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How to make a bar graph on Google Sheets in 5 simple steps, to make your spreadsheet data more digestible

Google Sheets
You can create a bar graph from data in a Google Sheets page in a few simple steps. Shutterstock
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The Google Sheets chart feature can be a useful tool when you have a ton of data that you want to be able to visualize.

It can help turn that data into a more digestible format, like a simple bar graph, thereby helping you get the meaning out of it that would otherwise prove difficult.

Here's how to add a graph to your Google Sheets spreadsheet quickly and easily.

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How to make a bar graph on Google Sheets

1. Go to sheets.google.com and open your spreadsheet, or sheets.new if you want to create a new spreadsheet and enter your data.

2. Select the data you want to include in the bar graph by clicking the first cell and then holding the "shift" key on your Mac or PC keyboard while clicking the last cell.

3. In the top toolbar, select "Insert" and then "Chart."

How to make a bar graph on Google Sheets
First, select "Insert" from the top toolbar.  Devon Delfino/Business Insider

4. In the pop-up chart menu, under "Chart Type" select the dropdown.

How to make a bar graph on Google Sheets
Select "Chart type" to format your chart into a bar graph.  Devon Delfino/Business Insider

5. Scroll down to the "Bar" section and select the bar chart that best fits your data.

How to make a bar graph on Google Sheets
Select the type of bar chart you want to use to represent your data.  Devon Delfino/Business Insider

You can also further customize your chart in that pop-up menu, including aggregating your data, changing the data range and switching the rows and columns, if applicable.

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Devon Delfino is a Brooklyn-based freelance journalist specializing in personal finance, culture, politics, and identity. Her work has been featured in publications such as The Los Angeles Times, Teen Vogue, Business Insider, and CNBC. Follow her on Twitter at @devondelfino.