Follow the step-by-step instructions to create a chart.
Charts allow you to transform your data into real-time visuals of trends and metrics, so that you can make better decisions faster. You can add a chart to any dashboard using a chart widget, powered by live data from your sheets and reports. With multiple different chart types available, charts provide flexibility to display your data the way you want.
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Create a Chart for a Dashboard
Live charts are stored as widgets on Smartsheet dashboards. (See our help article on dashboards for more information on this feature.)
To create a chart widget:
- On the right rail, click the + button. Or select Chart from the Add Widget dropdown in the Edit menu.
- From the Add Widget box, select Chart.
- Before you can select your chart, you must first select your data. Click Add Data in the Data & Chart Type section.
- On the left side of the form, select the sheet or report that contains the table you want to chart. Then select the range of cells on the right side.
- Once you have your data selected, click OK.
TIP: If you need to change your data range later, edit the widget and click Edit Data to reselect the data range.
Once you’ve selected your data, select a chart type and formatting.
Select Your Chart Type
Now that you’ve chosen the data you want to chart, you can select a chart to visually represent your data. Smartsheet automatically suggests a chart type based on how the data in your range is formatted. You can select a different chart type on the right side of the Edit Chart Widget form.
|
Data that you want to compare |
Recommended chart |
|---|---|
|
How numbers have changed over time |
line, smooth line, stepped line |
|
Directly compare numbers against each other |
column, bar, stacked column, stacked bar |
|
Show how individual numbers relate to the whole of your data set |
Pie, donut |
- If the data doesn’t look as expected, click Switch rows/columns.
- Pie and donut charts do not display zero values
Available Chart and Column Types
Chart Types
Smartsheet offers the following chart types:
- Line
- Smooth line
- Stepped line
- Bar
- Stacked bar
- Column
- Stacked column
- Pie
- Donut
- Scatter
Column Types
The chart widget supports charting only for the following column types:
- Text/Number: Values must be numbers only
- Dropdown List: Numbers only, excluding text strings that look like numbers
- Auto-Number/System-generated column: Numbers with no Prefix or Suffix (no text)
- Symbols: Numbers only (symbols can't be charted)
Learn more about different column types in Smartsheet in Use the Best Column Type for Your Data.