If you have data sets that you want to compare or show trends over time, create a horizontal bar chart. In Google Sheets, you can create a bar chart and customize it any way you want.
Create a bar chart in Google Sheet
Select the data for the chart by dragging to select the cells you want. Then, go to Insert in the menu and select “Chart”.
Google Sheets will add a default chart to your spreadsheet, which is usually a column chart. However, you can convert it to a horizontal bar chart easily.
When the chart appears, you’ll also see the Chart Editor’s menu open. Select the Setup tab at the top and click Chart Type. Scroll down and select the horizontal chart.
Customize bar charts in Google Sheet
The charts you create in Google Sheets offer most of the same settings. You can change the title, add an axis title, choose a background color, and choose a font.
Open the Chart Editor by clicking the three dots at the top right of the chart and selecting “Edit Chart”.
Select the Customize tab. Then you will see the options below, you can expand any option you want.
Some options you can change in the horizontal chart.
Change the color of the horizontal bar
The chart uses the default colors for each horizontal bar, but you can change these colors to match the colors of your company or organization.
Expand the Series section. Then, click Apply to All Series and select the color you want to change.
You can then adjust the color and opacity for both the fill and the outline. You can also choose a different line type and choose the thickness.
Format a data point
If you want to highlight a specific horizontal bar on the chart, you can format it to make it stand out. Below the Series option, click “Add” next to Format Data Point.
When the window pops up, click the point on the chart or select it from the list. Click “OK”.
You will then see a palette displayed next to the data point. Select the color you want to use and the chart will be updated.
You can follow the same procedure to format additional data points. To change or delete a data point, select a point from the list or click “Delete”.
Add error bar
You can also add error bars to your chart based on value, percentage, or standard deviation. At the bottom of the Series section, select Error Bars.
Then select Constant, Percent, or Standard Deviation in the list and enter the value you want to use on the right.
Your chart will show these error bars on the right side.
Creating a horizontal bar chart in Google Sheets is easy, and additional options let you perfect your chart. Alternatively, you can also name columns or rows in Google Sheets here.