In this tutorial, I will guide you through the simple steps of creating a Line chart in Google Sheets. A Line chart is a useful tool for visualizing data, especially for comparing multiple continuous data sets and illustrating changes over time. With horizontal (x) and vertical (y) axes, it connects a series of data points with lines.
To demonstrate the creation of a Line chart, let’s consider a sample cricket match score. We will illustrate the progress of a 50-over-limited cricket match between Teams A and B, positioning their progress every five overs in the graph.
Steps to Create a Line Chart in Google Sheets
There are two ways to create a Line chart in Google Sheets: starting by selecting the chart source range or without selecting it. We’ll begin with the former option, as it is quicker and easier.
Creating a Line Chart Directly from the Source Data
- First, select the data under “Overs” by choosing cells B2:B12. From the “Format” menu, select “Number,” and then choose “Plain Text.”
- Next, select the entire data range B2:D12. Go to the “Insert” menu and click on “Chart.” This action will promptly open the Chart Editor panel (dialog box) with a default graph.
- Click on the tab labeled “Setup.”
- Under “Chart type,” select either “Line chart” or “Smooth line chart.”
By following these steps, you can successfully create a Line graph in Google Sheets.
How to Manually Enter Series and X-axis for a Line Chart in Google Sheets?
You can also create a Line chart without selecting the source data. If you haven’t pre-selected the data, follow these steps:
- Click on any blank cell, for instance, cell F2.
- Go to Insert > Chart.
- Under the “Setup” tab, choose “Line chart.”
- In the “Data range” field, replace F2 with B2:D12.
The X-axis and series will be added automatically because our data is already structured. If not, follow these additional steps:
- Click “Add X-axis” and select “Overs.”
- Click “Add Series” and choose “Team A.” Similarly, add “Team B.”
By following these steps, you can manually enter the series and X-axis for your Line chart in Google Sheets.
Customization (Optional)
Customizing a Line chart is remarkably straightforward, and you can achieve this by exploring the options under the chart editor’s “Customize” tab. Here are the essential customizations:
- Opening the Chart Editor Panel: If the chart editor panel is closed, double-click on the chart to open it, and then click on the “Customize” tab.
- Adding a Title:
- Click on ‘Chart and axis titles’ > ‘Chart title.’
- Provide a title; for example, “World Cup Cricket 2011: Team A vs. Team B – Venue: B’lore.”
- Labeling Axes:
- For the horizontal axis (representing overs), go to ‘Chart and axis titles’ > ‘Horizontal axis title’ and label it as “Overs.”
- For the vertical axis, navigate to ‘Chart and axis titles’ > ‘Vertical axis title’ and label it as “Scores.”
- Legend Placement:
- Determine the legend position by clicking on ‘Legend.’ I suggest placing it at the bottom, so set it accordingly.
- Chart Style:
- Click on “Chart style” and optionally choose or toggle the “Smooth” feature.
- Final Touches:
- You’re almost done creating your first Line chart/graph in Google Sheets. If desired, you can further customize elements like background color, grid lines, data points, etc., directly from the Chart Editor panel.
Review the completed sample chart for reference.
Conclusion
I have covered all the essential steps for creating a Line chart in Google Sheets. After creating your chart, you can access additional options by clicking on the three vertical dots menu on the chart. This menu allows you to edit, delete, move to its own sheet, copy the chart, and more.
Additionally, you can experiment with dynamically controlling chart source data by using drop-downs. This enables you to include or exclude series in charts by clicking on series names in the drop-downs. For more tips and tricks, explore additional tutorials available.
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