An Easy Sparkline Google Sheets Guide for 2023

It’s great to be able to visualize data using simple features for a more effortless working experience. Among many other applications, Google Sheets is widely known for its various features that make the user’s work very easy and smooth and help organize and visualize different types of data in the spreadsheet. I’m here. One of the features Google Sheets offers is sparklines. This brilliant guide to Google Sheets has everything you need to know.

Sparkline Google Sheets

A sparkline is a miniature chart that can be created within a cell. It lacks the features that standard Google Sheets charts offer, such as the ability to save as an image, advanced customization, and handling of large data sets. Useful if you are creating a dashboard and want to view it quickly. You can visually grasp trends, seasonal increases and decreases, and outliers.

Using sparklines is a great alternative to traditional Google Sheets charts as they are easy to create. This article will show you how to insert sparklines in Google Sheets. Before we begin, it’s worth noting that Sparklines are handled differently in Excel and Google Sheets. Many users of Excel recognize it as a feature accessed using options on the ribbon, but sparklines in Google Sheets are created using the =SPARKLINE formula.

There are four types of Sparklines in Google Sheets: Line, Column, Horizontal, and Win/Loss. All of these sparkline options allow every user to create different kinds of miniature his charts that show different visual trends in their datasets.

So let’s take a look at the different types of sparklines in Google Sheets, their syntax, and how to easily use these sparklines in Google Sheets.

Types of Google Sheets Sparklines

As mentioned above, there are different types of sparklines in Google Sheets. The four different types of sparklines provided by Google Sheets are:

Line Chart: This is the default sparkline option. The line chart option uses a line to represent data trends. Line charts have a variety of customization options, including line width adjustments that help determine the width of the lines in the chart.
Column chart: The column option in Google Sheets uses vertical bars to represent trends in your data. You can change the color, width, etc of the columns to customize them to your liking.
Bar charts: Bar sparkline charts do not accept a large number of values per chart, unlike line and column sparklines. Displays the magnitude of the value as a bar by comparing it to the maximum value in the dataset. Also, it is not possible to customize the color of the sparkline bar chart.
Win-Loss Chart: The Win-Loss Sparkline chart is similar to the Column chart, with one exception. That is, the size of the data is not displayed.

Each chart type has a variety of modifications that can be added to the formula, including options for color, size customization, minimum and maximum values, alignment, and more. Google’s help section provides a comprehensive list of options for customizing Sparklines.

Google Sheets Sparklines Syntax

Now that we’ve covered the different types of sparklines, let’s look at their syntax. Let’s start with a basic sparkline chart. Once you have selected the cell where you want the sparkline to appear, type =SPARKLINE and press Enter or Return. Below the formula bar there is a small popup with syntax for customizing the sparkline like =SPARKLINE(data,{options}).

In the data field, you must select the range of cells that contains the data you want to create sparklines for. You can type a cell range or drag a cell range to select a range. Press Enter or Return to see the newly created sparkline. The option fields inside the curly braces let you customize the sparkline, including adjusting the line width and color. The syntax for sparklines other than line charts is the same. Just add “charttype” to the options field.

The basic syntax for sparklines is:

=SPARKLINE(data, {options})

Here are the formulas to use for other chart types.

Bar Chart: =SPARKLINE(data, {“charttype”, “bar”})

Column chart: =SPARKLINE(data, {“charttype”, “column”})

Win/Loss Chart: =SPARKLINE(data, {“charttype”, “winloss”})

Using Sparklines

Let’s use the following grocery store visitor sheet to create a step-by-step guide with various sparkline examples:

Creating a Sparkline Line Chart

Step 1. Go to an empty cell, enter the formula =SPARKLINE and select the cell range that contains your data.

In the screenshot above, I chose the cell range B4:H4 because I wanted a sparkline to show the visitor trends for Week 1. I also specified the color inside the braces.

Step 2. Use the same method as in Step 1 to create sparklines for the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th weeks.

Step 3. Combine all four weekly sparklines into one monthly sparkline. I did it with the following formula

=SPARKLINE(QUERY(B4:H7, “Select B+C+D+E+F+G+H),{“line width”,3;,”color”,”orange”})

In the screenshot above, we’re using a combination of sparklines and query expressions to first bring together all the data in different cell ranges and then create a sparkline out of it. Using this method, you can combine multiple sparklines into one.

Creating a Sparkline Column Chart

use the same formula as before Sparklines, but add ‘charttype’ to the options field.

in the screenshot above, I used the same method I used in the sparkline line chart, but added “charttype”, “column” inside curly braces. Also, the two options must be separated by a semicolon “;”. The same is true for chart types and colors.

Creating a Sparkline Bar Chart

In this method, instead of a cell range, we used cells containing the total number of visitors for each week.

In the screenshot above I used the following formula:

=SPARKLINE(I4,{“charttype”,”bar”;”maximum”,MAX(I4:I7).

I also hit F4 in the cell range I4:I7 to make it a constant (marked with a $ sign). I created a sparkline bar chart for each week using the total number of visitors for all 4 weeks

Creating a Sparkline Win-Loss chart

In this method, the profit column (J column) was used to display the win-loss trend.

In the screenshot above, we’re using the same formula as before, but adding the parameters needed to create a win/loss chart, such as chart type and color formatting. Due to the formula I used, the Sparkline Win/Loss graph shows negative values in red and positive values in green.

Related article: Filter by color in Google Sheets

Editing and Formatting Sparkline Google Sheets Graphs

After you’ve successfully inserted a sparkline into your Google Sheets, you can edit and format it. This can be a little tricky as it includes a wide range of customization options. To give your sheets a professional look, you need to know how to fully customize them. For example, you can add diagonal lines to your headers. Fortunately, there are resources available online to help you become a Google Sheets expert and create professional-looking sheets seamlessly.

Here are some formatting tips you can use to make your sparklines look professional. Let’s break it down by character type:

Note:

All formatting options described below must be added within curly braces in the option field of the sparkline expression.

in short.,

For a single option:

=SPARKLINE(Cell_range,{“formatting options”,“value”}).

For multiple options:

=SPARKLINE(Cell_range,{“formatting options”,”value”;“formatting options”, value”}).

Line Chart

Line Width: This customization helps adjust the width of the lines displayed in the sparkline line chart. To use it, you need to add “Line Width” to the sparkline expression options field. For example =SPARKLINE(B4:H4,{“line width”,3}).
Color: Adjust the line color.
Empty: Determines how empty cells are treated. The corresponding values are “zero” or “ignore”.
Nan: Determines how to handle cells containing non-numeric data. The options are “Convert” and “Ignore”.
Rtl: Determines whether the chart is rendered from right to left. Possible options are true or false.
Xmin: Adjusts the minimum value along the horizontal axis.
Xmax: Adjust the maximum value along the horizontal axis.
Ymin: Adjust the minimum value along the vertical axis.
Ymax: Adjust the maximum value along the vertical axis.

Column Chart

Colors: Sets the colors of the columns in the graph.
LowColor: Adjusts the color of the lowest value in the graph
HighColor: Adjusts the color of the highest value in the graph
FirstColor: adjusts the color of the first column
LastColor: adjusts the color of the last column
NegColor: adjusts the color of all negative columns
Empty: Determines how empty cells are treated. The corresponding values are “zero” or “ignore”.
Nan: Determines how to handle cells containing non-numeric data. The options are “Convert” and “Ignore”.
axis: Determines if the axis should be drawn (true or false)
Axiscolor: Adjust the axis color (if applicable)
Ymin: Adjust the custom minimum data value used for column height scaling (does not apply to sparkline win/loss)
Ymax: Adjust the custom maximum data value used for column height scaling (does not apply to sparkline win/loss)
Rtl: Determines if the chart is rendered from right to left. Possible options are true or false.

Bar Chart

Maximum: Determines the maximum value along the horizontal axis of the graph.
Color1: Adjusts the first color used for bars in sparkline charts.
Color2: Adjusts the second color used for the sparkline chart bars.
Empty: Determines how empty cells are handled. The corresponding values are “zero” or “ignore”.
Nan: Determines how to handle cells containing non-numeric data. The options are “Convert” and “Ignore”.
Rtl: Determines whether the chart is rendered from right to left. Options are true or false.

Win-Loss Chart

LowColor and HighColor options: Adjust the colors of the lowest and highest values in the graph.
FirstColor and LastColor options: Adjust the color of the first and last values in the chart.
NegColor: adjusts the color of all negative columns
Axes and Axle Colors:
Empty: Determines how empty cells are handled. The corresponding values are “zero” or “ignore”.
Nan: Determines how to handle cells containing non-numeric data. The options are “Convert” and “Ignore”.
Rtl: Determines whether the chart is rendered from right to left. Options are true or false.

Frequently Asked Questions

How Do You Add a Sparkline in Google Sheets?

Creating sparklines in Google Sheets may differ from creating them in Excel. To create a basic sparkline in Google Sheets, you first need to select the cells where you want the sparkline to appear. Go to the formula bar and type =SPARKLINE, select the range of cells containing your data, and press Enter or Return. A small popup may also appear below the formula bar with syntax for customizing the sparkline. If desired, you can add a variety of formatting options to your formulas to tailor your sparkline chart to your liking.

How Does Sparkline Work in Google Sheets?

To understand how it works, we must first understand what it actually is. Sparklines are miniature charts that represent trends in numeric data. Sparklines consist of line, column, or bar charts drawn without axes. Sparklines are a feature available on various platforms, but it’s worth noting that they work differently in Google Sheets. The SPARKLINE function in Google Sheets allows you to create sparkline charts within cells. Create a miniature chart in a single cell using formulas. Also, it can only be used for small datasets. For larger charts, you can use the built-in charts provided by Google Sheets.

Why Are Sparklines Useful?

Users who want to quickly see a visual graph of their data find sparklines very useful for a variety of reasons. Sparklines are small charts that can be placed within a single worksheet cell to visually represent and show trends in data. Sparklines can draw attention to important items such as seasonal changes or business cycles by using different colors to highlight maximum and minimum values. Sparklines, like line charts, are great for showing how values change over time. Sparklines are a convenient alternative to line charts when you need to plot multiple lines.

Can You Overlay Sparklines?

Google Sheets has not failed to provide all the features you may need or find useful when working with it, but the option to overlay sparklines is still being added to both Google Sheets and Excel. Not. However, Excel users can find another way to use Excel’s camera tool. It’s as easy as right-clicking the Quick Access Toolbar and selecting Customize Quick Access Toolbar to add Excel’s camera tool. In the Excel Options box that appears, select All Commands from the Select Commands box, scroll down and select the Camera tool, click the Add button, and click OK Click. Now you can create an overlaying bar/line chart.

What Is the Default Choice for Sparklines in Google Sheets?

As mentioned above, there are four types of sparkline charts, all of which present data in different ways. However, the default type of sparkline in Google Sheets is a line chart. As a result, you do not need to add the “charttype” option in the SPARKLINE formula syntax when creating sparklines for line charts. Simply specify the data range (up to two columns or rows) and press Enter. Line charts are easy to use, but unlike other miniature charts that offer a wide range of customization options, line charts offer several customization options.

How Many Colors Can a Google Sheets Sparkline Have?

Not all charts have the same customization options. You can use a variety of colors in sparkline line charts, but you can add only two colors to sparklines in bar charts. Both the Column Sparkline and Win/Loss chart types allow you to specify up to 6 column colors, 1 axis color, and customizable bottom column colors. Column charts also allow you to customize the color of the topmost column. Both chart types include first column color customization and last column color customization.

Can You Make a Bar Sparkline Vertical in Google Sheets?

A bar chart sparkline is a chart that displays horizontal bars with axis values at the bottom. This is a graphical object used to represent data in Excel or Google Sheets. In Google Sheets, vertically arranged bar charts are called stacked column charts. Can be inserted using the chart editor, but not the SPARKLINE function.

Wrapping Up

In summary, the Sparklines feature is great if you want an immediate graphical representation of your data in line, column, bar, or win/loss charts.

Available only for small datasets, and with different customization options for each chart type. If you often need to manipulate your data and view visual representations of your datasets, it’s definitely a feature to learn.

We hope this Sparkline Google Sheets Guide has provided you with a thorough explanation of this feature. All you have to do is try it yourself. If you want to learn more about spreadsheets, you can always try our course.