How to Make a Bar Graph Online (Grouped or Stacked)
Paste a table from Excel or Google Sheets and get a bar graph — grouped, stacked or 100% stacked, vertical or horizontal, sorted. Export PNG, JPG or SVG.
3 min read ·
To make a bar graph, open the Bar Chart Maker and paste your table: categories in the first column and one column of numbers per series, with names in the first row. The chart draws itself as you type. Choose Vertical or Horizontal bars, Side by side, Stacked or 100% stacked for several series, sort the bars if you like, and download a PNG, JPG or SVG.
Make a bar graph step by step
- Open the Bar Chart Maker.
- Paste or type your data in the box — for example:
Region,2025,2026
North,120,150
South,95,110
East,140,135
West,80,105
Copy straight from Excel or Google Sheets (tabs work), or type commas. Press Example to see the format, or Import file for a CSV. 3. Under Options, choose:
- Bars: Vertical (columns) or Horizontal.
- Several series: Side by side (grouped), Stacked or 100% stacked.
- Order: As typed, Largest first or Smallest first.
- Show values on the bars, and a different colour per bar for a single series.
- Add axis titles and a Prefix or Suffix such as $ or %.
- Under Style, set the title, colour palette, background and image size.
- Download a PNG, SVG or JPG, or Copy image to paste into a document.
Grouped, stacked or 100% stacked?
| Layout | Shows | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Grouped | Each series side by side | Sales per region, this year vs last year |
| Stacked | Totals and what they're made of | Revenue per quarter split by product |
| 100% stacked | Shares when totals differ | Survey answers per age group |
Vertical or horizontal?
- Vertical columns suit a few categories, and time-like categories (quarters, years).
- Horizontal bars suit long category names and long lists — rankings in particular. Sort Largest first and the top item reads first.
Bar graph best practices
- Start at zero. Bars always start at zero here, so their lengths compare honestly — a truncated axis exaggerates differences.
- Sort when order doesn't matter. Ranking makes the message obvious.
- Limit colours. One colour for one series; use a different colour only to highlight something.
- Label directly. Values on bars beat making readers trace gridlines.
- Keep it simple. No 3D, no shadows.
Using the chart in slides and reports
Copy image pastes the chart straight into PowerPoint, Google Slides, Word, Docs or an email. PNG and JPG files are saved at twice the preview size, so they stay sharp on large screens; for print or further editing in design tools, download the SVG. Choose Slide 16:9 under Image size for presentations.
Negative values
Profit and loss, change from last year, temperature below zero: negative bars go below (or to the left of) the zero line. In stacked charts, positive parts stack up and negative parts stack down.
Related charts
- Shares of one whole: the Pie Chart Maker.
- Trends over time: the Line Chart Maker.
- Which causes matter most: a Pareto chart sorts bars and adds a cumulative line.
Privacy
The chart is drawn in your browser — nothing you type is uploaded or stored.
Frequently asked questions
Can I change the colour of each series?
Choose a Colour palette under Style; series take its colours in order. For a single series, tick A different colour for each bar.
What happens to empty cells?
An empty or non-number cell leaves that bar out, and the tool says which rows were skipped.
Is the SVG really a vector?
Yes — it's the chart itself, with real text and shapes, perfect for print and design tools.