If you want to display a summary of key performance indicators (KPIs) in Google Sheets, then creating a scorecard chart is an easy way to do this.
Scorecard charts make it easy to display key metrics in your spreadsheet.
In this tutorial, I will show you how to make a scorecard chart in Google Sheets.
Table of Contents
What is a Scorecard Chart?
Scorecard charts are used to display a summary of a metric.
They are often used in performance analysis to show a change in key performance indicators over a baseline value.
To give you a better understanding of what a scorecard chart is, take a look at the example below:
In the example above, I have created a scorecard chart for revenue from the 1st four months of 2022 compared to 2021. The scorecard chart just shows the change between my two datasets.
As you can see from the example, a scorecard is a simple way to highlight a key metric in your data with an easy-to-read visual element.
Making a Scorecard Chart
Creating a Scorecard Chart with Data from One Cell
Now that we have gone over the basics of what a scorecard chart is, let’s take a look at how to create one in our spreadsheet.
Here is how it is done:
1. First, select an empty cell outside of your data. In this example, I have selected cell E1
2. Next, in the top menu select Insert>Chart
3. You should see the Chart editor appear on the right-hand side of your screen. Navigate down to the “Chart type” section and set your chart type to “Scorecard chart”
4. Next we need to add our Key Value and Baseline Value. The Key Value is the metric that we want to highlight, and the baseline will be our comparison number. Select the box for Key Value
5. After selecting the Key Value box, enter the cell that contains the Key Value. In my example this is in cell C12, so I put that cell into the box
6. Select the Baseline Value and put the appropriate cell in that box. In this example, this is in cell C6
7. After you have selected your Key Value and Baseline Value, you will see your scorecard chart is created. The chart will automatically show the difference between your two values
Scorecard Chart with Data from Multiple Cells
You can also put a range of data into your scorecard chart instead of just a single cell.
In the previous example, I compared total sales revenue by selecting the cell that summed up the data. But let’s pretend my data now looks like this:
In the example above, I don’t have the data summed up like previously. However, we can still create a scorecard chart on a data range and accomplish the same thing.
The process for creating this kind of chart using multiple cells is the same as for a single chart.
The only difference will be in the part where we input the Key Value and Baseline Value.
This time put a range of cells into the boxes, and then select the “Aggregate” box at the bottom.
In my example, the aggregate is a SUM, however, you do have a few other options you can choose (Average, Count, Max, Median, Min).
As you can see the scorecard chart appears the same way as in the previous example, but this time I have a range of data as my values.
Customizing Your Scorecard Chart
Under the Customize tab in the Chart editor, you can find many useful options for customizing your chart after it has been created.
These are the different sections where you can find customization options:
- Chart style – here you can edit the colors and font styles for your chart
- Key value – here you will find options for changing the font, color, and number formatting of your key value
- Baseline value – under this setting you will find options for changing the comparison value to a percentage, adding a description, and other font and color settings
- Chart & axis titles – you can add a title to your chart and adjust the title font with the settings here
Closing Thoughts
Scorecard charts are fairly simple to setup in Google Sheets once you understand what the key value and baseline value is.
They are a good way to draw attention to a key metric with a simple visual element.
If you need help with any of the steps on setting this up, make sure to watch the video!
More Google Sheets Tutorials:
How to Make a Pareto Chart
How to Make a Treemap Chart
How to Make a Funnel Chart