How To Make A Line Graph In Google Sheets

How To Make A Line Graph In Google Sheets

Line graphs are a handy tool to help visualize data, particularly when you want to look at trends in that data over time.

Google Sheets makes it quick and easy to generate line graphs that update automatically when your data changes.

Every line graph needs:

1. A set of values for the X-Axis – this is usually time or similar
2. At least one set of values for the Y-Axis – this will be the value you are tracking over time

Be sure to include headers for each column as these headers will be used to label axes in the line graph

How To Insert a Line Graph in Google Sheets

To insert a line graph in Google Sheets, follow these steps:

Step 1

Select the data range you want to graph, making sure to include the headers in the selection as these will be used for graph labels

Step 2

Open the Insert menu, and select the Chart option

Step 3

A new chart will be inserted as a floating element above the cells, and the Chart Editor sidebar will appear with options to edit the chart. To turn this chart into a line graph, click on the Chart Type dropdown menu and select Line Chart

Step 4

Your chart will update to a line graph

Step 5

You can also choose the Smooth Line Graph option if you would like the graph to be smooth between data points

Editing Your Line Graph

To edit a graph you’ve already created, first open the Chart Editor for that graph by selecting the chart and clicking on the 3 dot menu icon in the corner of the chart.

From the menu that appears, select Edit Chart. The Chart Editor for that graph will open.

You can then make edits to the chart type, data range, or any of the other chart settings available in the Chart Editor and your chart will update to reflect the changes

Adding Lines to a Graph

As your spreadsheet grows, you may find you have additional datasets you wish to include in an existing line graph.

Fortunately, you can easily add additional lines, or data series, to an existing graph. Follow these steps to add a line to your graph:

Step 1

Open the Chart Editor for the graph by selecting the chart and clicking on the 3 dot menu icon in the corner of the chart. From the menu that appears, select Edit Chart

Step 2

In the Chart Editor, under Series, click on Add Series, then in the menu that appears click on the grid icon to the right of the search field

 

Step 3

Use your mouse cursor to highlight the range of data you want to add to the graph, making sure to include the header.

Then click OK to add the range to the graph

Step 4

The new data series will now appear in the Series list on the Chart Editor, and also as a line in your graph. Any updates to the new data will be reflected in the graph

Summary

Example Spreadsheet: Make a copy of the example spreadsheet

In this tutorial, I covered how to group rows in Google Sheets. Want more? Check out all the Google Sheets Tutorials.