How to make a line chart in Google Sheets

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TL;DR

• Google Sheets has a built-in chart editor that lets you create a line chart for free in about 3 minutes.
• It works well for a quick, one-off chart, but customization and sharing options are limited, especially if you want other people to interact with the data.
• Softr connects directly to your Google Sheets (or a native Softr Database) and turns your data into a live, shareable line chart inside a secure app, with no formulas or coding required. [.blog-callout]

There are two ways to make a line chart from your Google Sheets data:

1. Using the built-in chart editor in Google Sheets.
2. Using Softr to turn your spreadsheet into a live, shareable dashboard.

The chart editor is the fastest way to visualize your data right inside the spreadsheet. But if you want to share that chart with your team or clients, control who sees it, or combine it with data from other tables, Softr gives you more flexibility without adding complexity.

Making a line chart in Google Sheets using the chart editor

Cost: $0

Time: 3 minutes

The chart editor in Google Sheets allows you to create a line chart directly in your spreadsheet.

Step 1: Open the Google Sheets file

Open the Google Sheet containing the data you want to use to create your line chart.

Step 2: Select the dataset

Click and drag to select the dataset that you want to include in your line chart. Ensure that you choose both the independent variable (usually on the X-axis) and the dependent variable (usually on the Y-axis).

Step 3: Open the chart editor

With your data selected, go to the "Insert" menu at the top of the Google Sheets interface. Click on "Chart" in the dropdown menu. This will open the chart editor sidebar on the right side of your spreadsheet.

Step 4: Choose to create a line chart

In the chart editor, you'll see different chart types. Choose "Line chart" from the list of options.

Step 5: Move the line chart to its own sheet (optional)

If you want to edit your line chart without distractions, you can move it to another sheet by clicking on the three vertical dots at the top right of the chart and selecting “move to own sheet.” Google Sheets will automatically create a new sheet, called “Chart 1,” where you can then view and edit your chart.

Step 6: Customize the chart

The chart editor allows you to customize various aspects of your line chart. You can access it by clicking on the “Edit chart” button on the line chart’s menu.

Step 6.1: Change the chart’s title

In the chart editor, under "Chart & axis titles," select “Chart Title” in the dropdown list. There, you can type a new title and choose your preferred font, size, format, and text color, to make your chart more visually appealing.

Step 6.2: Change the horizontal or vertical axis title

Similarly, click the "Horizontal axis title" and "Vertical axis title" options to label the X and Y axes. Remember that you can change the font, size, format, and text color, to make your chart more visually appealing.

Step 6.3: Change chart style

In the chart editor, go to the Chart Style section. There, you can change the background color by clicking on the option under "Background Color." You can also modify the font and the color of the border.

Step 6.4: Edit the series

In the Customize tab of the chart editor, scroll down until you see the Series section. Click on the dropdown under the name of the section to start editing the line chart’s appearance.

You can adjust various properties such as line style, line thickness, marker style, and color. For example, you can change the line style to make it solid, dashed, or dotted, modify the line thickness, add markers at data points, choose a specific color for the series, and add a data label.

Step 7: Share it

If you’re done with your line chart, you can share it with whomever you want, by clicking on the “Share” button. Alternatively, you can publish or download the chart.

How to make a line chart in Google Sheets using Softr

Cost: $0

Time: 3 minutes

Creating a line chart with Softr is easy, even if you're not technical. It's an AI app builder, which means you don't need advanced skills to turn your Google Sheets data into a chart. This is especially helpful if you want to share the chart with your team, restrict who can see it, or combine it with other data down the line.

You can connect Softr directly to your existing Google Sheets, or import that data into a native Softr Database for faster performance and more built-in features. Softr also connects to 17+ other data sources, including Airtable and HubSpot, so your line chart isn't locked into a single spreadsheet forever.

Step 1: Log in to Softr or create an account

First, you will need to login to Softr. If you don’t have an account, you can sign up to Softr for free.

Step 2: Click on “New Application”

From your dashboard, click "New Application." You can describe your app to the AI Co-Builder and let it generate a working dashboard for you, start from one of Softr's templates built for reporting use cases, or build from scratch. Since a single line chart is a simple goal, this walkthrough builds from scratch so you can see exactly how each piece connects.

Step 3: Create a blank application

Because you want to make something as simple as a line chart, click on the button to create a blank application.

Step 4: Select prebuilt pages

Again, because all you need is a page to create a line chart, deselect all pages, except the Home. Then click on “Create application.”

Step 5: Connect Softr and Google Sheets

To create a line chart in Softr using your Google Sheets data, first connect the two. Follow the steps below, or ask the AI Co-Builder to set up the data connection for you by describing what you want.

Step 5.1: Choose Google Sheets as the data source

Now, you need to allow Softr to access your data in Google Sheets so that you can then create a line chart based on it. To do so, click on “Google Sheets” and then on “Continue.”

Step 5.2: Log in to your Google account

Now you need to specify in which Google account your Google Sheets file is in. You can do so by logging in to that Google account.

Step 5.3: Authorize Softr

Next, authorize Softr to make changes in your Google Sheets and Google Drive files, by ticking the two boxes highlighted in the image below. Then click on “Continue.”

Step 6: Delete all blocks

Before you create your line chart, hover on each prebuilt block and delete all of them, so that you end with a blank canvas in which you can start building. You could also just describe the dashboard you want to the AI Co-Builder and let it rebuild the page for you from scratch.

Step 7: Access the list of premade blocks

Softr offers a wide list of premade blocks, including line charts. To access them, click on the “+” sign at the top right corner of your screen or on the “Add your first block” button.

Step 8: Choose to create a line chart

Once the block menu slides in, type “line chart” and click on the respective block to select it.

Note that, although you can’t use the line chart on the free version, you can use it once you activate the 30-day trial version. You won’t get charged until after 30 days, so you can cancel your subscription at any time.

Step 9: Choose from which Google Sheet file you want to import the data

Head over to the Source tab and locate the “Connect data source” button. Click on it and choose your connected Google Sheets account. From there, you’ll be presented with a list of Google Sheets files to choose from. Once you’ve found the one with the data you need, select it and then choose the specific sheet you want to import data from.

Step 10: Customize your line chart

Go to the features bar and make changes to your line chart the way you want.

Step 10.1: Change the title and subtitle

Type the title and subtitle you want in the text box under each respective heading.

Step 10.2: Update metrics

To ensure the data from your connected Google Sheets spreadsheet is displayed in the line chart, go to the metrics section just below the title and subtitle. There, choose the aggregate function “Sum,” and under “Field,” select your main value (Organic Traffic, in our case). Under “Groupings,” select the field you want your metric grouped by (Year, in our case).

Step 10.3: Change the styling

You can change the background color and add border lines to the top and bottom of your chart using the “styles” bar.

Step 10.4: Change the access permissions

To update the access permissions, go to the Visibility tab. The default setting there is “All users,” which means everyone can see the chart when it is published, whether they are logged in or not.

If you want only logged-in users to access the data, click on the dropdown and select “Logged-in users.” Alternatively, if you want only non-logged-in users to view the line chart, select “Non-logged-in users.” This is powered by the same users and permissions engine that controls the rest of your app, so you can restrict a sensitive chart to specific user groups if needed.

Step 11: Test and optimize

Click on the “Preview” button to see how the line chart looks before sharing it with others.

Step 12: Share your line chart

Once you’ve finished tinkering with your line chart, you can now click on the “Publish” button to save all the changes and share them with others.

Turning one chart into a real reporting dashboard

A single line chart is a good starting point, but most teams end up needing more: a few charts side by side, a table underneath for the details, and different views for different people. Once your Google Sheets data lives in a Softr app, adding a second or third chart, a filter, or a new user group is a matter of minutes, not a new spreadsheet tab to maintain.

If you outgrow Google Sheets altogether, you can move that same data into a Softr Database without starting over, keeping the dashboard you already built while gaining more speed and more advanced features. Start with the chart you need today, and build the reporting dashboard around it when you're ready.