How to Create a Sankey Diagram in Google Sheets?

The Sankey Diagram in Google Sheets is best suited for visualizing data with flow-like characteristics, like energy and cost breakdowns.

Why?

The flow data type is complex and bulky. Besides, it can easily overwhelm you, particularly if you lack a suitable chart for the job. Also, you’ll be scratching the surface if you use ill-suited visualization designs to show insights into the flow data type.

We recommend you try this Diagram because it will save you time immensely. Additionally, the visualization design is amazingly simple to read and interpret.

Creating a Sankey chart in Google Sheets is a complex process. But we do not recommend that you get rid of Google Sheets. You can get to an instant and ready-made Sankey Diagram in Google Sheets by installing a specific add-on in your Google Sheets.

In this blog, you will learn:

Table of Contents:

1. Overview
2. How to Make a Sankey Diagram in Google Sheets?
3. Top 3 Methods For Creating Sankey Charts in Google Sheets
4. Benefits
5. What Does This Chart Represent?
6. Wrap Up

Overview

While initially, the charts were used only to visualize energy flows in an engineering system, they’re now used in other disciplines and sectors of the global economy.

The chart gets its name from Matthew Sankey, a captain in the Irish Royal Engineers. During the 1890s, he used visual illustration to display the efficiency and purpose of various steam engine components.

He understood that 100% efficiency in a steam engine was almost impossible. This diagram helped the army captain highlight the areas with significant losses.

Whenever you have materials or resources entering a process, leverage this chart to display insights into the efficiency of usage.

Keep reading because we’ll take you through how to make a Sankey Diagram in Google Sheets in the coming section.

How to Make a Sankey Diagram in Google Sheets?

1. Open your Google Sheets Application.
2. Install ChartExpo Add-in for Google Sheets from Google Workspace Marketplace.
3. Select the Sankey Chart in Google Sheets from the list of charts.
4. Fill in the necessary fields.
5. Click on the Create Chart button.
6. Customize your chart properties to add header, axis, legends, and other required information.
7. Export your chart and share it with your audience.

The following video will show you how to create a Sankey Diagram in Google Sheets.

Top 3 Methods For Creating Sankey Charts in Google Sheets

Method 1: Use a Third-Party Add-On (Quickest)

The easiest way is to install an add-on and generate the chart directly inside Sheets.

• Go to Extensions → Add-ons → Get add-ons
• Search for Sankey Chart in Google Sheets and install one
• Open it from Extensions and enter your data
• Select dimensions and metrics to create the chart

For a more polished result with minimal setup, ChartExpo is a reliable option.

Method 2: Use Google Apps Script

Best for users comfortable with code.

• Open Extensions → Apps Script
• Paste a Sankey script into code.gs
• Create index.html and add the chart code
• Link your sheet ID, save, run, and allow permissions

Method 3: Use an External Tool

You can build the chart outside Google Sheets and import it back.

• Copy your data from Sheets
• Paste into an online chart tool
• Customize and export or embed into Sheets

Benefits

The chart makes it easy to spot the most significant changes in key metrics that matter to you. This Chart is versatile and flexible. And this means you can leverage it to track costs, materials, marketing analytics, etc.

Remember, the movement of your data matters significantly. The key goal of Sankey analysis is to display insights into how and why particular metrics are changing.

This Diagram can help you uncover the most substantial fluctuations in your data across various categories or stages that matter to you.

The size of each link and node in the diagram shows you the critical elements in your data sets.

Aside from data flow, the other key advantage of using a Sankey diagram is its bird’s-eye view of key data points.

This high-level perspective is unbeatable, especially when you’re trying to analyze the efficiency of one of your processes, such as budget spending.

You can use a Sankey chart in Google Sheets to visualize data from a wide range of industries, including:

• Supply chain management
• Marketing analysis
  • Visualizing Customer Journey
  • SWOT Analysis
• Energy production
  • Renewable Energy Chart
• Business procedures
• Expenditure on sectors like finance and budgeting
  • Cash Flow Analysis

What Does This Chart Represent?

This Google Sheets Sankey chart is one of the best charts for analyzing data with flow attributes, such as materials, flow of funds diagram, energy, etc. Each node is connected to the other via a link. The bigger the flow lines, the higher the metric value under study. The value of each metric under study is differentiated using contrasting colors.

Let’s say your goal is to establish how you spend your household budget.

The bird’s-eye view insights would be your entire household budget. You can easily use separate nodes to differentiate significant versus non-essential costs.

In this scenario, the size of each node depicts how substantial each cost is to the household. If you notice that one of the largest flows depicts eating at restaurants, you’ll have an opportunity to decide whether to scale down.

FAQs:

Does Google Sheets have a Sankey Diagram?

Google Sheets Sankey charts are not available by default.

We’re not advising you to do away with Google Sheets in favor of other expensive tools.

This is because there’s an add-on you can easily install in Google Sheets to access insightful, ready-made, and easy-to-customize charts.

The tool is called ChartExpo.

Can you make a Sankey diagram in Google Sheets?

Follow the steps below to create a Sankey Diagram in Google Sheets.

• Open your Google Sheets.
• Open the worksheet and click the Extensions menu button.
• Once the Charts, Graphs, & Visualizations by ChartExpo tool drop-down menu shows, click the Open button.
• Click the Add New Chart button to access the inventory of charts and graphs available.
• Once ChartExpo is loaded, you will see a list of charts in Google Sheets. Look for “Sankey Chart Google Sheets”.
• Highlight your data and select the Metric option. Fill in the numerical numbers (e.g., Units Sold).
• Select the Dimensions button and fill in the dimensional data (e.g., Store, Category, Items, and Brand).
• Complete the simple task by clicking the Create Chart button.
• Check out the final Sankey Chart in Google Sheets. 

Wrap Up

A Sankey Diagram in Google Sheets says more than a thousand Pie Charts. You can use the chart to visualize data with flow-like attributes.

The chart is best suited for visualizing data with flow-like characteristics, like energy and cost breakdowns.

Why?

This data type is complex and bulky. Besides, it can easily overwhelm you, particularly if you lack a suitable chart for the job.

You’ll be scratching the surface if you use ill-suited visualization designs to show insights into the flow data type.

We recommend you try a Google Sheets Sankey chart because it will save you time immensely. Additionally, the visualization design is amazingly simple to read and interpret.