How to Create a Grouped Bar Chart in Google Sheets

Need to compare two sets of numbers across the same categories in a single chart? You're looking for a grouped bar chart. This visual is perfect for showing a side-by-side comparison, like Q1 vs. Q2 sales for each team member or website visits from desktop vs. mobile for each month. This guide will walk you through setting up your data and creating a clean, easy-to-read grouped bar chart directly in Google Sheets.

What Exactly Is a Grouped Bar Chart?

A grouped bar chart (sometimes called a clustered bar chart) places bars for different data series next to each other, organized by category. Unlike a stacked bar chart, where segments are placed on top of one another to show a part-to-whole relationship, a grouped chart helps readers directly compare the values of each series within the same category.

Think of it like this:

A stacked bar chart would show you total sales per representative, with segments in the bar showing how much came from Product A and Product B. It's good for seeing the total and its components.
A grouped bar chart would show you two separate bars for each representative, one for Product A sales and another for Product B sales. It's perfect for answering the question, "For each rep, did they sell more of Product A or Product B?"

This side-by-side structure makes it incredibly intuitive for spotting trends, identifying top performers, and highlighting differences between data sets. It's a go-to for marketers, sales managers, and anyone needing to make a clear comparative point.

How to Make a Grouped Bar Chart: Step-by-Step Instructions

Creating this chart in Google Sheets is straightforward if you get your data structure right from the beginning. Let's walk through the process using a common business example: comparing sales figures for different reps across two quarters.

Step 1: Structure Your Data Correctly

This is the most important step. Your chart will only be as good as the data you give it. For a grouped bar chart, you need a very specific layout:

Column A: Your labels or categories. These will appear on one of the axes (the y-axis for a horizontal bar chart). In our example, this would be the Sales Rep names.
Columns B, C, D, etc.: Your numerical data series. Each column represents a distinct group you want to compare. Here, we'll have one column for "Q1 Sales" and another for "Q2 Sales."

Your data in Google Sheets should look something like this:

A: Sales RepB: Q1 SalesC: Q2 Sales

Sheila: $120,000, $145,000David: $95,000, $110,000Maria: $150,000, $140,000Ben: $115,000, $130,000

This structure tells Google Sheets that for "Sheila," there are two associated values you want to compare: her Q1 sales and her Q2 sales.

Step 2: Select Your Data Range

Click and drag your cursor to select all the cells that contain your data, including the headers. In our example, you would select from cell A1 down to the last sales figure in column C. Don't select entire empty columns, just select the cells that have data in them (A1:C5 in our example).

Step 3: Insert The Chart

With your data selected, navigate to the main menu at the top of the screen and click:

Insert > Chart

Google Sheets will automatically generate a chart for you. Don't worry if it doesn't look right at first! Sheets often tries to guess the best chart type, and it sometimes picks a stacked column chart, a line chart, or something else entirely. We'll fix this in the next step.

Step 4: Choose the Correct Chart Type

The Chart Editor sidebar should have appeared on the right side of your screen. If not, just double-click on your new chart to open it.

In the Setup tab of the Chart Editor, find the "Chart type" dropdown.
Click on the dropdown. Scroll down until you see the options for "Column chart" or "Bar chart."
Select the standard Column chart (for vertical bars) or Bar chart (for horizontal bars). As long as you don't select the "Stacked" versions, Google Sheets will automatically group the bars for you because you have multiple numerical data columns (Q1 and Q2).

You should now see a chart with grouped bars representing your data. Sheila, David, Maria, and Ben will each have a pair of bars showing their sales for each quarter.

Step 5: Customize Your Chart For Readability

A default chart gets the point across, but a well-customized chart tells a clear story. Here's how to refine your chart's appearance using the Customize tab in the Chart Editor.

Chart & axis titles

Give your chart a clear, descriptive title like "Q1 vs. Q2 Sales Performance by Rep." Then, label your horizontal and vertical axes. The horizontal axis might be "Sales Rep" and the vertical axis "Total Sales (USD)." Clear labels remove any guesswork for your audience.

Series

This is where you can change the colors of your bars. It's good practice to use contrasting but complementary colors (e.g., a dark blue for Q1 and a light blue or green for Q2). You can also add data labels here to display the exact value on top of each bar, making it easier to read precise figures without referencing the axis.

Legend

The legend tells the reader which color corresponds to which data series (e.g., blue = Q1 Sales, green = Q2 Sales). You can adjust its position (top, bottom, right, etc.) to see what looks best. The "auto" setting is usually fine.

Gridlines and ticks

Too many gridlines can make a chart look cluttered. You can reduce their visual impact by making them a lighter shade of gray or by adjusting the Major spacing count to show fewer lines. This helps your data bars stand out.

Tips for Creating Effective Grouped Bar Charts

Horizontal vs. Vertical Bars: They're technically both grouped bar charts, but one is called a Column Chart (vertical) and the other a Bar Chart (horizontal). A good rule of thumb: If you have long category labels (like long product names or full names of people), use a horizontal bar chart. The labels will be much easier to read.
Keep Your Categories Limited: Grouped bar charts can become cluttered if you have too many categories or too many series. If you try to compare more than 4 or 5 data series per category, your chart will become a rainbow of tiny bars that are really hard to interpret. Stick to 2-3 series for maximum impact.
Try Sorting Your Data: For a more powerful story, sort your data before creating the chart. For example, you could sort the sales reps by their Q2 performance from highest to lowest. This instantly shows who the top performers are and creates a clean visual pattern.
Use Color to Tell a Story: Don't just pick random colors. Use your company's brand colors, or use intuitive colors. For instance, you could make the previous period a muted gray and the current period a bold blue to draw attention to recent performance.

Common Problems and Quick Fixes

Even with step-by-step instructions, you might run into a few common issues. Here's how to fix them quickly.

"My bars are stacked, not grouped!"

This is the most common issue. You've simply selected the wrong chart type. Double-click your chart to open the Chart Editor, go to 'Setup,' and make sure you've selected the standard 'Bar chart' or 'Column chart,' not the 'Stacked bar chart' or 'Stacked column chart.'

"My X-axis and Y-axis are flipped!"

Sometimes Google Sheets gets confused about what should be a label and what should be a series. In the 'Setup' tab of the Chart Editor, look for a checkbox that says "Switch rows / columns." Ticking this box usually solves the problem instantly.

"My data isn't showing up correctly."

The most likely culprit is your data range. Re-check the 'Data range' field in the editor's 'Setup' tab and make sure it includes all of your headers and data cells correctly. A single misplaced cell can throw off the entire chart.

Final Thoughts

By following these steps, you can move beyond simple charts and create insightful grouped bar charts that tell a compelling comparative story. Once you get the data structure right, you'll find it's a quick and powerful way to visualize performance, compare marketing campaign results, or track progress across different segments within your business.

While Google Sheets is an excellent tool for many tasks, stitching together data from different sources like Google Analytics, Shopify, and your CRM can lead to hours of manual CSV downloads and data wrangling just to complete these steps. At Graphed, we automate this entire process. You can connect your marketing and sales platforms in a few clicks, then create the same report by asking in plain English: "Compare my sales team's performance for Q1 versus Q2." You'll get a live, interactive dashboard in seconds, not hours.