How To Make A Scatter Plot In Google Sheets

Kieran Dixon Updated:  August 25, 2021

Scatter plots are great charts to visualize trends and clusters in large data sets:

In a single scatter plot you can see:

• Every data point (quickly identifying the min and max)
• A trendline that indicates positive correlation
• Clusters that deviate from the trend

Click what you'd like to learn, how to:

• Create A Scatter Plot
• Add A Trendline
• Find The Slope Of A Trendline
• Make A Scatter Plot With Two Sets Of Data

How To Make A Scatter Plot In Google Sheets

Not on desktop? Click for mobile instructions: iPhone/iPad and Android.

You'll need at least two columns of data. For this example the columns are temperature and ice cream sales.

The first row of these columns can be a label that will be automatically added to the scatter plot. This is optional.

The first column should be the data you want to appear on the horizontal x-axis.

The second column will be data plotted on the vertical y-axis.

When you have your data, highlight both columns completely by clicking and dragging on the column labels:

Then either:

• Click on the Insert chart icon in the toolbar, or
• In the main menu go to Insert ➜ Chart

A chart will be created using the type Google Sheets thinks is best for the data you've selected and the Chart editor will appear on the right of the screen.

When the data is suitable for a scatter plot, Google Sheets usually gets things right:

However, sometimes Google Sheets guesses the wrong chart type and you need to change it yourself.

In the Chart editor sidebar that appears when your chart is created, choose Scatter chart from the Chart type dropdown:

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How To Add A Trendline To A Scatter Plot In Google Sheets

If the Chart editor sidebar isn't visible:

1. Click on the chart
2. Click on the three dots in the top right corner of the chart, and
3. Select Edit chart from the dropdown

In the Chart editor sidebar:

1. Select the Customize tab
2. Click on the Series section
3. Scroll down and check the Trendline checkbox
4. [Optional] Edit the options for type, color, opacity, thickness, and label

Now your scatter plot has a trendline:

How Do You Find The Slope Of A Scatter Plot In Google Sheets

A linear trendline has the following equation: y = ax + b where:

• a is the slope of the line
• b is the line's intercept with the y-axis

There are two easy ways to find the slope (a in the above equation):

1. Using the chart's trendline
2. Using the SLOPE function

The Trendline

If you've added a trendline to your scatter plot, in the 'Label' options you can choose Use Equation:

A legend will appear on your chart:

It shows the trendline's equation is 16.4*x + -674.

Immediately you can see the slope, a = 16.4

The SLOPE Function

Google Sheets has a built-in function that allows you to calculate the slope of scatter plot data:

• data_y = The dependent data (second column)
• data_x = The independent data (first column)

Here's how that looks with the ice cream vs temperature data:

You get the same answer as using the chart's trendline but it's not rounded to one decimal place.

Scatter Plot With Two Sets Of Data In Google Sheets

Creating a scatter plot with more than one set of data is as simple as selecting more columns when making a scatter plot.

With soup sales added to the data above you simply select the extra column/s:

Then you can click on the Insert chart icon in the toolbar or, in the main menu, go to Insert ➜ Chart.

If Google Sheets chooses the wrong chart type you can choose Scatter chart from the Chart type dropdown in the Chart editor sidebar.

Here's what multiple data sets looks like:

Scatter plot correlation is:

• Positive when it moves from low to high (temperature and ice cream sales)
• Negative when it moves from high to low (temperature and soup sales)

Remember:

1. There is a stronger correlation between the variables when the points are all closer to the trendline
2. Correlation does not imply causation

How To Make A Scatter Plot In The Google Sheets iPhone & iPad App

STEP 1: Select the columns you want to include in your chart by tapping on the column label and dragging the selection handles.

STEP 2: Click on the plus sign (+) at the top of the screen and choose Chart from the menu that appears.

STEP 3: Change the default options using the Type, Legend, Titles, and Color menus.

If the default 'Type' isn't a Scatter chart, select the Type menu and scroll down until you find the Scatter chart icon under the 'Scatter' subheading.

STEP 4: Click the tick (✓) in the top left to create your scatter plot.

More advanced options like trendlines are only available using the desktop version of Google Sheets.

How To Make A Scatter Plot In The Google Sheets Android App

STEP 1: Select the columns you want to include in your chart by tapping on the column label and dragging the selection handles.

STEP 2: Click on the plus sign (+) at the top of the screen and choose Chart from the menu that appears.

STEP 3: Change the default options using the Type, Legend, Titles, and Color menus.

If the default 'Type' isn't a Scatter chart, select the Type menu and scroll down until you find the Scatter chart icon under the 'Scatter' subheading.

STEP 4: Click the tick (✓) in the top left to create your scatter plot.

More advanced options like trendlines are only available using the desktop version of Google Sheets.

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12 exclusive tips to make user-friendly sheets from today:

Get The Cheat Sheet ➜

You'll get updates from me with an easy-to-find "unsubscribe" link.

Kieran Dixon started using spreadsheets in 2010. He leveled-up his skills working for banks and running his own business. Now he makes Google Sheets and Apps Script more approachable for anyone looking to streamline their business and life.