How to Make a Column Chart in Google Sheets

You've got your data in a spreadsheet. Now you need to show it to someone who definitely won't read a table of numbers. A column chart in Google Sheets takes under a minute to create and instantly makes your data readable — but most people skip the settings that turn a rough default chart into something that actually communicates.

This guide walks you through creating a column chart in Google Sheets step by step, covers all four chart types, and shows you how to customize every piece of it.

What Is a Column Chart in Google Sheets?

A column chart displays data as vertical bars — each bar represents a value in a category, and the bar's height maps to the quantity. They're used for comparing values across categories: sales by region, monthly revenue, survey responses by option.

In Google Sheets, column charts are vertical. The horizontal version is called a bar chart. Both show the same information; the choice usually comes down to how many categories you have and how long their names are (long labels read better horizontally).

Google Sheets supports several column chart variations, from standard to stacked to 3D. The right type depends on what you're comparing.

How to Create a Column Chart in Google Sheets

Step 1: Prepare Your Data

Your data needs at least two columns: one for categories (months, product names, regions) and one for values (revenue, count, percentage). Put headers in the first row — without headers, the chart editor has to guess what everything means.

Example:

No empty rows inside your range. Even one blank row creates a gap in the chart and breaks the visual. If you're pulling data from another part of the sheet, consider using a search in Google Sheets to find and clean inconsistent entries first.

Step 2: Select Your Data Range

Click and drag to highlight all the cells you want to include — headers and all. For the example above, that's A1:B5.

If your data spans non-adjacent columns, hold Ctrl (Windows) or Cmd (Mac) while selecting each range.

Step 3: Insert the Chart

Go to the menu: Insert → Chart

Google Sheets automatically picks a chart type. For time-series or category data it usually defaults to a line chart or bar chart. That's fine — you'll switch it in the next step.

Step 4: Switch to Column Chart

When the Chart Editor panel opens on the right:

1. Click the Chart type dropdown under the Setup tab
2. Scroll to the Bar section
3. Select Column chart — the first option, with vertical bars

The preview updates immediately. You'll see your data as vertical bars.

Step 5: Set a Title and Close

Before closing the editor:

• Click the Customize tab
• Go to Chart & axis titles
• Enter a descriptive chart title (e.g., "Monthly Revenue Q1 2026")
• Add an X-axis title and Y-axis title if the values aren't obvious

Click anywhere outside the Chart Editor to close it. Your chart is now embedded in the sheet.

Column Chart Types in Google Sheets

Google Sheets offers four column chart options. Here is when to use each:

Column chart (standard): Bars sit side by side for direct comparison. Best for comparing 2–6 items across the same categories. If you have more than 6 series, the chart becomes crowded and unreadable.

Stacked column chart: Each bar is divided into segments, one per data series, stacked on top of each other. The total height shows the sum; the segments show composition. Use this when you want to show "how much total" and "what's it made of" at the same time — for example, sales broken down by product line.

100% stacked column chart: Every bar reaches 100% and shows percentage breakdown. Use this when proportions matter more than absolute values. If you want to show what share of budget each department consumed, this is clearer than a standard stacked chart.

3D column chart: Adds a depth effect. Avoid this for real data analysis — the 3D perspective distorts proportions visually and makes values harder to compare accurately. It looks impressive in a product brochure; it misleads in a report.

How to Customize Your Column Chart

The Chart Editor has two tabs: Setup (data source, chart type, axes) and Customize (appearance).

Colors: Under Customize → Series, change the fill color for each data series. Google's default palette works, but using one intentional color — or matching your brand — looks significantly cleaner than the default blue.

Gridlines: Under Customize → Gridlines and ticks, reduce or hide horizontal gridlines. Fewer gridlines mean the bars themselves stand out more.

Legend: If you have multiple data series, add a legend under Customize → Legend. For single-series charts, turn the legend off — it adds noise without information.

Data labels: Under Customize → Series, enable Data labels to show the value on top of each bar. Useful when exact numbers matter (presentations, reports). Skip it for exploratory charts where the trend is more important.

Axis range: Under Customize → Vertical axis, you can set a minimum and maximum. Avoid setting the minimum above 0 unless you have a strong reason — it can make small differences look larger than they are.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Empty cells in your data range: A blank cell in your selection creates a visible gap in the chart. Fill empty values with 0 before charting, or exclude those rows.

Header row not detected: If Google Sheets treats your first row as data, the chart will show a bar for "Month" or "Product" alongside your actual values. Fix it in Chart Editor → Setup → check Use row 1 as headers.

Too many data series: More than 6–7 colored bars per category cluster becomes visually unreadable. Split the data or aggregate before charting.

No chart title: A chart without a title makes readers work to understand what they're looking at. Always set one.

Using a 3D effect: It looks decorative but skews perception. Turn it off under Customize → Chart style.

Comparing dissimilar units: Putting revenue (in thousands) and customer count (in ones) on the same axis makes one series disappear. Either use a dual axis or create two separate charts.

When Google Sheets Is Not Enough: Build Interactive Dashboards

A Google Sheets column chart is static. It lives inside a spreadsheet, can't respond to user input, and doesn't filter or update dynamically based on selections. For internal reports, that's fine.

If you're building a dashboard for clients, stakeholders, or a product — something that needs to be filterable, shareable as a URL, or connected to live data — Google Sheets has hit its ceiling.

YouWare's business intelligence dashboard builder lets you create interactive charts, filterable views, and KPI panels without writing code. Describe the dashboard you need, and YouWare generates the UI: selectors, charts, tables, and a shareable link.

If your workflow starts in Google Sheets — building a pivot table in Google Sheets to summarize raw data before charting — YouWare can take the same data structures and render them as live, embeddable dashboards that update when the underlying data changes.

FAQ

Conclusion

Creating a column chart in Google Sheets is straightforward once you know where the settings are. The key steps: clean your data first (no empty cells, clear headers), switch the chart type manually after inserting, use stacked charts when composition matters, and always add a title and axis labels.

For anything beyond a static chart — interactive filters, a live dashboard, a shareable URL — Google Sheets isn't the right tool. YouWare lets you build those data applications with AI, no code required.