How to Create a Line Chart in Google Sheets

Google Sheets offers three types of line charts: the line chart, the smooth line chart, and the combo chart. This tutorial is a straightforward guide to inserting a line chart in Google Sheets with some notes on the type of data that it requires you to have. 

How to create a line chart

Here are the steps in creating a line chart from an existing dataset in Google Sheets:

Step 1: Select the range of data that you want to visualize.

‍

Step 2: Click Insert, then click Chart.

Step 3: Sometimes, the default chart type applied is not a line chart. On the right side, the Chart editor sidebar is loaded. Click the drop-down box below the Chart type. A list of possible chart types will be loaded. Look for the Line chart, and click it. 

Step 4: We now have a line chart. To add a title to the chart, go to the Customize tab in the Chart editor, then click Chart axis & titles. 

Step 5: If you want to add a chart title, make sure that the drop-down box displays the option Chart title. On the text box below the drop-down box, type the title of the chart.

Step 6: Here are some options for modifying the title of the chart:

• To change the font of the title, click the drop-down box below the label Title font. There are 12 fonts to choose from, such as Arial, Georgia, and Verdana. 
• To change the size of the title, click the drop-down box below the label Title font size. You can select from size 10 to 36. You can also specify a value beyond the given options. Lastly, you can choose Auto to let Google Sheets adjust the font size fit for the given chart.
• To center align the title, go to Title format, then click the Alignment option. Click the Center option. 
  

We now have the following chart!

Click here to learn how to add the title or axis labels, as well as how to change the colors.

How to create a smooth line chart

The difference between a line chart and a smooth line chart is more a question of aesthetic preference. A line chart connects each point with a straight line while a smooth line chart uses a curve to estimate the general trend of the data.

Before you follow the steps, make sure that your data contains the breakdown of the values of the components.

Step 1: Select the range of data that you want to visualize.

Step 2: Click Insert, then click Chart.

Step 3: The selected chart type is not a smooth line chart by default. On the right side, the Chart editor sidebar is loaded. Click the drop-down box below the Chart type. A list of possible chart types will be loaded. Look for the Smooth line chart and click it. 

Step 4: We now have a smooth line chart. To add a title to the chart, go to the Customize tab in the Chart editor, then click Chart axis & titles. 

Step 5. If you want to add a chart title, make sure that the drop-down box displays the option Chart title. On the text box below the drop-down box, type the title of the chart.

Step 6. Here are some options for modifying the title of the chart:

• To change the font of the title, click the drop-down box below the label Title font. There are 12 fonts to choose from such as Arial, Georgia, and Verdana. 
• To change the size of the title, click the drop-down box below the label Title font size. You can select from a range of 10 to 36. You can also specify a value beyond the given options. Lastly, you can choose Auto to let Google Sheets adjust the font size fit for the given chart.
• To center align the title, go to Title format and click the Alignment option. Then click the Center option.
  

We now have the following chart!

Click here to learn how to add the title, axis labels, or change the colors.

How to create a combo chart

Google Sheets offers a combo chart as a combination of a column chart and a line chart. You can use a combo chart to present two different sets of data together. The first row of data becomes the column chart while the rest of the rows become line charts. 

Step 1: Select the range of data that you want to visualize.

Step 2: Click Insert, then click Chart.

Step 3: The selected chart type is not a combo chart by default. On the right side, the Chart editor sidebar is loaded. Click the drop-down box below the Chart type. A list of possible chart types will be loaded. Look for the Combo chart and click it. 

Step 4: We now have a combo chart. To add a title to the chart, go to the Customize tab in the Chart editor, then click Chart axis & titles. 

Step 5. If you want to add a chart title, make sure that the drop-down box displays the option Chart title. On the text box below the drop-down box, type the title of the chart.

Step 6. Here are some options in modifying the title of the chart:

• To change the font of the title, click the drop-down box below the label Title font. There are 12 fonts to choose from such as Arial, Georgia, and Verdana. 
• To change the size of the title, click the drop-down box below the label Title font size. You can select from a range of 10 to 36. You can also specify a value beyond the given options. Lastly, you can choose Auto to let Google Sheets adjust the font size fit for the given chart.
• To center align the title, go to Title format and click the Alignment option. Click the Center option. 
  

We now have the following chart!

Click here to learn how to add the title, axis labels, or change the colors.

A sample sheet to check

If you got a bit lost, or just want to check if you’re doing it right, here is a sample sheet that you can open to see how they work:

Line Chart Sample Sheet