Step 1: Select the dataset

Access your spreadsheet in Google Sheets, and highlight the data you want to use to create your waterfall chart.

Step 2: Open the chart editor

Go to the top menu and click on “Insert,” and then select “Chart.” The Chart editor will open on the right-hand side of the Google Sheet window.

Step 3. Select the chart

In the chart editor panel, under Chart type, click on the dropdown menu. Then scroll to the Other section, and click on the waterfall chart.

Step 4: Set up the chart

Again on the chart editor, in the Setup tab and under the heading “Stacking,” click on the dropdown arrow to select the type of stacking you want from the two options available:

• Sequential: Choose this option if you only have one data series. It will result in the data being displayed sequentially, with each data point represented by a bar that starts at the previous data point and ends at the next data point;
• Stacked: If you have multiple data series, choose this option. It will result in the data being displayed as stacked bars, with each data point represented by a segment of a bar that will be colored.

Step 5. Customize the chart

There are a variety of ways you can optimize a waterfall chart, from changing its title and font to its axis and gridlines.

To customize your chart, double-click on your waterfall chart to open the chart editor. Then click on the "Customize" tab.

Step 5.1: Customize Connector size and Color

Select “Chart style” and choose your preferred background color, font and cart Border color. You can also customize the line color and thickness and line dash type by clicking on the drop-down arrows. If you wish to display the connector lines, tick the check-box under “Show connector lines”.

Step 5.2: Customize your waterfall chart’s titles

You can also customize your waterfall chart’s title and subtitle, as well as its axis titles. To do so, in the Customize tab of the chart editor, click on “Chart & axis titles.” There, select which title you want to change.

You will then be given the option to change the words in any of the titles, as well as the font, size, and color.

Step 5.3: Customize your waterfall chart’s series

Next, you can choose to customize your waterfall chart series. In the chart editor, click on “Series.” There, you will have the option to change the colors, opacity, thickness, and more.

Step 5.4: Customize your waterfall chart’s legend

Under the "Legend" section in the chart editor, you can change which position you want the waterfall chart’s legend to appear in, as well as its font, format, size, and color.

Step 5.5: Customize your waterfall chart’s axis

In the chart editor, select which axis you want to customize: “Horizontal axis” or “Vertical axis.” Once there, you will be able to change the axis’ font, size, format, and color. You can also click on the “Reverse axis order” checkbox to reverse the order in which the data is displayed in the axis. Lastly, you have the option to slant this data by changing the angle under “Slant labels.”

Step 6: Save your waterfall chart

Click on the three dots that appear on the top right corner of the chart. In the menu that appears, you’ll have access to several ways to save your chart.

Step 1: Open Google Workplace Marketplace

In the top menu of Google Sheets, click on “Extensions,” followed by “Add-ons,” and then select “Get add-ons.”

Step 2: Search for an add-on

Go to the search bar and type in “Waterfall chart.” From the options provided, choose a suitable add-on. We recommend Charts, Graphs & Visualizations by ChartExpo.

Step 3: Install the add-on

Once you’ve selected an add-on, click on “Install” to start the installation process.

Step 4: Choose a Google account

Choose the Google account you’ll use to create the waterfall chart in Google Sheets.

Step 5: Grant permissions

Grant to the creator of the add-on the required permissions, by clicking on “Allow.”

Step 6: Open the add-on

Back to your spreadsheet in Google Sheets, go to the Extensions menu and choose your newly installed add-on.

Step 7: Create a waterfall chart

If you installed the add-on by ChartExpo, click on “Add new” and in the search bar type in “waterfall” to find the option to create a waterfall chart. Once you do, click on it.

Step 8: Set up the chart

Set up your chart by selecting the parameters of the data you want to appear in it as per the guidelines in the image below.

Step 9: You’ve created a waterfall chart

Once you are satisfied with the Waterfall chart you have created, you can add it to your spreadsheet in Google Sheets, by clicking on “Create chart.”

Step 1: Open your Google Sheet

Open your spreadsheet in Google Sheets, and select the data you want to use to create a waterfall chart.

Step 2: Open the Apps Script editor

Open the Extensions menu, then click on “Apps Script” to open the Apps Script editor.

Step 3: Write the script

After clicking on “Apps Script.” a script editor will open in a new tab. Copy the following script to paste it there:

function createWaterfallChart() {

 // Get the active sheet

 var sheet = SpreadsheetApp.getActiveSheet();

 // Get the data range

 var dataRange = sheet.getDataRange();

 // Create a new chart

 var chart = sheet.newChart()

   .setChartType(Charts.ChartType.WATERFALL)

   .addRange(dataRange)

   .setPosition(1, dataRange.getNumColumns() + 1, 0, 0)

   .build();

 // Insert the chart

 sheet.insertChart(chart);

}

Step 4: Customize the script

Now, you need to adjust the script so that it works with your dataset. Specifically, you need to adjust the index columns, which are columns on the spreadsheet. For example, the first column is marked with a [0], the second column with a [1], and so on.

In our example, we want to create a Waterfall chart using data from columns A and B. Here is what the modified script looks like:

Step 5: Run the script

To execute the script, save the script by clicking the save button and then click the play button in the editor.

Step 5.1: Give Google Access

After running the script, Google will ask you for permission to access and change your spreadsheet. Click on “Advanced.”

Step 5.2: Click to proceed

To proceed with the execution of the script to create a waterfall chart in Google Sheets, click on “Go to Script Name (unsafe).”

Step 6: You have created a waterfall chart!

You’ve now created a waterfall in Google Sheets, using Apps Script.

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