiber, and movement often help.
What does type 6 or 7 mean?
Mushy or liquid stools (types 6–7) point toward diarrhea and stool moving too quickly. Tracking helps you find the trigger.
How do I track my Bristol type?
Settle lets you tap your type in seconds and builds it into your gut-health patterns over time.
A settled gut starts with one log
Free on the App Store. Your first log takes less than a minute.