How to Create Google Sheets Progress Bar Chart? (Easy Steps)

Tracking the progress towards a particular strategic objective is one of the significant tasks in any business. Why?

It’s one of the tested and proven ways of increasing commitment towards the achievement of a particular goal. It would help if you had a minimalist and easy-to-interpret chart to track progress.

The expert-recommended chart you can use to keep track of performance is Google Sheets Progress Bar.

The visualization design is arguably among the charts that are amazingly easy to interpret. You can use the chart to create compelling data stories for the management.

Google Sheets is a popular data visualization choice among professionals and business owners worldwide. However, the Progress Bar Chart is not supported by Google Sheets.

In other words, you have to plot the chart from scratch using many steps.

It turns out you have an option of downloading and installing a particular add-on to access ready-made and visually stunning Progress Bar Charts.

In this blog post, you’ll learn the following:

Table of Content:

1. What is the Progress Bar in Google Sheets?
2. How to Use SPARKLINE in Google Sheets to Make a Progress Bar?
3. The Best Progress Bar Chart Generator in Google Sheets
4. Example of a Progress Bar in Google Sheet 
5. How to Create a Progress Bar in Google Sheets (Step-by-Step)?
   1. Step 1: Installed ChartExpo in Google Sheets
   2. Step 2: Create a New Chart 
   3. Step 3: Access Chart List
   4. Step 4: Select Data and Variables
   5. Step 5: Final Progress Bar Chart in Google Sheets Below
6. How to Edit Your Progress Bar in Google Sheets Using ChartExpo?
   1. Step 1: Click Edit Title
   2. Step 2: Add a Title on the Chart
   3. Step 3: Save and Export Chart
   4. Step 4: Final Chart With Title Display
7. Tips And Best Practices For Google Sheets Progress Bar
8. Progress Bar in Google Sheets FAQs
9. Wrap Up

Before we delve into the blog’s core, let’s define the chart of the moment.

So let’s get to it.

What is the Progress Bar in Google Sheets?

Definition: A Progress Chart in Google Sheets is a graph that displays the progress made toward a particular goal. The visualization design allows you to monitor and prioritize your objectives by providing critical data for strategic decision-making.

Visualization Source: ChartExpo

The Google Sheets Progress Bar Chart displays filled bars that proportionally indicate how much of the planned activity or goal has been completed. You can use the chart to visualize and keep track of your team’s work after defining your project goals and milestones.

How to Use SPARKLINE in Google Sheets to Make a Progress Bar?

• Prepare Your Data in two columns (e.g., Tasks and Progress).
• Select a Cell for the progress bar (e.g., C2).
• Enter the SPARKLINE Formula:

           =SPARKLINE(B2, {“chart type”,”bar”; “max”, 100})

• Customize (Optional) by changing the color:
   =SPARKLINE(B2, {“chart type”,”bar”; “max”, 100; “color”, “green”})
• Fill Down the formula to other rows.
• Adjust Column Width for better visibility.

The Best Progress Bar Chart Generator in Google Sheets

To visualize your data using a Progress Bar Chart, you need a tool. The best visualization tool should have the following attributes, namely:

• Flexibility

To have a seamless experience in visualizing your data, you need a tool that’s flexible in functionalities.

• Aesthetics

The aesthetics of an online charting tool come in handy while choosing the right data visualization tool for your work. Yes, aesthetics doesn’t have any functional value, but it adds spice to your data stories.

• Shareability

A tool that allows you to collaborate with others is very handy, especially in the current pandemic period. It would help if you had a tool that allows you to share and collaborate with others in visualization tasks.

Keep reading because we’ll be recommending the best add-on you should download and install in your spreadsheet app in the coming section.

It gets better.

The add-on meets all the attributes we’ve just highlighted above.

As we said, Google Sheets does not support Progress Bar Graph. This means you have to plot the chart from scratch using different tools.

Here’s the kicker.

We’re not advocating you do away with Google Sheets. You have an option of installing a particular add-on called ChartExpo to access ready-to-use Progress Bar visualizations.

Example of a Progress Bar in Google Sheet

A Progress Bar Chart displays insights using Bars with varying lengths.

Take a look at the tabular data below. Can you provide a meaningful story by looking at the table?

Products	Previous Year	Current Year
Hair Shampoo	500	900
Hair Spray	350	500
Hair Color	400	300
Beauty Cream	600	700
Face Cream	650	450
Sunscreen	700	950
Bleaching Cream	400	600
Makeup Palettes	500	350
Lipstick	600	800
Lip Gloss	700	900

Now, look at the Google Sheets Progress Bar Chart (below).

You can easily point out the best and worst-performing products in the inventory.

For instance, the worst-performing products are hair color, make-up palettes, and face cream. The red bars represent a decline, while the green ones depict positive growth.

How to Create a Progress Bar in Google Sheets (Step-by-Step)?

ChartExpo is a tool that goes above and beyond data visualization using a complete set of tools (below):

• A graph maker
• Chart templates
• A data widget library

You can easily create Progress Bar Charts in Excel and Google Sheets that are simple, easy, and clear to read.

The tool comes with a library of many advanced charts. Did we mention you can easily export charts to make stunning social media reports, sales reports, and goal projections using a wide range of ready-to-go charts?

ChartExpo is for anyone who needs to create data visualizations and visual graphics for a variety of purposes. For example, you can create graphs in Excel and Google Sheets for blogs, reports, proposals, school reports, presentations, print collateral, and more.

But most of all, ChartExpo is for people who need to create beautiful charts, such as a Google Sheets side-by-side bar chart, without design skills.

This highly intuitive tool offers lots of resources to improve your designer’s eye and make the most out of the tools provided in the editor.

Do you need great-looking charts in Google Sheets on its own or as a part of a dashboard or inside a report or proposal?

Look no further.

Step 1: Installed ChartExpo in Google Sheets

• Open your Google Sheets application.
• Open the worksheet and click the Extension menu button.
• Once the ChartExpo drop-down menu shows, click the Open button.

Step 2: Create a New Chart 

You have two options for accessing the Google Sheets Progress Bar Graphs.

Step 3: Access Chart List

Step 4: Select Data and Variables

• Select the sheet holding your data.
• Fill in the metrics and dimensions.
• In our example, the key metrics to fill in are Previous and Current years. Conversely, fill in the following variable in the dimension section: products.

Step 5: Final Progress Bar Chart in Google Sheets Below

• Complete the task by clicking the Create Chart button, as shown above.
• Check out the final Google Sheets Progress Bar Chart below.

How to make a Progress Bar in Google Sheets should never be a time-consuming affair for you. Use ChartExpo to enjoy a seamless experience.

How to Edit Your Progress Bar in Google Sheets Using ChartExpo?

A title is one of the additional key pieces of information you need to help your target audience (or readers) understand the context of your data story or report.

So adding a title to any of your Google spreadsheet charts is highly recommended.

To add a title to your Google Sheets Progress Bar chart, follow the easy steps below:

Step 1: Click Edit Title

• Click the Edit button and then the pencil-like icon near the title placeholder.

Step 2: Add a Title on the Chart

• Once the Chart Header Top Properties window pops up, click the Line 1 button and fill in the title. (our title, in this case, is Order Analysis of Beauty Products).
• Then, click the Show button and toggle the switch to the right-hand side.

• Save your new changes by clicking the Apply button and then Save, as shown above.
• To share your charts with others, click the Export button, as shown below.
• You have an option of exporting your chart using two formats, namely JPEG and PNG.

Step 4: Final Chart With Title Display

• Your final chart, together with a new title, should look like this (below).

Insights:

• The best-moving products in the Current Year are hair shampoo, sunscreen, bleaching cream, lip gloss, lipstick, and hair spray.
• On the other hand, the declining products in terms of sales in the Current Year are hair color, makeup palettes, and face cream.

Tips And Best Practices For Google Sheets Progress Bar

1. Define Clear Metrics

• Ensure the data represented in the progress bar is relevant and clearly defined, such as task completion percentages or sales targets.

2. Use Conditional Formatting

• Apply conditional formatting to visually distinguish different levels of progress. For example, use colors to indicate ranges (e.g., red for low progress, green for high).

3. Keep It Simple

• Avoid clutter by keeping the progress bar design straightforward. Use minimal colors and labels to enhance clarity.

4. Label Clearly

• Add clear labels to indicate what the progress bar represents. Include percentages or descriptions to provide context.

5. Update Regularly

• Regularly update the progress data to ensure the chart reflects the latest information. This keeps stakeholders informed.

6. Test Across Devices

• Ensure the progress bar is readable and visually appealing on different devices and screen sizes.

7. Use Descriptive Titles

• Give the progress bar a descriptive title that indicates its purpose, helping viewers quickly understand its significance.

8. Limit Data Points

• Avoid overcrowding the chart with too many data points. Focus on key metrics for clearer visualization.

9. Combine with Other Visuals

• Consider using the progress bar alongside other charts or visuals for a more comprehensive data presentation.

10. Solicit Feedback

• Gather feedback from users to improve the design and functionality of your progress bar, ensuring it meets their needs.
• Ensure the data represented in the progress bar is relevant and clearly defined, such as task completion percentages or sales targets.

Progress Bar in Google Sheets FAQs

How Do I Show Progress Charts in Google Sheets?

1. Select Your Data: Highlight the data you want to visualize.
2. Insert Chart: Click on the Insert menu and select Chart.
3. Choose Chart Type: In the Chart Editor, select Progress Chart from the available options.
4. Customize Settings: Adjust any settings as needed, such as titles and colors.
5. Insert Chart: Click Insert to display the chart in your sheet.

What are the different types of Progress Bar Charts?

There are two major types of Progress Bar Charts, namely:

• Progress Bar Chart
• Progress Circle Chart

You can use both chart variants to visualize and keep track of your team’s work after defining your project goals and milestones.

More so, the two charts are incredibly easy to decode.

Wrap Up

You’ll agree keeping track of progress towards a particular strategic objective is one of the significant tasks you undertake.

To succeed in the task (above), you need a minimalist and easy-to-interpret chart. The expert-recommended visualization design you can use to keep track of performance is Google Sheets Progress Bar.

The visualization design is arguably among the charts that are amazingly easy to interpret.

Google Sheets should not be your go-to visualization tool if you intend to access ready-made and easy-to-read progress Bar Graphs. This is because the spreadsheet application does not support Progress Bar Graphs.

We recommend you install a particular add-on called ChartExpo in your Google Sheets to access ready-to-use, insightful, and visually appealing Progress Bar Charts.

ChartExpo comes loaded with easy-to-interpret and visually stunning Progress Charts you can use for data stories.

You don’t need programming or coding skills to visualize your data using this tool. Furthermore, you can easily export your charts in the world’s most recognized formats, namely JPEG and PNG.

How to make a Progress Bar in Google Sheets should never throw a curveball to you.

Sign up for a 7-day free trial today to access a complete list of ready-made, insightful, and visually appealing Progress Bar Charts.