How to Create a Graph in Google Docs

Google Docs is a powerful free tool for writing documents, spreadsheets, presentations, and more. One useful feature in Google Docs is the ability to create different types of graphs and charts to visualize data. Adding graphs to your Docs can make data easier to understand at a glance.

In this guide, I’ll walk you through the steps for creating various types of graphs in Google Docs. Whether you need to make a simple column chart or complex combo chart with two axes, Google Docs has you covered. Let’s dive in!

Types of Graphs You Can Create

Google Docs supports creating these common graph types:

Column charts – Good for showing data that is divided into separate categories. Useful for time-based data like sales per month.
Bar graphs – Similar to column charts but with horizontal bars instead of vertical columns.
Line graphs – Ideal for visualizing trends and changes over time. Lines show continuity.

Pie charts – Display parts of a whole as sectors in a circle. Good for proportions and percentages.
Scatter plots – Plot individual data points to show relationships between two variables. No continuity between points.
Area charts – Similar to line graphs but the area under the line is filled with color to emphasize quantity.

Combo charts – Allow mixing two graph types like columns and lines. Useful for multiple data series.

This covers the major chart types, but Docs also supports histograms, gauges, timelines, maps, and more!

How to Insert a Basic Graph in Google Docs

Inserting a basic graph in Docs only takes a few clicks:

Open your document in Google Docs and position your cursor where you want the graph to be inserted.
Click Insert > Chart. This opens the chart editor sidebar.
Across the top, select your desired chart type like Column chart.

In the data entry grid, enter your chart data values row by row. Google will generate a preview chart on the right while you add data.
When done entering data, click Customize to format and style your chart.
Click Insert and your chart will be added to the document!

And that’s the basics of adding any chart or graph in Google Docs! Now let’s go over some tips for customizing and formatting your graphs.

Customizing and Formatting Google Docs Graphs

After inserting your chart, it’s important to customize the design to make it clean, readable, and impactful:

Edit data – Click back into the data grid to fix any errors or add additional data series.

Add chart and axis titles – Descriptive titles help viewers interpret the data.
Style chart background – Choose solid fills or gradients to improve aesthetics.
Change legend position – Move the legend to give the data more room.

Switch row and column data – Flip axes for bar charts or other options.
Modify axis scale and units – Ensure the vertical scale matches your data range.
**Show additional options like **trendlines – Add trendlines to line/scatter plots to show rate of change.

Annotate with callouts – Draw attention to key data points.

Spend time formatting to turn raw data into compelling visualizations!

Creating Combo Charts in Google Docs

In addition to basic charts, you can create more advanced “combo” chart types with two y-axes:

After adding your first data series and chart, click the Setup tab.
Under Series, click Add a series.
In the new data table, enter data for your second series. A second y-axis is automatically added.

Select the chart type for your second series under Type. Mix and match types!
Format two-axis options like Axis range and Position.
Customize styles independently for each series via the Customize tab.

With combo charts, you can visualize multiple data models together. For example, a column chart for revenue data and a line chart for expenses on the same axes.

Saving Google Docs Charts as Images

To reuse your charts elsewhere:

Click on the border of the inserted chart to select it.

Copy the chart with Ctrl+C (or right-click copy).
Paste the chart into another Doc or application to save as a PNG, JPG, etc.

Now you can export beautiful Google Docs charts!

Tips for Creating Effective Data Visualizations

Follow these best practices for making informative, engaging charts and graphs:

Simplify – Avoid cluttered designs that distract from key data insights. Remove non-essential elements.
Spotlight – Draw attention to the most meaningful data through annotations, color choices, motion, etc.

Structure – Organize related data together in logical groupings. Sort time-series chronologically.
Clarify – Ensure axes are properly labeled. Add concise titles and legends that define terms.
Emphasize – Use contrasting colors, bold fonts, and marker sizes to highlight important trends.

Flow – Order charts in a logical sequence that tells a data story from start to finish.

With practice, you’ll be able to analyze data and effectively communicate insights through Google Doc charts.

Advanced Tips and Tricks

Here are a few more expert-level suggestions for working with Google Docs graphs:

Show percentage changes instead of raw numbers by clicking the down arrow in data fields.
Right click on a data point to Add trendline, Annotate, or Format data point.
Copy and paste charts between Docs to reuse visualizations.

Link chart data to a Google Sheet to automatically update when source data changes.
Use built-in Explore options to quickly try different chart types.
Organize multiple charts on drawing canvases and arrange as needed.

Hopefully these tips will level up your chart creation skills!

Wrapping Up

Charts and graphs are a fantastic way to engage audiences and demonstrate trends in written documents. Google Docs removes all the complexity of building beautiful, informative data visualizations.

With this guide, you should now feel confident for: