- How to Make a Waterfall Chart in Google Sheets<\/a>
- Step 1: Select your data<\/a><\/li>
- Step 2: Insert a chart<\/a><\/li>
- Step 3: Choose the waterfall chart type<\/a><\/li>
- Step 4: Customize your waterfall chart<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li>
- Limitations of Charts in Google Sheets<\/a><\/li>
- Create Charts with ClickUp<\/a>
- How ClickUp Dashboards offers a real-time solution for data visualization<\/a><\/li>
- Creating a waterfall chart in ClickUp<\/a><\/li>
- Additional powerful charting features<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li>
- Don’t Let Your Data Drown In Waterfall Charts, ClickUp Makes It All Flow<\/a><\/li><\/ul>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n
How to Make a Waterfall Chart in Google Sheets<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Before creating a waterfall chart, organize your data table correctly. You\u2019ll need:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u2705 A first column for category labels<\/strong> (e.g., Revenue, Expenses, Profit)<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u2705 A second column for numeric data<\/strong>, including:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
- \n
- A starting value<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Positive values (gains)<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Negative values (losses)<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- A final cumulative value<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
Here\u2019s an example data set:<\/p>\n\n\n
\n![\"Data](\"https:\/\/clickup.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/image-4.png\")
<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\nNow, let’s start with the step-by-step guide to creating a waterfall chart.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Step 1: Select your data<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
- \n
- Open your Google Sheets spreadsheet<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Click and drag to highlight your entire data table, including both category labels and values<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
![\"Select](\"https:\/\/clickup.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/image-2.png\")
<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\ud83d\udca1 Pro Tip<\/strong>: Struggling to track financial progress and value shifts in your projects? How To Create a Waterfall Chart in Excel: Steps & Templates<\/a> breaks down the process step by step\u2014so you can visualize data effortlessly and make informed decisions without spreadsheet stress<\/p>\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n
Step 2: Insert a chart<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
- \n
- With your data selected, go to the top menu and click \u201cInsert\u201d > \u201cChart\u201d<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
![\"Insert](\"https:\/\/clickup.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/image-5.png\")
<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n- \n
- This will open the Chart editor sidebar on the right<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
![\"open](\"https:\/\/clickup.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/image-9.png\")
<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\ud83d\udca1 Pro Tip<\/strong>: Struggling to make sense of complex data in Excel? How To Create A Dashboard In Excel<\/a> walks you through building dynamic dashboards that simplify data analysis.<\/p>\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n
Step 3: Choose the waterfall chart type<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
- \n
- In the Chart editor, go to the Setup tab<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Click on the “Chart type” dropdown menu<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
![\"Choose](\"https:\/\/clickup.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/image-12.png\")
<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n- \n
- Scroll down and select “Waterfall” under the “Other” category<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
![\"Scroll](\"https:\/\/clickup.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/image-8.png\")
<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\nYour waterfall chart will now appear in the spreadsheet, showing how each data point contributes to the final total.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Step 4: Customize your waterfall chart<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
- \n
- In the Chart editor, navigate to the Customize tab<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Adjust chart title, colors, and data labels as needed<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
![\"Customize](\"https:\/\/clickup.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/image-6.png\")
<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n- \n
- Enable connector lines to improve readability<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
![\"Enable](\"https:\/\/clickup.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/image-10.png\")
<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n- \n
- If necessary, use reverse axis order to change the x-axis or horizontal axis layout<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
Here are some best practices to keep in mind when adding this feature to your Google Sheets:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
- \n
- Check data labels<\/strong>: Ensure each bar is properly labeled to reflect positive and negative values<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Use different colors<\/strong>: Differentiate gains and losses visually<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Resize the chart<\/strong>: Click and drag the edges to make it more readable<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n
\n\ud83d\udcee ClickUp Insight<\/strong>: 13% of our survey respondents<\/a> are eager to leverage AI for complex decision-making, yet only 28% use AI regularly at work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Why? Security concerns. Many hesitate to share sensitive decision-making data with external AI tools. ClickUp eliminates this worry by integrating AI-powered problem-solving directly into your secure Workspace. With SOC 2, ISO compliance, and enterprise-grade security, ClickUp ensures you can safely harness generative AI technology without compromising data privacy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Sign up on ClickUp for free<\/a><\/div>\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n\nLimitations of Charts in Google Sheets<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
More recently, Google Sheets has become frustratingly slow for some users. As one Reddit user described<\/a>:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The data entry form takes forever to complete, and I can\u2019t even type in the fields. Tabs take too long to finish running queries. I can\u2019t believe that 270 rows can bring a spreadsheet to a grinding halt. Maybe it\u2019s the cascading queries, but still\u2014270 is not a large number.<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>
Reddit user<\/cite><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n There\u2019s no doubt that Google Sheets is a powerful tool for businesses and everyday tasks, but at times, it can become more of a hassle than a solution, especially when working with charts and large datasets.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Here are some flaws to be aware of:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
- \n
- Struggles when handling large datasets or complex queries. <\/strong>Even a few hundred rows can cause noticeable lag, especially when charts depend on real-time QUERY, VLOOKUP, or ARRAYFORMULA functions. This slows down chart rendering and overall spreadsheet responsiveness
<\/li>\n\n\n\n- Offers basic formatting but lacks advanced customization <\/strong>compared to Excel or specialized data visualization tools. Users have minimal control over axis scaling, data labels, and number formatting, making it harder to create professional-grade visualizations
<\/li>\n\n\n\n- Updates many charts automatically after every small change<\/strong>, which can be inefficient. Unlike database-driven dashboards, there\u2019s no built-in option to refresh charts only on command\u2014forcing users to rely on Apps Script or manual workarounds to optimize performance
<\/li>\n\n\n\n- Supports basic types of charts<\/a> but lacks specialized options<\/strong> like Pareto charts, Box & Whisker plots, and Sankey diagrams. Even within supported charts, features like customizing connector lines in waterfall charts or adding dynamic trendlines are limited
<\/li>\n\n\n\n- Not great at with pulling live data from sources<\/strong> like GOOGLEFINANCE or IMPORTRANGE, causing charts to break, refresh unpredictably, or display “No Data” errors. Unlike dedicated BI tools, Sheets doesn\u2019t offer seamless real-time updates, making it unreliable for dynamic dashboards<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n
\n\ud83d\udca1 Pro Tip<\/strong>: Struggling to turn raw data into clear, impactful visuals? How to Make a Chart in Google Docs<\/a> walks you through the simple steps to create, customize, and enhance charts\u2014so you can present data with clarity<\/p>\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n
Create Charts with ClickUp<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
While Google Sheets offers a simple way to visualize data, its performance limitations and lack of advanced customization can make it frustrating for businesses handling large datasets. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
You might try reducing the load by introducing additional tools, but the process often leads to a new challenge\u2014relying on multiple platforms for different functions. As information becomes fragmented, tracking progress becomes difficult, and the outcome uncertain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
ClickUp, the everything app for work<\/strong>, steals the show here. With ClickUp, you get a powerful data visualization and collaboration platform that allows you to create waterfall charts, bar charts, donut charts<\/a>, line graphs, and more, all without the limitations of Google Sheets:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
How ClickUp Dashboards offers a real-time solution for data visualization<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
ClickUp Dashboards<\/u><\/a> offer customizable visual workspaces that consolidate key data points, charts, and reports in one place.<\/p>\n\n\n
\n![\"Track](\"https:\/\/clickup.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/Track-and-organize-testimonials-with-ClickUp-Dashboards.gif\")
Track and organize your data with ease using ClickUp Dashboards<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n Try ClickUp Dashboards<\/a><\/div>\n\n\n\nUnlike Google Sheets, where users must create separate sheets for different reports and update them manually, ClickUp Dashboards automatically pull in live data from tasks, lists, and projects. Here’s how:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
- \n
- No more manual updates<\/strong>: Charts refresh automatically as data changes<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Better performance<\/strong>: Handles large data sets without the lag that Google Sheets experiences with QUERY() and VLOOKUP()<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Interactive reports<\/strong>: Unlike static Google Sheets graphs, ClickUp charts allow users to filter, sort, and drill down into specific data points<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n
- Better performance<\/strong>: Handles large data sets without the lag that Google Sheets experiences with QUERY() and VLOOKUP()<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Offers basic formatting but lacks advanced customization <\/strong>compared to Excel or specialized data visualization tools. Users have minimal control over axis scaling, data labels, and number formatting, making it harder to create professional-grade visualizations
- Use different colors<\/strong>: Differentiate gains and losses visually<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Check data labels<\/strong>: Ensure each bar is properly labeled to reflect positive and negative values<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- If necessary, use reverse axis order to change the x-axis or horizontal axis layout<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
- Enable connector lines to improve readability<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n
- Scroll down and select “Waterfall” under the “Other” category<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n
- This will open the Chart editor sidebar on the right<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n
- With your data selected, go to the top menu and click \u201cInsert\u201d > \u201cChart\u201d<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n
- Creating a waterfall chart in ClickUp<\/a><\/li>
- Step 2: Insert a chart<\/a><\/li>
- Step 1: Select your data<\/a><\/li>
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/clickup.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/image-3.png\")
<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n![\"Creating](\"https:\/\/clickup.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/image-11.png\")
<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n![\"ClickUp's](\"https:\/\/clickup.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/ClickUp-Waterfall-Management-Template.png\")