How to Connect Points on a Graph in Google Sheets
Trying to show a trend over time in Google Sheets, but your graph is just a collection of disconnected dots? It's a common and frustrating problem that leaves your data looking more like a constellation than a clear, actionable insight. This article will show you exactly how to connect those points, walking you through the right chart types and troubleshooting tips to create clean, easy-to-read graphs.
Understanding Why Your Data Points Are Disconnected
The main reason your chart shows isolated dots is likely because you're using a Scatter plot when what you really need is a Line chart. It’s an easy mistake to make, but understanding the difference is the key to solving the problem for good.
A Scatter chart is designed to show the relationship between two different numerical variables. Think of it as a tool for spotting correlations. For example, you might plot your daily ad spend against the number of sales to see if spending more money leads to more sales. Each dot on the graph represents a single pair of data (e.g., $50 spent, 10 sales). In this situation, connecting the dots in order doesn’t make sense because you're looking for an overall relationship, not a progression through time.
A Line chart, on the other hand, is built to track the progress of a single metric over a continuous interval, like time. It's perfect for visualizing things like monthly website traffic, weekly keyword rankings, or daily revenue. A line chart automatically connects the dots to show the highs, lows, and overall trend, making the data's story much easier to follow.
In short, if your horizontal axis (the x-axis) represents time (days, weeks, months), you almost always want a line chart.
The Simplest Fix: Switching to a Line Chart
In most cases, turning your scattered dots into a continuous line is as simple as changing the chart type. If your goal is to show how a value changes from one point in time to the next, this is the solution you're looking for. Let’s walk through it with an example.
Imagine you're tracking your organic search traffic from Google Analytics for the first half of the year.
Step 1: Set Up Your Data Correctly
Before you even create a chart, make sure your data is structured properly. For a line chart, this means having your time-based data (dates, months, weeks) in the first column and the metric you want to track (sessions, sales, conversions) in the second column. Keep it simple and clean.
Your data might look something like this:
Column A: Month (Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, May, Jun)
Column B: Organic Sessions (540, 610, 850, 720, 980, 1100)
Step 2: Insert a Chart
Highlight the entire data range you want to visualize, including the headers. Go to the menu bar and click Insert > Chart. Google Sheets will automatically select a chart type based on what it thinks is best, which sometimes isn't what you want.
Step 3: Choose the Line Chart Type
When the chart appears, the Chart editor sidebar will open on the right. If Google Sheets guessed wrong and gave you a scatter plot, a bar chart, or something else, this is where you fix it.
In the Setup tab of the Chart editor.
Click the dropdown menu under Chart type.
Find the section for Line and select the first option, simply called "Line chart."
Instantly, your disconnected points will be joined by a clear line, showing the upward trend in your organic traffic over the six months. That's it! You've successfully connected the dots.
Pro Tip: You might notice a "Smooth line chart" option. This can make your graph look a bit sleeker, but be careful. It smooths out the sharp angles, which can slightly misrepresent the exact data points. For professional reporting where accuracy is critical, stick with the standard line chart.
Adding a Trendline to Your Scatter Plot
What if you are analyzing the relationship between two variables with a scatter plot, but you still want a line to guide the eye? In this scenario, you don't want to connect each individual dot, but rather show the overall trend in the data. This is the perfect job for a trendline.
A trendline is a statistical tool that cuts through the noise of individual data points to show the general relationship. For example, does your email subscriber count generally increase as you publish more blog posts?
Here’s how to add one.
How to Add a Trendline in Google Sheets
Start by creating your scatter plot. Let's say you're plotting "Blog Posts Published" (x-axis) against "New Subscribers" (y-axis) for each month.
Once the scatter plot is created, double-click on the chart to bring up the Chart editor sidebar if it's not already open.
Switch from the Setup tab to the Customize tab.
Click to expand the Series section.
Scroll down within the Series options until you see a checkbox for Trendline.
Click the checkbox. A line will immediately appear on your chart, illustrating the general trend.
You can further customize the trendline's color, thickness, and even its type (Linear, Exponential, etc.) within this same menu. For most business use cases, "Linear" is what you'll need.
Troubleshooting: Why Your Connected Line Looks Wrong
Sometimes, even after you switch to a line chart, the result is a tangled mess of lines zig-zagging back and forth. This usually means there’s an issue with your underlying data, not the chart settings. Here are the most common culprits and how to fix them.
Problem 1: Unsorted Data
A line chart connects data points in the order they appear in your spreadsheet, from top to bottom. If your dates or categories are not sorted chronologically, the line will jump between them, creating a nonsensical graph.
For example, if your monthly data is listed as Jan, Mar, Feb, May, Apr... the line will connect January to March, then jump back to February before heading to May. It looks confusing because it is confusing.
The Fix: Sort your data a-z or in a chronological order.
Highlight your entire data set (both the x and y-axis columns).
Go to the main menu and click Data > Sort range > Advanced range sorting options.
Make sure the box for "Data has header row" is checked if you included your headers.
Choose to sort by the column containing your dates or time periods (e.g., Column A).
Click Sort. Your chart will instantly update to show a clean, logical progression.
Problem 2: Text vs. Numbers
Another common issue is that Google Sheets may be reading your dates as plain text instead of actual date values. This prevents it from sorting them correctly. You might type "Jan 2024," and Sheets might just see it as a word, not a point in time.
The Fix: Ensure your date column is formatted as a date.
Select the entire column containing your dates.
Go to the main menu and click Format > Number > Date.
This tells Sheets to interpret these entries as dates, which allows for proper chronological sorting and charting.
Problem 3: Using the Wrong Chart for the Job
Finally, a disorganized line chart can be a sign that you really should be using a different chart type. If you find yourself plotting two variables that don't have a time-based relationship (like "Website Visits" vs. "Revenue" for a single day), a scatter plot with a trendline is a far more effective visual than a jumbled line chart.
Always stop and think about the story you are trying to tell with your data. Is it a story of change over time? Use a line chart. Is it a story of correlation between variables? Use a scatter plot.
Final Thoughts
Connecting points on a Google Sheets graph is all about choosing the right tool for the job. Use a Line chart to visualize trends over time and a Scatter plot with a trendline to reveal relationships between variables. By ensuring your data is clean and sorted, you can turn a confusing set of dots into a powerful, insightful visual in just a few clicks.
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