How to Make a Line Graph with Multiple Lines in Google Sheets?

Line Graphs are arguably among the most straightforward visualization designs you can use for visualizing your data in Google Sheets.

You can use them to understand key data points in depth.

There’re three variants of Line Graphs you can use in your data stories, namely:

• Dual Axis Line Chart
• Area Line Chart
• Multi Series Line Chart

It’s relatively straightforward to plot Line Charts with two data columns. But it becomes a complex process when you have more than two data columns.

You cannot find ready-made Line Graphs in Google Sheets. The spreadsheet tool comes with pretty basic charts that need more time and effort in editing. Besides, Google Sheets lacks a huge chunk of the charts highlighted above.

It turns out you actually don’t have to do away with Google Sheets. You can supercharge it by installing third-party add-ons to access ready-to-use and visually appealing Line Graphs.

In this blog, you’ll learn the following:

Table of Content:

1. What is a Line Graph?
2. What Are the Advantages of a Line graph?
3. Types of Line Graphs
4. The Best Tool to Use to Visualize your Data with Line Graphs
5. How to Make a Line Graph with Multiple Lines in Google Sheets?
6. Why are Graphs Important in Visualization?
7. Wrap Up

Before we delve right into the how-to guide, let’s explore the significance of visualization designs, such as Line graphs with multiple lines.

What is a Line Graph?

Definition: A Line Chart is a visualization design that displays information as a series of data points connected by straight lines. You can use the chart to extract trends and patterns insights into raw data.

Visualization Source: ChartExpo

How to make a Line Graph with multiple lines in Google Sheets should never be a nerve-wracking or time-intensive affair. Keep reading to learn more.

What Are the Advantages of a Line graph?

• You can use a Line Graph with multiple lines to display the trend of key data points over time.
• Line Charts are the ideal visualization designs if your goal is to show small changes you can’t display using other graph types.
• You can easily display more than two data columns on a Line Chart.

Types of Line Graphs in Google Sheets

1. Dual-axis Line Chart

A Dual Axis Line Chart combines a column and line chart to help you compare two variables in your data. The visualization design uses two axes to display the relationships between two variables with varying magnitudes and scales.

Visualization Source: ChartExpo

The green lines show positive values (growth) while the red ones show a decline or negative values

Benefits

1. You can easily plot the Dual Axis Chart to illustrate the relationship between two different variables in your data.
2. The chart can display a lot of information with limited space. And this means you don’t have to clutter your dashboard with multiple graphs.

How to Make a Line Graph with multiple lines in Google Sheets, such as Dual Axis Charts, should never stress you. Keep reading to learn more.

2. Area Line Chart

You can use the Area Line Graphs to track changes in your data in a given period. Line Graphs are strategically positioned to track minute changes in variables better than Bar Charts.

Visualization Source: ChartExpo

Benefits

1. The Area Line Chart is incredibly easy to plot and interpret.
2. Also, the chart can easily be understood by a wider variety of audiences.
3. You can count on the Area Line Chart if your goal is to extract insights into bulky and complex data sets.

How to make a Line Graph with multiple lines in Google Sheets, such as Area Line Charts, should never stress you. Keep reading to learn more.

3. Multi Series Line Chart

A Multi Series Line Chart is a visualization design that groups data points based on their values.

Visualization Source: ChartExpo

Besides, it uses a combination of lines and dots to depict patterns and trends on key variables. You can easily spot the presence or absence of a relationship between two variables in your data. To highlight insights, always use different colors for the markers.

Multi Series Line Charts are valuable in providing insights into correlations between key variables.

The correlation between the variables is considered to be strong if it’s possible to draw a (nearly) straight line between the markers on the chart. Conversely, if the markers are distributed evenly, the correlation is low or equal to zero.

Benefits

• You can easily plot the Multi Series Line Chart to illustrate the relationship between two different variables in your data.
• The chart can display a lot of information using limited space.

How to make a Line Graph with multiple lines in Google Sheets should never consume your valuable time or even stress you.

The Best Tool to Use to Visualize your Data with Line Graphs

Google Sheets is one of the go-to data visualization tools for businesses and professionals.

However, this freemium spreadsheet tool comes with very basic Line Charts, which require a lot of extra work in terms of editing. Also, it lacks a sizeable number of Line Charts with multiple lines (highlighted earlier).

Well, you don’t have to do away with the spreadsheet app.

You can turn Google Sheets into a reliable data visualization tool loaded with advanced charts by installing third-party apps, such as ChartExpo.

Like we said, how to make a Line Graph with multiple lines in Google Sheets should never be a time-intensive task. Keep reading to learn more.

Why ChartExpo?

ChartExpo is a Line Chart maker that comes as an add-on you can easily install in your Google Sheets.

With advanced visualizations such as Sankey Diagram, Control Chart, Pareto Chart, Radar Chart, and many more, ChartExpo turns your complex, raw data into compelling, easy-to-digest, visual renderings that tell the story of your data.

With just a few clicks, this Line Chart generator produces simple and clear visualization designs.

Yes, ChartExpo generates charts in Google Sheets that are amazingly easy to interpret, even for non-technical audiences.

How to Make a Line Graph with Multiple Lines in Google Sheets?

ChartExpo is a Google Sheets add-on that lightens your data visualization task.

More so, it has a super-intuitive user interface (UI) to provide you easy access to Line Graph with multiple lines, such as Multi Series Line Chart.

As mentioned earlier, Line Charts are best suited for showing trends since changes against time take a linear approach. Population growth, demand forecasts, and units sold are all examples of linear data types.

In this example, we’ll use the Multi Series Line Chart to visualize the tabular data below.

Note the table below has more than 2 data columns, which makes Multi Series Line Chart the best-suited visualization design.

Let’s get started.

Year	Samsung	iPhone	Huawei
2015	700	1500	1000
2016	600	1400	900
2017	700	2000	1300
2018	500	1800	800
2019	980	1900	1100
2020	700	2500	1200

• Open your Google Sheets application.
• Open the worksheet and click Extensions.
• Then click Charts, Graphs & Visualizations by ChartExpo.
• Finally, click the Open button in the dropdown.

• Click the Create New Chart button to access your fully stocked library of charts.

• You have two options to access charts and graphs in ChartExpo’s expansive library.
• After clicking on Create New Chart, you will see a list of charts.

• To visualize the data (above) using Multi Series Line Chart, export it into your Google Sheets.
• Look for the “Multi Series Line Chart” in the list of charts, as shown below.
• Alternatively, click the Search button and type the name of the chart you’re looking for.

• Select the sheet holding your data and select the Metrics option. Fill in the numerical numbers (in our scenario, we’ll fill in Samsung, iPhone, and Huawei)
• Select the Dimensions button and fill in the dimensional data (in our example, we’ll use Years)
• How to Make a Line Graph with multiple lines in Google Sheets does not be complex. ChartExpo makes the whole process seamless and easy.

• Finish the simple process by clicking the Create Chart button.

Insights:

• Between 2015 and 2020, the best-selling mobile phone brand was the iPhone. It’s on an uptrend pattern.
• Conversely, during the same period, the worst-selling phone brand was Samsung. It’s on a downward trend in terms of performance.

Why are Graphs Important in Visualization?

The significance of visual storytelling is greater than ever as we’re confronted with continuously expanding data volumes.

We’re mostly engaged by interactive, visual content (such as charts and graphs) than with numerical values and text.

Charts, graphs, and maps convey insights faster than tables and spreadsheets full of text and numbers. Visual contents, such as charts and graphs, are regarded as a universal language that can be understood by diverse people, irrespective of their cultures.

Visualization charts transform raw data into a form that’s easier to consume.

In other words, they’re the go-to media if you want to uncover hidden information, such as relationships, patterns, trends, and outliers.

FAQs:

What is meant by the Line Diagram?

A Line Graph is a graphical display of information that changes continuously over time. Within the chart, there’re various data points connected together by a straight line.

You can use the visualization type to track continuous changes in key variables within your raw data.

What is the Line Chart in statistics?

A Line Chart is a visual comparison of two or more variables displayed on the x and y-axes on a Cartesian plane.

Use this chart if you want to emphasize changes in values for one variable (plotted on the vertical axis) relative to a second variable (plotted on the horizontal).

Wrap Up

What is a Line Graph?

Well, it’s a visualization design that you can use to display relationships and pattern insights into your raw data.

There’re 3 variants of Line Graphs with multiple lines you can leverage in your data analysis, namely:

• Dual Axis Line Chart
• Area Line Chart
• Multi Series Line Chart

Let’s talk about Google Sheets because it’s one of the most popular spreadsheet apps around. The aforementioned spreadsheet application comes with pretty basic Line Charts, which require extra time in terms of customizations.

How to Make a Line Graph with multiple lines in Google Sheets should not stress you or consume your valuable time.

There’s an add-on that supercharges Google Sheets to produce ready-made and visually stunning Line Graphs. And this easy-to-use and affordable tool is called ChartExpo.

So why do over 40,000-plus users love ChartExpo?

• ChartExpo comes loaded with over 50 charts all for just $10 a month.
• This incredibly affordable tool has a full set of tools, including a graph maker, chart templates and a data widget library, you can easily create data visualizations of different types

Sign up for ChartExpo today to create ready-to-use and visually stunning Line Graphs with multiple lines.