If you want to display the progress of a key data metric with an easy-to-understand data visualization, then a gauge chart might be the perfect type of chart to display your data with.
This is a built-in chart type that can be easily created with Google Sheets.
In this tutorial, I will show you how to create a gauge chart in Google Sheets.
Table of Contents
What is a Gauge Chart?
A gauge chart is a type of data visualization that is often used to show how a key data metric scores within an accepted range.
They are often used to track the progress of a KPI during a certain period.
Guage charts are used because they are very easy to interpret.
They typically look like a speedometer that has different sections to score the progress of the data value.
Here is an example of a basic gauge chart:
How to Make a Gauge Chart
Creating a gauge chart is a simple process. First, we need to have our data in our spreadsheet.
In this example, I will be using this data to create my chart:
Once you have the data in your sheet, you can begin to create the chart.
Here are the steps:
1. First, highlight the data that will be used to create the chart
2. Next, in the top menu select Insert>Chart (you can also select the Insert chart button from the top toolbar
3. You will now have a chart created in your spreadsheet, however, it might not be a gauge chart yet. You may have to select the chart type manually by navigating to the “Chart type” section and selecting Gauge chart
4. You will now see a gauge chart in your spreadsheet. However, the range of the gauge might need to be edited to make sense with your data. To set the range for the gauge, navigate to the gauge section under the customize tab in the chart editor. Here you can set the min and max value of your gauge. Since I am using percentages with my chart, I have set the max value to 1
5. Now the gauge chart is displaying my data the way that I want it to
Color Coding Your Gauge Chart
Another customization you may want to make with your chart is to have a color-coded gauge chart to make things easier to read.
That is also done through the gauge section of the customize tab in the chart editor.
Here I will create a color-coded chart so each third of my chart is a different color:
Here is what my chart looks like after adding these min and max range colors:
Closing Thoughts
Gauge charts are simple to create and very easy to read. If you need to report a key metric, a gauge chart is a good option for having a simple visual element to display your data with.
Try creating a chart in your own spreadsheet and add custom colors for your ranges to create a chart like the one above.
More Google Sheets Tutorials:
How to Make a Waterfall Chart