How to add a chart in Google Slides from Sheets
Every chart in Google Slides lives in a Google Sheet. That sounds like a limitation, but it means a chart can stay linked to your live numbers and update with one click.
Option 1: insert a new chart
- Insert itGo to Insert > Chart and choose Bar, Column, Line or Pie. Slides adds a sample chart and creates a new linked Google Sheet in your Drive.
- Open the sourceSelect the chart, click the Link options menu in its top right corner and choose Open source. The Sheet opens in a new tab.
- Replace the sample dataType your labels and numbers over the sample data in the Sheet. To change the chart type or colours, double-click the chart in Sheets to open the Chart editor.
- Update the slideBack in Slides, click Update on the chart. It redraws with your numbers.
Option 2: add a chart you already made in Sheets
- Build the chart in SheetsIn Google Sheets, select your data and choose Insert > Chart. Set it up in the Chart editor.
- Insert it in SlidesIn Slides, go to Insert > Chart > From Sheets, pick the spreadsheet and click Select.
- Choose the chart and linkingClick the chart you want. Leave Link to spreadsheet ticked so it can be updated later, or untick it for a fixed image. Click Import.
Keep charts up to date
- One chart: click Update on the chart's top right corner when it appears.
- Every chart and linked table in the deck: Tools > Linked objects, then Update all at the bottom of the sidebar.
- Stop a chart from changing: select it, open Link options and choose Unlink. It keeps its current look.
Make it readable
Charts in Slides take their styling from the Sheets Chart editor, under Customize. A few changes make almost any chart clearer:
- Under Chart & axis titles, remove the default title and put your point in the slide title instead, such as "Sign-ups doubled after the free trial launched".
- Under Legend, set position to None if there is one series.
- Under Gridlines and ticks, lighten or remove major gridlines.
- Under Series, turn on Data labels for the values people need, and give the important series your accent colour.
- Increase font sizes in Chart style; default chart text is small on a projector.
To reveal a chart during the talk, select it and choose Insert > Animation. Slides animates the chart as one object, so if you need to reveal bars one at a time, use several copies of the chart on successive slides, or cover parts with shapes that fade out.
Worked example: a weekly metrics deck
Suppose your team reviews the same five metrics every Monday. Keep the data in one Google Sheet with a tab per metric and a chart on each tab, formatted the way you want it on the slide. In your Slides deck, insert each chart with Insert > Chart > From Sheets, keeping Link to spreadsheet ticked.
Each Monday, paste the new numbers into the Sheet, open the deck and run Tools > Linked objects > Update all. All five charts refresh in one go. Then update each slide title so it states this week's point. If a chart does not pick up a new row, open the Sheet, double-click the chart and extend the Data range in the Chart editor's Setup tab, or reference whole columns (for example A:B) so new rows are included.
Before the deck goes to people outside your organization, make a copy with File > Make a copy and unlink the charts in the copy. Viewers of a linked chart do not see the Sheet's other data, but unlinking removes any chance of someone requesting access to it.
Choosing the chart type in Sheets
The Slides Insert menu only offers bar, column, line and pie, but Sheets has many more. Use a column or line chart for change over time, a sorted bar chart to compare categories, a stacked bar for parts of a whole, and a scatter chart for the relationship between two numbers. Avoid 3D charts and pies with more than four slices; both make values harder to compare.
Common problems
| Problem | Fix |
|---|---|
| No Update button | The chart is unlinked or nothing changed. Check Tools > Linked objects |
| Others cannot update the chart | They need at least view access to the source Sheet |
| Chart looks blurry | Resize it in Sheets to roughly the size it will be on the slide, then update |
| Wrong chart type available | Slides' Insert menu only offers four types; build scatter, combo or area charts in Sheets and use From Sheets |
| Chart vanished after downloading as PowerPoint | Linked charts become static charts or images in .pptx; recheck them in PowerPoint |
Moving between tools often? Our guide on converting Google Slides to PowerPoint explains what happens to charts on the way, and the PowerPoint chart guide covers linking to Excel.
Frequently asked questions
How do I edit a chart in Google Slides?
Select it, open the Link options menu in the chart's top right corner and choose Open source. Edit the data or design in Google Sheets, then click Update on the slide.
Can I make a chart in Google Slides without Google Sheets?
Not really. Every chart in Slides is backed by a Sheet, even if you insert it from the Slides menu. Slides creates the Sheet for you in Drive.
Why won't my Google Slides chart update?
The chart may be unlinked, the source Sheet may have been deleted or moved to a place you cannot access, or you do not have access to the Sheet. Check Tools > Linked objects.
Can I animate a chart in Google Slides?
Yes, but as one object. Select the chart and choose Insert > Animation. Google Slides cannot animate individual bars or series.
Can people I share the deck with see my whole spreadsheet?
No. Viewers of the presentation see only the chart. To open the source Sheet or update the chart, they need their own access to that Sheet, so check its sharing settings separately.
Or get the chart, the slide and the story together
Upload a CSV or Excel file, or describe your numbers. InstaPresentation writes the headline, builds the chart and animates it.