How to Make a Chart in Google Slides (Linked to Sheets)

Google Slides doesn't edit chart data itself. Every chart is built in Google Sheets and shown in your slide, which confuses people the first time, because double-clicking the chart doesn't let you change the numbers. Once you know the data lives in a sheet, everything about charts in Slides makes sense.

How to make a new chart in Google Slides

1. Open your presentation and go to the slide.
2. Click Insert, then Chart.
3. Choose Bar, Column, Line or Pie.
4. Slides adds a chart with sample data, linked to a new Google Sheet.
5. Click the chart, then the link icon in its corner and choose Open source.
6. In the sheet, replace the sample data with your own.
7. Back in Slides, click Update on the chart to show the new numbers.

How to add a chart you've already made in Google Sheets

1. Click Insert, then Chart, then From Sheets.
2. Pick the spreadsheet and click Select.
3. Click the chart you want.
4. Leave Link to spreadsheet ticked to keep it updatable, or untick it for a fixed copy.
5. Click Import.

Linked or unlinked?

	Linked chart	Unlinked chart
Updates when the sheet changes	Yes, when you click Update	No
Good for	Monthly reports, live dashboards	Final decks, numbers that mustn't change
Edits in Slides	Overwritten when you update	Kept

The catch: linked charts show data to people without access

Google's help notes that anyone who can view your presentation can see linked charts, even if they don't have access to the spreadsheet they came from. That's convenient, but it's worth remembering before you share a deck outside your business. The chart shows only what's in the chart, not the whole sheet, so check the chart doesn't include anything you wouldn't want seen, such as a hidden series or confidential labels.

There's a second catch for anyone who tweaks charts in Slides. When you update a linked chart, the version in the spreadsheet wins, so any styling you changed in Slides is overwritten. Make design changes in the sheet, not in the slide.

How to update linked charts

When the data in the sheet changes, an Update button appears on the chart in Slides. Click it to refresh. If your deck has several linked charts, choose Tools, then Linked objects, and click Update all in the panel that opens. It's a good habit before every presentation, because linked charts don't refresh on their own.

Picking the right chart

• Column or bar for comparing amounts, like leads by channel.
• Line for trends over time, like website visits by month.
• Pie only for a few parts of a whole. With more than five slices, use a bar chart.

Other types, such as scatter charts, are available when you build the chart in Sheets and import it with From Sheets.

Making charts readable on a slide

• Give the chart a title that says the point, such as 'Email drove most sign-ups'.
• Delete gridlines and labels you don't need.
• Use one highlight colour for the bar that matters and grey for the rest.
• Make text large enough to read from the back of a room.

Tables from Sheets

You can paste a table from Google Sheets into Slides and keep it linked too: copy the cells in Sheets, paste in Slides and choose Link to spreadsheet. Google's limit is that tables with more than 400 cells paste unlinked, and a linked table can't be expanded beyond that size, so keep slide tables small. A big table rarely reads well on a slide anyway, so a chart or a few key numbers usually work better.

Editing the chart's look

To change colours, labels or the chart type, open the source spreadsheet, double-click the chart there and use the chart editor's Customise tab. Then come back to Slides and click Update. You can resize and move the chart in Slides freely without affecting the sheet, so position it last, after the design is settled.

When to use a picture of a chart instead

If you're sending a deck to a client and the numbers must never change, an unlinked chart or even a downloaded image of the chart is the safest option. Nobody can accidentally refresh it with newer data, and it looks the same in every version of the file. Keep the linked version in your own copy, so you can update it later without starting again.

If you're presenting the results live, my guide to handling nerves before a presentation is worth a look.

My verdict

Use Insert, Chart for a quick new chart, or Insert, Chart, From Sheets for one you've already built, and keep it linked if the numbers will change. Edit the data and the design in Sheets, never in Slides, because updates overwrite slide edits. Click Update all before you present, and remember anyone viewing the deck can see linked charts. For more ways to present data clearly, see how to brief a speaker on your story.

Frequently asked questions

How do I edit chart data in Google Slides?

Click the chart, open the source spreadsheet from the link icon, change the data, then click Update in Slides.

Why won't my chart update in Google Slides?

Linked charts don't refresh automatically. Click Update on the chart, or Tools, Linked objects, Update all.

Can I add a chart without linking it to Sheets?

Yes. Untick Link to spreadsheet when you import it, or unlink it afterwards.

Can people see my chart without access to the spreadsheet?

Yes. Anyone who can view the presentation can see linked charts.

What chart types can I insert in Google Slides?

Bar, column, line and pie directly, and more by building in Sheets and importing.

Why did my chart formatting disappear?

Updating a linked chart replaces it with the version from the sheet.