How to Make a Dot Graph on Google Sheets

Trying to make a dot graph in Google Sheets can feel like you're missing something. You know what you want to visualize - the distribution of your customer ratings, test scores, or product prices - but there’s no "Dot Graph" button to be found. Don't worry, you’re not missing anything. While Google Sheets doesn't offer a direct dot plot option, there's a simple workaround using a different chart type. This tutorial will walk you through exactly how to set up your data and create a clean, effective dot graph in just a few steps.

What a Dot Graph Tells You (And Why Use One)

Before jumping into the "how," let's quickly touch on the "why." A dot graph, or dot plot, is a straightforward way to see the distribution of a single set of numerical data. Each dot on the chart represents one data point from your set. At a glance, you can immediately spot patterns that a simple average or list of numbers won't show you, including:

• Clusters: Where do most of your data points bunch up?

• Gaps: Are there any values where you have no data?

• Outliers: Are there any data points that are unusually high or low?

• Skewness: Is the data spread out evenly, or does it lean to one side?

For example, if you're looking at product review scores, a dot graph can instantly show you that most reviews are clustered around 4 and 5 stars, with a few low-scoring outliers. It’s a simple visual that communicates a lot of information quickly, making it a favorite for analyzing survey results, performance metrics, and any other dataset organized around a single variable.

Step 1: Get Your Data Ready for Google Sheets

The secret to creating a dot graph in Google Sheets is using a Scatter chart. A Scatter chart requires two sets of values: one for the horizontal X-axis and one for the vertical Y-axis. Since a classic dot plot only has one variable (our X-axis), we need a creative way to set up a helper column for our Y-axis.

You have two main ways to approach this, depending on whether you want a clean line of dots or a slightly spread-out "jitter" plot to avoid overlap.

Method A: A Simple Horizontal Line of Dots

This is the most straightforward method. If you want all your dots to line up perfectly along a single horizontal axis, you just need to assign the same Y-value to every data point. The easiest value to use is 1.

Let's say your data - like customer satisfaction survey scores on a scale of 1-10 - is in Column A. In Column B, which will be our helper "Y-Axis" column, simply enter the number 1 next to each data point.

Your data should look like this:

Method B: Jittered Dots to Prevent Overlap

What happens if you have lots of identical data points (for example, thirty reviews with a score of "8")? With Method A, all thirty dots would be stacked directly on top of each other, making it impossible to see the "density" or count. To solve this, you can "jitter" the dots by giving them slightly different vertical positions.

Instead of using the number 1 for every Y-value, we can use a formula to generate a random number. In Google Sheets, the RANDBETWEEN function is perfect for this.

Set up your data table as before, but in Column B, use this formula and copy it down for all your rows:

=RANDBETWEEN(1, 10)

This formula gives each data point a random vertical position between 1 and 10. Now, when you plot thirty different "8" scores, they'll be scattered vertically around the "8" mark on the X-axis, giving you a much better sense of the data's density.

Your data setup would now look something like this:

For most uses, the jittered method (Method B) is more flexible and gives a better visual representation of your data's distribution.

Step 2: Insert and Configure Your Scatter Chart

Once your data is prepared in two columns, creating the chart is simple. Here’s what to do:

1. Select your data columns. Click and drag to highlight both your data column and your helper Y-axis column, including the headers.

2. Insert the chart. Go to the menu and click Insert > Chart.

3. Choose the Scatter Chart type. Google Sheets will often default to a different chart type (like a line chart). In the "Chart editor" pane that appears on the right, go to the "Setup" tab and change the "Chart type" to Scatter chart.

You should now see a basic scatter plot of your data. The hard part is done! Now, we just need to clean it up to make it look less like a technical scatter plot and more like an intuitive dot graph.

Step 3: Customize Your Chart into a Dot Graph

The key to a good dot graph is clarity. Since our Y-axis is just a tool we used to plot the dots, we want to de-emphasize it so the focus is entirely on the horizontal distribution of our main data. Here’s how to fine-tune your chart:

In the "Chart editor" pane, switch to the Customize tab.

1. Adjust the Vertical Axis (Y-Axis)

Since this axis doesn't represent real data, let's clean it up.

• Go to Vertical axis.

• Delete the axis title. By default it might say "Y-Axis Helper." Just leave this field blank.

• Remove the gridlines. Uncheck the "Major gridlines" box to remove unnecessary horizontal lines.

• (Optional) If you used the jitter method, you can set the "Min" and "Max" values to be slightly outside your RANDBETWEEN range (e.g., Min=0, Max=11) to add some white space and make it look cleaner. For Method A (all 1s), you could set the Min to 0 and Max to 2.

2. Label Your Chart and Horizontal Axis (X-Axis)

Clear labels are essential for anyone trying to understand your chart.

• Go to Chart & axis titles.

• Give your chart a title. Change the "Chart title" to something descriptive, like "Distribution of Customer Survey Scores."

• Label your main axis. Change the "Horizontal axis title" to describe your data. For example, "Customer Score (out of 10)."

3. Style Your Dots

Finally, make your data points pop.

• Go to Series.

• Change the dot color. Pick a color that’s easy to see.

• Change the point size. The default size is often 7px. Increasing it to 10px or 14px makes the dots much clearer and gives your chart a true "dot plot" feel.

• Change the point shape. While circles are standard, you can change them to stars, triangles, or squares if you prefer.

After these customizations, your chart will have transformed from a generic scatter plot into a focused and easy-to-read dot graph visualizing your data's distribution along a single axis.

Final Thoughts

That is everything you need to know to create a dot graph in Google Sheets. While there isn't an official chart type for it, using a customized Scatter chart is a simple and powerful workaround. By getting your data set up with a helper column and tweaking a few settings, you can quickly build visuals that reveal clear patterns and insights in your data.

Often, the biggest challenge isn't just creating a chart, but getting all your data from different marketing and sales platforms into one place to begin with. We built Graphed for exactly that friction. Instead of manually exporting CSVs and wrestling with spreadsheets, we let you connect your sources like Google Analytics, Shopify, and Facebook Ads in seconds. From there, you just ask questions in plain English - like "show me revenue by campaign as a bar chart" - and our AI analyst instantly creates live dashboards that update automatically, getting you straight to the insights you need.