How to make bar graph in google sheets 10 Best Step by Step Guide

One of the best ways to visualize quantities across categories is a bar graph in google sheets . bar graph in google sheets has proven to be an efficient helpful tool for managing and analyzing data; its use does not prevent a person from intuitively working out beautiful and clear-cut bar graph in google sheets. Any business professional, teacher, or student would want to master this useful skill: drawing really powerful bar graphs in Google Sheets.

In this article, we’ll cover seven essential tips for creating bar graphs in Google Sheets. By the end of this guide, you’ll be able to create clear, insightful bar graphs to communicate your data effectively.

step 1: Understand the Basics of Google Sheets Bar Graphs.

A bar graph of Google Sheets is the graph which is used to depict the various kinds of data with the help of it. The length of each bar which is represented will be proportional to the magnitude it represents in the graph. The most common use of the bar graph in google sheets is for the comparison of the various discrete categories. Such as the sales over the regions, scores of students against the subjects, units sold over several months etc.

You can have a vertical and horizontal bar graph in Google sheets. The column graph is another term for the vertical bar graph: the bars extend from bottom to top, whilst the horizontal bar graph extends from left to right. It depends on your preference and data structure.

step 2: Prepare Your Data Properly to be Used with the Graph

The key to an effective use of a bar graph in Google Sheets is arranging the data you will use to make the bar graph. What this process does for you is, it makes that graph you had created interpretative.

A typical dataset for a bar graph might look like this:

Month	Sales ($)
January	2000
February	2500
March	1800

To Prepare Your Data:

columns Use columns when you have categorizations of the data, e.g., Month, Product, Region, etc.
rows To use for single data point- sales number units sold, etc.

Headings:

Use headings for your columns to let people know what the categories are.
A small data set for a bar graph might look something like this:
Month Sales ($)
January 2000
February 2500
March 1800

Keeping it in this format, Google Sheets will pick it right up when you insert your bar graph, and you will have a pretty nice-looking chart that is easy to interpret.

Step 3: Choosing Data for Use on the bar graph in google sheets:

Once you have oriented your data correctly, you now need to determine which range of data will accurately present your intended bar graph best. In the bar graph in google sheets application, this would return you a graphical output of your chosen set if you put in the proper range in relation to the information for use.

Highlight the data you want in the graph. That is column headers, actual data points, and any labels you would like visible in the chart.
Don’t highlight additional rows or columns not related to the graph.

For example, if your data is laid out the same way as in the screenshot above-that is, left to right it has columns of months, but on the right side columns of sales then select both those columns entirely-with headers before making your bar chart.

Step 4: Use the Chart Editor to customize

Once you choose your data, bar graph in google sheets will ask you to draw a chart. Let’s continue from here.
Select the range of data
Click up to the top of your computer screen and then click on the “Insert” tab.
Then click “Chart” from the pull-down menu.

bar graph in google sheets automatically puts in the chart based on what you have given. It would probably use a column chart, so that is going to be vertical bar graph; you might want to swap that over to a horizontal or a different feature or options you want to configure using the Chart Editor.

Change the type of chart using Chart

Editor and could choose a number of options, from bar, lines, pie and many more options.
Now turn your chart into type Bar Chart, by clicking the Setup tab.
Choose any of the two horizontal type bars. These two are Stacked Bar or Clustered Bar.
The clearer view will be shown after you customize the chart so that the data will better interpret to the audience.

Step 5: Axis and Labels – Customizing the Chart

Your bar graph may look just dandy as is straight out of the box using bar graph in google sheets but it does have to be made custom. Two pretty vital elements wherein customization is absolutely a must would be in axis labels and titles so one actually can read the graph.

Below how one can customize the axes and labels inside the graph.

X-Axis: Many of the groups will lie on the x-axis in the vertical bar chart. End Using axis label so it’s clear from the reader perspective the title of the axes for example is “Month, or “Product”.

Y-axis The axis that shows the quantitative representation of the selected category. Please remember to mention units on this y-axis appropriate with, for instance dollar sign, Unit or Percent symbols.

Chart Title:

Give your chart a title to set the context for your audience. The title should describe what is being shown in the data, such as “Monthly Sales Performance” or “Units Sold by Region.”
To change axis labels and the title:

Open the Chart Editor by clicking on the chart.
Select the Customize tab.
In the Chart & Axis Titles group, you select the axis that you want to alter then type your new label

Step 6: Style it to Readable

A bar graph should be readable and make sense as the same time looking pretty. You could use  bar graph in google sheets style your bar graph and make it look more readable.
Some guidelines for you on how to style your chart:

Colors: All colors for all single bars or categories. You will not use those colors to fill your graph.

Bar Width: You could change the bars width through Customize tab within Chart Editor. It would become impossible not overcrowded nor to be too scarce to be filled by the graph.

Gridlines: Typically, your bar graph in google sheets  should have gridlines, especially on the Y-axis. This makes it much easier to read values. You can easily change how your grid lines should appear under the Customize tab under the Gridlines section.

Data Labels: You may apply the labels directly to your bars when you want to show more detail about the data presented in your graph. These are actually values that your bars represent, and you will get a good idea of what exactly your graph illustrates.
To do this changes on your design click the Customize tab located in Chart Editor and have fun trying to see all options.

Step 7: Utilization of Data Series for Comparison

You can introduce data series on your graph. This allows comparison of two, three, four, or a number of more datasets on a single bar graph in google sheets. This helps in a tremendous way when having to compare some data as is the case where one has sales across a few products concerned or in regards to different time periods.

Add the extra columns of the data of new series to the worksheet, for instance, the sales of other products together with existing ones within the same months.
Select the new data, then click “Insert > Chart” once more to build a new graph.

bar graph in google sheets will automatically update your graph to include new data series following the creation of the new chart. You can have side-by-side bars in your bar graph in google sheets for each category by adding data series so comparing values between different datasets becomes easier.

Conclusion

This can be used by creating a bar graph in google sheets that is how it is visually easy to present your data and then share your findings with other people. Applying these seven tips ensures your well-organized, clean, and even more attractive bar graphs. 

It is a guide starting from how to put down data all the way to decorate so it reads right and the entire thing would finally bring you some effective bar graphs, showing a big portion of what you’d be communicating.

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