Charts and graphs are an easy way to visualize numerical data, and Google Sheets makes it simple to insert them with just a few clicks, so it’s no surprise that they’re frequently used in Google Sheets.
However, there may be times when you need to know the exact value of a specific datapoint on the chart. It is difficult to read charts with great precision, but fortunately, you can have the benefits of graphs and the precision of numerical data by adding labels to data points in Google Sheets.
In this tutorial, you will learn how to add data labels in Google Sheets. Continue reading to find out more.
Adding the Graph
For this tutorial to work, we need to create a graph before adding data labels. We’ll use a scatter plot for this example because data labels are easy to read on them, but you can also use this method to add data labels to bar, column, area, line, waterfall, or histogram charts.
Here’s how to make a scatter plot graph:
Step 1. Insert data in Google Sheets and select the data you want to chart. Two columns of data are needed for a scatter plot: one for the X-axis and one for the Y-axis.
First, make a new sheet document in Google Drive to begin making a scatter plot in Google Sheets and start to insert your data either manually or through import. This is how a sample data set will look like on the spreadsheet.
Step 2. Select your data and then, from the top menu, open Insert and click on the Chart icon. A sample chart will be inserted into your document, which Google will generate based on your data.
Step 3. The Chart Editor will appear on the right side of the document, where we will spend the majority of our time in Google Sheets creating a scatter plot. The chart editor has two tabs: the Setup tab and the Customize tab. Open the Setup tab and select Scatter Chart under the Chart Type subheading. Make sure that the Data Range is correct as per our data.
Step 4. Navigate to the Customize tab in the Charter editor to see a variety of sub-headings such as Chart Style, Series, Legends, Vertical Axis, and others. When you click one of these, the control panel for that attribute will open. More options will be displayed if you click on Chart Style. For example, you can change the background color by clicking on it, or you can choose a new font style from the Font menu.
Adding Data Labels
To add the labels, you must first make sure that the labels are on the same row as what they are describing, and are listed on the same column. Once you’ve inserted a chart, here’s how to add data labels to it:
Step 1. Double-click the chart to open the chart editor again if it’s closed. Then switch to the Customize tab, then click on the Series section to expand it.
Step 2. On the customize tab, you have to scroll down in the Series section till you find the checkbox for Data Labels and click it. After that, the data labels will appear on the chart.
Pro tip: Under “Position,” you can choose if you want the data label to be inside or outside the bar.
Step 3. You can adjust the appearance of the data labels by editing the data label formatting options.You can also edit the value of individual data labels by double clicking on the label in the chart and typing the new value.
Final Words
Following this tutorial, you can now easily add custom labels to charts in Google Sheets by using the Add Labels feature. If you wish to learn more productivity hacks, useful tools, and other relevant information about Google Sheets, feel free to visit our list of Google Sheets Tutorials on our page.
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