How to Plot a Time Series in Google Sheets

This tutorial provides a step-by-step example of how to plot the following time series in Google Sheets:

Let’s jump in!

Step 1: Enter the Time Series Data

First, let’s enter the following values for a time series dataset in Google Sheets:

Next, highlight the values in the range A2:B20, then click the Insert tab along the top ribbon, then click Chart.

The following line chart will appear by default:

Double click anywhere on the chart to bring up the Chart editor panel.

Then click the Setup tab, then scroll down to the section titled Other and click the icon called Timeline chart:

The following time series chart will appear:

The x-axis shows the dates and the y-axis shows the sales.

Note that a date range selector is automatically included at the bottom of the chart so that you can zoom in on different date ranges easily.

If you’d rather turn this feature off, you can do so in the Customize tab of the Chart editor panel.

The following tutorials explain how to perform other common tasks in Google Sheets: