How to Make a Column Chart in Google Sheets with ChatGPT

Using ChatGPT to help you with Google Sheets can feel like having a spreadsheet expert on call, ready to turn your jumbled data into a clear visual story. Instead of hunting through menus or watching multiple tutorial videos, you can simply ask for what you need. This guide will walk you through exactly how to use ChatGPT to create, customize, and even level up your column charts in Google Sheets.

First Things First: Why Use ChatGPT for Google Sheets Charts?

Working in spreadsheets often involves knowing which buttons to click and in what order. If you don't build charts every day, it's easy to forget the steps or miss a key customization option. Using ChatGPT acts as a helpful copilot.

Here’s why it’s so effective:

• It saves time: Instead of searching for "how to change bar color google sheets," you can just ask in plain English. You get a direct answer without having to sift through articles or videos.

• It lowers the learning curve: Not everyone is a spreadsheet whiz, and that's perfectly fine. ChatGPT bridges the gap, allowing you to create professional-looking charts without needing to become an expert in the software itself.

• It helps you learn: By giving you the exact steps, ChatGPT actively teaches you how the Google Sheets chart editor works. After a few times, you might find you don't even need the help anymore.

• It unlocks powerful features: You might not even know that some features, like creating a stacked column chart to show parts of a whole, even exist. You can describe your goal to ChatGPT, and it can introduce you to the best chart type for the job.

Preparing Your Data for a Column Chart

Before you can craft the perfect prompt, you need data that’s ready for visualization. A column chart is great for comparing different categories or showing changes over a period. Garbage in, garbage out is a real rule in data analysis - a clean dataset leads to a clear chart.

For a standard column chart, your data should be organized in a simple, predictable way:

• Column A for Labels: Your first column should contain the labels for your chart - the categories you want to compare. This could be things like product names, marketing channels, months of the year, or sales regions.

• Column B (and beyond) for Values: The next column(s) should hold the numeric values that correspond to each label. These are the numbers that will determine the height of each column in your chart.

Let's use a relatable example: tracking quarterly website sessions from different social media channels. Here’s how you’d set it up in Google Sheets:

Your data might look something like this:

Sheet1

A few tips for clean data:

• Use clear headers: "Channel" and "Sessions" are simple and descriptive.

• Avoid merged cells: Merged cells in your data range can confuse the chart editor.

• Stick to one data type: Keep text in your label column and numbers in your value column. Don't mix them.

Step-by-Step Guide: Using ChatGPT to Build Your Column Chart

Once your data is clean and organized, you're ready to start chatting. The quality of your prompt will directly impact the quality of the instructions you receive.

Step 1: Write a Clear and Specific Prompt

Vague prompts lead to vague answers. Give ChatGPT context so it can give you precise instructions. Think of it less as a command and more as a project brief for your data assistant.

A good starting prompt includes:

• Your Goal: "I want to create a column chart."

• Location of Your Data: "My data is in Google Sheets on a tab named 'Sheet1'."

• Description of Your Data: "Column A is the 'Channel' and Column B is the 'Sessions'. The data range is A1:B6, and A1 and B1 are headers."

• Your Question: "Can you give me easy-to-follow, step-by-step instructions?"

Good Prompt Example:

"I have data in a Google Sheet showing website sessions from different channels. Column A (cells A1:A6) contains the channel names like 'Facebook' and 'LinkedIn'. Column B (cells B1:B6) has the corresponding number of sessions. Give me the step-by-step instructions to create a standard column chart from this data."

Bad Prompt Example:

"how to make a chart in sheets"

This bad prompt lacks context, so ChatGPT can only give you generic advice. The good prompt results in tailored, actionable instructions.

Step 2: Follow ChatGPT's Instructions

ChatGPT will likely return a simple numbered list. It will look something like this:

1. "Open your Google Sheet."

2. "Select the range of data you want to include in your chart. In your case, this would be A1:B6."

3. "Click on Insert in the top menu."

4. "From the dropdown menu, select Chart."

5. "Google Sheets will automatically insert a chart. In the Chart editor on the right, make sure that 'Column chart' is selected under the 'Chart type' dropdown in the Setup tab."

Now, just follow along. Click and select your data, go to the Insert menu, and choose Chart. Google Sheets is smart and will likely default to a column chart based on your data structure. The chart editor will pop up on the right, and you'll see a basic version of your chart right on your sheet.

Step 3: Customize Your Chart with Follow-up Questions

The default chart is a great start, but you'll probably want to clean it up. With ChatGPT as your guide, you can customize your chart with follow-up questions:

Simply continue the conversation. You don't need to repeat the original context. Here are a few examples of follow-up customization prompts:

Changing the Chart Title:

• Your Prompt: "How do I change the chart's title to 'Quarterly Web Sessions by Social Channel'?"

• Expected Instructions: ChatGPT will guide you to the "Customize" tab in the chart editor, then to "Chart & axis titles," where you can type your new title into the "Title text" box.

Adjusting the Colors:

• Your Prompt: "I want to change the color of the columns to a dark blue. How do I do that?"

• Expected Instructions: It will direct you to the "Customize" tab and then "Series." From there, you can choose a new color under the "Format" section.

Adding Data Labels:

• Your Prompt: "Can you show me how to add the exact session number to the top of each column?"

• Expected Instructions: ChatGPT will again point you to "Customize" -> "Series" and tell you to check the box for "Data labels." This will display the values directly on your chart, making it much easier to read at a glance.

Going Further: Stacked Column Charts

What if your data is more complex? Suppose you want to compare social channels but also see the breakdown of sessions by an additional category, like device type (desktop vs. mobile).

This is where a stacked column chart comes in handy. It shows you the total sessions for each channel, while also visualizing the contribution of each device type within that total.

First, structure your data like this:

Sheet1

Your prompt would then be:

"My data is in the range A1:C4. Column A lists social channels, Column B has desktop sessions, and Column C has mobile sessions. How do I create a stacked column chart to show the total sessions per channel, broken down by device type?"

ChatGPT would provide the same initial steps (Insert > Chart) but would then direct you to change the chart type to "Stacked column chart" in the setup menu. It would also likely suggest ensuring the "Stacking" option is set to "Standard." The result is a highly informative chart that combines two layers of data in one clean visual.

Quick Tips & Troubleshooting

• If the chart is wrong: The most common reason for a chart failing is messy data. Double-check that you don't have text in your number columns or hidden empty rows. Describe your data structure to ChatGPT again, but more clearly this time.

• If ChatGPT's answer seems off: Sometimes, especially with very complex requests, an LLM might misinterpret your goal. The best solution is to rephrase your request. Break it down into smaller pieces. Instead of asking for a complex chart with five customizations, start by asking for the basic chart, then an inquiry how to add axis titles, next another one for colors, etc.

• Remember its limitations: ChatGPT cannot see your screen or access your Google Sheet. It relies solely on your description. The better and more detailed your description of the data range, headers, and sheet name, the more accurate its instructions will be.

Final Thoughts

Using prompts to navigate Google Sheets changes the game, turning a potentially frustrating task into a simple conversation. It empowers anyone, regardless of their spreadsheet expertise, to extract valuable insights from their data and present them clearly. You can move from raw numbers to a polished, professional column chart without getting lost in menus and options.

This process of using natural language is powerful for creating one-off charts, but it's just the beginning. At Graphed, we've built a platform that takes this concept even further. Instead of manually preparing data in Sheets, you can connect your data sources - like Google Analytics, Shopify, or Facebook Ads - directly. Then, by asking a question such as, "create a dashboard showing my top ad campaigns by revenue last month,” we instantly build an entire real-time dashboard for you. It automates the entire reporting workflow, saving you the time you’d otherwise spend on gathering, cleaning, and visualizing data, so that you can go and do what you truly do best. Have a look at what you are able to achieve by leveraging Graphed for this job.