How to Make a Graph from a Table in Google Sheets?

You’ll agree when we say storing and organizing data in tables is convenient. You can easily infer quick insights from tabular data in Google Sheets. But you can only go far with tables in data analysis.

Why?

Picture this: you have a gigantic data set that occupies tens of thousands of rows and columns in Google Sheets. How can you extract reliable insights from such huge tables efficiently?

Assuming persistence is one of your values, how long can it take you to extract meaningful insights? You guessed right. It could take you hours, if not days.

This is where graphs come in.

Graphs can help you distill critical insights from noise and outliers. Remember, a huge chunk of any data is always noise. Essentially, you stand to save a ton of time and effort when dealing with bulky and complex data.

In this blog, you’ll learn how to make a graph from a table in Google Sheets using easy-to-follow and straightforward steps.

Table of Content:

1. Why Generate a Graph from Tables?
2. How to Make a Graph from a Table in Google Sheets?
3. Best Tool to Create Graph from Table in Google Sheets
4. Disadvantages of Tables in Data Presentation
5. Wrap up

We’ve rounded up tips and examples to help you save time for generating a graph from tables.

Keep reading if you intend to elevate your Google Sheets game to the elite level.

Before we delve into the how-to guide, let’s go through why we need to create graphs from tables.

Why Generate a Graph from Tables?

• Graphs and Charts are Easier to Understand

Thanks to data visualization designs, you can interpret vast quantities of data clearly and cohesively. Besides, you can easily extract insights, draw conclusions, and see perspectives.

Using different business charts and graphs, you can keep track of crucial and strategic metrics of your business or workplace. Furthermore, you can easily spot anomalies, such as outliers, which can easily misinform your decisions.

You can use graphs to uncover risks and opportunities surrounding your business or workplace.

• Spot Patterns and Trends

Graphs can help you spot emerging trends and respond in real time.

Patterns and trends make more sense when graphically represented.

Certain relationships in your data may be apparent, primarily if you use tables. But to uncover hidden insights, you need visual representations, which is beyond the capacity of tables.

• Data Storytelling

Tables, especially long ones, are not recommended if you want your data story to be compelling. Data visualization experts use graphs, charts, and maps to help their target audiences understand key takeaways without struggle.

Let’s agree on this: You’ll be using visual diagrams, such as graphs from tables, to create compelling data stories for your audience (and readers).

Take a look at the tabular data below.

How to make a graph from a table like the one below?

Year	Topic	Positive	Negative
2019	Quality of food	11	12
2019	Ease of ordering	29	50
2019	Services	20	33
2019	Parking	2	4
2019	Cleanness	55	12
2019	Ease of reading the menu	12	7
2019	wait time to be seated	16	11
2019	Seating space in the waiting area	8	8
2019	menu and drink choices	4	3
2019	Attitude of Waiter	3	5
2019	Payment method	12	15
2020	Quality of food	15	12
2020	Ease of ordering	51	1
2020	Services	28	12
2020	Parking	4	2
2020	Cleanness	45	11
2020	Ease of reading the menu	12	8
2020	wait time to be seated	16	18
2020	Seating space in the waiting area	13	18
2020	menu and drink choices	4	1
2020	Attitude of Waiter	3	8
2020	Payment method	17	16
2021	Quality of food	18	12
2021	Ease of ordering	59	20
2021	Services	30	10
2021	Parking	2	0
2021	Cleanness	55	7
2021	Ease of reading the menu	18	10
2021	wait time to be seated	22	14
2021	Seating space in the waiting area	13	16
2021	menu and drink choices	4	1
2021	Attitude of Waiter	2	4
2021	Payment method	13	14

Let’s extract insights from the table above using a graph.

The above data visualization design (comparison bar chart) makes things a little easier. You can easily infer the key issues customers raised during the survey.

In the last three financial years (2019-21), the two most significant issues that customers have raised with regard to the restaurant brand are:

• Ease of ordering
• Cleanliness

How to Make a Graph from a Table in Google Sheets? Getting Started with Visualization Tools

There’s a strong case for using graphs in place of tables. One of the strengths of data visualization is that you can save a ton of time, especially during the analysis phase.

Different types of charts and graphs make it easy for you to extract hidden insights into patterns, trends, and outliers within your data. It’s a matter of interpreting a visual representation rather than sifting through individual data points.

You’ll agree when we say Google Sheets is one of the best data visualization tools around. You can use this tool to create tables, such as Pivot tables. More so, you can use Google Sheets to visualize your data.

Essentially, you can generate a graph from tables using Google Sheets.

However, this spreadsheet tool comes with pretty basic graphs that require a lot of tweaks and edits to align with your needs. And this means you stand to spend a lot of time visualizing your data using Google Sheets.

To create a compelling data story, you need charts that are easy to interpret such as Sankey Diagram, Pareto Chart, Comparison Charts, Control Charts, and Funnel Charts. And this means you need to think beyond Google Sheets.

Here’s the kicker: we’re not advising you to ditch Google Sheets for other pricey data visualization tools in the market. We would like to see you enjoying your freemium tool for free until Google decides otherwise.

For this, we recommend you supercharge your Google Sheets with third-party applications (add-ons). It’s no doubt there’re thousands of add-ons for Google Sheets.

The add-in we’ve tested and has provided remarkable results is ChartExpo.

As we said, how to turn a table into a graph on google sheets does not have to be stressful or even time-intensive.

Best Tool to Create Graph from Table in Google Sheets in a Few Clicks

ChartExpo is a trusted tool that thousands of professionals worldwide use to create insightful and easy-to-understand graphs from tables.

Besides, it comes as an add-on you can easily install in your Google Sheets to get the most from your data

ChartExpo comes loaded with many advanced data visualization designs such as Sankey Diagram, Pareto Chart, Comparison Charts, Control Chart, and Funnel Charts to ensure you never struggle to generate a graph from the table.

Follow the example below to discover more.

Example

We’ll use a Progress Chart in Google Sheets to visualize the table below.

Mobile Brand	Previous Sales	Current Sales
Samsung	10	90
Apple	10	75
Huawei	20	80
Nokia	50	50
Sony	70	30
LG	30	70
HTC	67	33
Motorola	54	56
Lenovo	40	60

• To create a graph from the table (above). Head to the Extensions button>Charts, Graphs & Visualizations by ChartExpo button>Open.

• Click the Add new chart button to access your fully stocked library of charts.

• Copy the table above into your Google Sheets. Click the Search box and type Progress Charts. It should pop up together with other charts.

• Select the sheet holding your data and select the Metrics option. Fill in the numerical numbers (in our scenario, we’ll fill in previous and current sales)
• Select the Dimensions button and fill in the dimensional data (in our example, we’ll use a mobile brand)
• Finish the simple process by clicking the Create Chart button.

• If you follow the instructions (above), your Progress Chart in Google Sheets should look like this (below).

Insights

• In the current period, Sony (-40%) and HTC (-34%)’s performances are abysmal compared to the previous period.
• In the current period, Samsung (+80%) and Apple (+65%)’s sales are through the roof compared to the previous period.

Disadvantages of Tables in Data Presentation

Tables are best suited for storing and organizing raw data. Anything beyond the aforementioned, you should opt for graphs.

Yes, you read that right.

Data in tables can be displayed as text, using words and numbers. Besides, tables make it easy to compare pairs of related values (e.g., quarterly sales in a given financial year).

Remember, you cannot use tables exclusively to display quantitative information. Whenever you have more than one set of values with a direct relationship, you may use a table to organize the data.

For example, some professionals often use tables to display meeting agendas with particular times, topics, locations, and speakers.

So when should you use graphs instead of tables?

When the data grows beyond the reasonable scope, you need to explore data visualization to display insights easily.

Graphs are essentially a visual display of data along two axes (x and y-axes). There’s scientific reasoning behind why data stories with visual designs are more compelling than those without one. Did you know our brains can interpret visual content 60,000 times faster than words and numbers?

Use interactive data visualization designs in your data stories to arouse the interest of the target audience. Graphs and charts can show insights into bulky data in a way that’s easy to process.

Data visualization is a quick, easy way to convey insights into raw data. You can use visual designs, such as bar charts, graphs, and maps, to achieve the following:

• Identify areas that need attention or improvement in your business or workplace.
• Clarify factors that influence the behavior of your target market.
• Forecast sales, revenue, losses, etc.
• Trend Analysis to take action quickly before your competitors to meet the customer needs.

When debating table versus graph, do the following:

• Ask how you’ll use the data.
• Consider your target audience.
• Decide the best way to map out your information.
• Think about the utility of your visual.

FAQs:

What is data visualization?

Data visualization entails translating raw data into a visual context, such as a map or graph, to make data easier for audiences to infer critical insights.

You can use visualization designs, such as Bar, Column, Pareto, Progress, and Donut Charts (among others) to make your data stories persuasive.

What constitutes a good data visualization tool?

A good data visualization tool should have the following attributes:

• Easy to use for everyone irrespective of their coding or programming background.
• Affordable
• A good tool should generate easy-to-interpret graphs and charts
• A reliable tool should have a library with a significant amount of advanced charts
• A good data visualization tool should never let you struggle to generate graphs from tables.

Wrap Up

Tables are convenient in storing and organizing raw data. However, when the complexity and size of data start growing: you need to explore other more innovative options, such as data visualization.

This is where graphs come in.

Well-constructed visualization designs can complement your data stories. You can use them to uncover hidden patterns, trends, and outliers in your data.

Freemium tools, such as Google Sheets, come with pretty basic data visualization designs, which require a lot of editing. And this means you stand to spend a lot of time.

We recommend our readers to use the ChartExpo add-on to supercharge their favorite spreadsheet app (Google Sheets).

Why?

ChartExpo comes pre-loaded with over 50 graphs that are easy to read and interpret. Besides, it has an ultra-friendly user interface (UI), which means you don’t need coding or programming skills to visualize your data.

Sign up today to save the time you can take to generate a graph from tables.