How To Make a Chart on Google Docs in 2024 – Easy Guide

Visual representation of data in charts makes it simple to convey statistics, trends, or comparisons to people. Google Docs, an online document editor, offers a range of tools to help you create and customize charts.

This article will explore various methods to create charts, look at their different types, and learn how to edit them.

Types of Charts

Google Docs supports various chart types, each suited for different data types.

• Bar Charts: This graph is ideal for comparing values across different categories. For example, if you want to compare the average marks of a class in different subjects, you will use a bar graph. 
• Line Charts: This graph is generally used to track one particular thing’s progress over time. An example would be if you want to track your marks in a subject over a few months.
• Pie Charts: Pie charts express different portions from a whole. The portions are called slices, and the whole represents a pie. A suitable example would be the percentage of time you spend on different activities throughout the day.

Read More: How to Enable Dark Mode in Google Docs

Adding a Chart in Google Docs

You can add a chart to your Google Doc using two different methods. One is importing an existing chart from Google Sheets, and the second is inserting it using the dedicated chart tool in Google Docs.

1. Importing from Google Sheets

Importing a pre-made chart from Google Sheets to Google Docs is very beneficial. This is because Google Sheets provides a bigger range of options from which you can create your chart. Charts are also easier to edit on Googe Sheets; overall, it is a better platform for infographics of all kinds. Once you create a chart on Google Sheets, use the following steps to import it into your document:

1. Open your document on Docs and click on the Insert option at the top of the page.
2. Select Chart and then click on From Sheets.
   
3. Now select the document in which the chart is present and click Select.
4. From the list of charts in the document, select the one you want to insert and click on Import.
5. This will add the graph to your document.

2. Adding Directly in Google Docs

You can also directly add a chart using Google Docs. The only downside is that you have limited graphs (Line, bar, column, and pie) to choose from. Also, you cannot perform much editing on the chart in Google Docs, and ultimately you have to import the chart to Google Sheets to properly edit it (more on this in a moment). The steps to add a chart are as follows:

1. Click on the Insert option at the top of the page and select Charts.
2. Now click on the type of chart you want, and it will be inserted into your document.
   

   

Editing and Customizing the Charts

Now we’ll take a look at how you can edit and further customize a chart; this is especially important in case you’ve imported a chart from Sheets into Docs. Any chart inserted this way has to be edited on Sheets in its original location and then it’ll update inside Google Docs.

That being said, some basic editing can be done in Google Docs as well. This basic editing includes changing the chart’s size and orientation, changing the graph’s position, recoloring it, and changing its opacity, brightness, and contrast. Otherwise, here’s how to edit the chart properly:

1. Left-click on your chart and select the 3-dots icon on the top right side.
2. This will reveal a menu; select the Open Source option.
   

   

3. Doing this will import the chart to Google Sheets, and you can easily edit it in depth there.

Now the chart will open with all data values and other necessary options in Google Sheets, and you can proceed to tinker with it here.

For further editing, click on the 3-dots icon on the top left of your graph. In the menu that opens, click on Edit chart. This opens the chart editor, where you can edit and mold your chart according to your requirements. An example of some basic editing I did on my chart is:

• Went to the Chart style and changed the background and border colors to red.
• Then I opened the Pie slice, changed the Team 3 color, and increased its distance from the center.

Once you complete your editing on Google Sheets, go to Google Docs and click the Update option at the top of the chart. This will implement the changes onto your graph.

Adding Charts In Google Docs on Phone

Currently, you cannot directly add a chart on the Google Docs application on your mobile phone, as the app does not have an option for charts. However, you can open Google Docs on your phone’s browser and add and edit charts using the above methods, as the interface is the same.

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Conclusion

There you have it, the complete guide for adding and editing charts on Google Docs. We recommend that you delve into different settings and options available by default in Google Docs before doing any advanced editing using Google Sheets. That’s the best way to learn about visual data, and if you’re facing any issues with Google Docs, check out our article on Google Docs not working.

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