How to Make a Graph in Google Sheets

To make a graph in Google Sheets, select the cells with your data (including the header row), then click Insert > Chart. Sheets adds a chart and opens the Chart editor on the right, where you can change the chart type under Setup > Chart type. To download or delete the chart, click it and open its three-dot menu.

These steps follow Google’s Add & edit a chart or graph help article. This guide covers setting up your data, inserting and customizing a chart, changing its data, moving and resizing it, and downloading, copying or deleting it.

Set Up Your Data First

Use a simple layout: labels in column A, numbers in the columns next to it, and clear headers in the first row. Google Sheets uses those headers for the axis labels and legend, so name them clearly. You can chart columns that aren’t next to each other by selecting the first range, then holding Ctrl (Windows) or Cmd (Mac) while you select the others.

How to Make a Graph in Google Sheets

1. Open your spreadsheet in Google Sheets on a computer.
2. Select the cells you want to include, with the header row. If your data has no labels yet, see how to make a header row in Google Sheets.
3. Click Insert > Chart.
4. In the Chart editor on the right, click Setup.
5. Under Chart type, click the down arrow and choose a chart, such as line, column, bar or pie.
6. Click Customize to change the look.

A chart appears on your sheet. Sheets picks a default chart type based on the shape of your data, and the chart redraws automatically when the values in its range change.

Which Chart Type Should You Use?

• Column or bar: compare values across categories, like sales by month.
• Line: show a trend over time.
• Pie: show parts of a whole, best with a handful of slices. If you work in Microsoft Excel instead, see how to make a pie chart in Excel.
• Scatter: see whether two sets of numbers are related.
• Combo: mix columns and a line, like revenue bars with a profit line.

If a chart looks wrong, it’s usually the chart type rather than the data.

How to Customize a Chart

Double-click the chart, then click Customize in the Chart editor. Google lists these sections:

• Chart style: background, font and other options.
• Chart & axis title: choose a title type, then enter the text.
• Legend: change the position, font, style and color.
• Gridlines: add or change gridlines on line, area, column, bar, scatter and some other charts.

Google also says you can right-click a bar or point and choose Format Data Point to change just that one, and double-click a title on the chart to edit it.

Create and Customize a Line Chart

For a line chart, put dates or other time labels in the first column and each set of numbers in its own labeled column. Select the data with its header row, click Insert > Chart, and under Setup > Chart type choose Line chart. If the lines look wrong, check Switch rows / columns on the Setup tab. Then double-click the chart and open Customize: use Series to change a line’s color and Legend to move the legend. Google covers every option on its line chart help page.

How to Change the Data in a Chart

1. Double-click the chart.
2. Click Setup.
3. Under Data range, click the grid button and select the cells you want.
4. To add more data, click Add another range and select it.
5. Click OK.

The chart uses the new cells. If you add rows below your data later, extend the data range so the new rows show up.

How to Move or Resize a Chart

Google says to click the chart and drag it to move it, or drag the blue markers to resize it. The chart’s three-dot menu has Move to own sheet, which puts the chart on its own tab.

How to Download, Copy or Delete a Chart

Click the chart once, then click the three-dot menu in its top-right corner. The menu includes:

• Download: choose PNG image, PDF document or Scalable Vector Graphics (SVG). The file goes to your browser’s download folder.
• Copy chart: paste it into Google Docs or Slides.
• Delete chart: removes the chart from the sheet.
• Edit chart: reopens the Chart editor.

Downloaded PNG files have a white background, PDF works well for printing, and SVG stays sharp at any size.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is a chart the same as a graph in Google Sheets?

For the most part, yes. The terms are used interchangeably in Google Sheets. The menu calls them charts.

Can I put my chart in a Google Doc?

Yes. Use Copy chart from the chart’s menu and paste it into the doc, or see how to put a Google Sheets chart in a Google Doc.

Related Guides

• How to put a Google Sheets chart in a Google Doc
• How to save a Google Sheet as a PDF
• How to print on one page in Google Sheets