Sparklines (LINE, BAR, COLUMN) in Google Sheets - Cheat Sheet & Quick Revision

Recall & Review

beginner

What is a sparkline in Google Sheets?

A sparkline is a tiny chart inside a single cell that shows trends or patterns in data, like a mini graph.

beginner

How do you create a line sparkline in Google Sheets?

Use the formula =SPARKLINE(range, {"charttype", "line"}). Replace range with your data cells.

beginner

What is the difference between BAR and COLUMN sparklines?

BAR sparklines show horizontal bars, while COLUMN sparklines show vertical bars inside a cell.

intermediate

How can you change the color of a sparkline?

Add options in the formula like {"color", "red"} to set the sparkline color. For example: =SPARKLINE(A1:A5, {"charttype", "line", "color", "red"}).

intermediate

Can sparklines show negative values?

Yes, sparklines can show negative values. Bars or lines will extend below the baseline to represent negatives.

Which formula creates a line sparkline for data in cells A1 to A5?

A =SPARKLINE(A1:A5, {"charttype", "bar"})

B =SPARKLINE(A1:A5, {"charttype", "line"})

C =SPARKLINE(A1:A5, {"charttype", "column"})

D =SPARKLINE(A1:A5)

Options B and D create a line sparkline. B explicitly specifies the charttype, while D uses the default.

What does the BAR sparkline display?

A Vertical bars

B Horizontal bars

C Line graph

D Pie chart

BAR sparklines show horizontal bars inside a cell.

How do you change the color of a sparkline to blue?

A =SPARKLINE(range, {"charttype", "line", "color", "blue"})

B =SPARKLINE(range, {"color", "blue"})

C =SPARKLINE(range, {"charttype", "bar"})

D =SPARKLINE(range)

Options A and B change the sparkline color to blue (B defaults to line chart).

If your data has negative numbers, how will a sparkline show them?

A It ignores negative numbers

B It shows zero instead

C It shows an error

D Bars or lines extend below the baseline

Sparklines display negative values by extending below the baseline.

Which sparkline type shows vertical bars?

A LINE

B BAR

C COLUMN

D PIE

COLUMN sparklines show vertical bars inside a cell.

Explain how to create and customize a line sparkline in Google Sheets.

Think about the formula structure and options inside curly braces.

Describe the differences between BAR and COLUMN sparklines and when you might use each.

Consider the direction of bars and visual impact.