Adding Charts From Spreadsheets
Adding Charts From Spreadsheets
Open a new Spreadsheet: Go to sheets.new or open a file from your Drive.
Give it a Unique Name: At the top left, name your file something very specific (e.g., "2026 Class Weather Data").
Tip: If you struggle to remember file names later, start every file name with letters that refer to the unit or lesson and the school year (e.g., "Weather_Unit 1_26").
Enter Your Data: Type your labels in the top row (e.g., Month, Temperature) and your data below them.
Create the Chart: * Highlight the cells containing your data.
Click Insert > Chart.
Use the Chart Editor panel on the right to choose your style (Bar, Line, Pie).
Set Permissions: Click the Share button and set it to "Anyone with the link can view." This ensures students can actually see the chart on your site.
Open your website in Edit Mode.
Find the "insert Panel" on the right sidebar; scroll to the very bottom and click Charts.
Find Your File: A sidebar will appear.
If you don’t remember the name: The sidebar defaults to "Recent." Your newest spreadsheet will be at the very top, on the left.
Check the Icon: Look for the green Spreadsheet icon to confirm it’s the right file.
Select the spreadsheet and click Insert.
Select the specific chart inside that spreadsheet and click Add.
Google Sites charts are "Live Mirrors." They are interactive by default (Users can hover over bars to see exact numbers), but they do not update "instantly" when you type a new number. Follow these steps to refresh the data:
Update the Data: Go back to your Google Sheet and change a value.
Return to Sites: In the Site Editor, click on the Chart once.
The Update Button: A small button labeled Update will appear in the top-right corner of the chart box. Click it.
* Note: If you don't see the button, refresh your browser tab.
Publish: Your changes are not visible to students until you click the blue Publish button at the top of the screen.
If you want your chart to update automatically every time you change the spreadsheet without clicking "Update" or re-publishing the site, follow these steps:
Go to your Google Sheet.
Go to File > Share > Publish to web.
In the window that pops up, click the Link tab.
Change "Entire Document" to the name of the specific Chart you want to show.
Click Publish and then click OK.
The Setting: Click the small arrow next to "Published content & settings." Ensure there is a checkmark next to "Automatically republish when changes are made."
Back in Google Sites: Use the Embed tool (instead of the Chart tool) and paste the link provided by the "Publish to Web" window.
Or, when in Sheets, click the 3dots at the top, right of the chart. In the dropdown menu, choose, "Publish." In the window that opens, be sure you have chosen "Interactive," and checked the box that says, "Automatically republish when changes are made."
Result: Now, whenever you change the spreadsheet, the website chart will update itself (usually within 5 minutes) without you touching the Site editor!
If you are on your Google Site and realize you need to edit the data but can't find the original Spreadsheet:
Check the "Recent" Sidebar: In the Sites editor, click Insert > Charts. The very first file listed is the one you most recently worked on.
Search by Type: Go to drive.google.com. In the search bar at the top, click the "Filter" icon and select Type > Spreadsheets.
The "Last Modified" Sort: Ensure your Drive is sorted by "Last Modified." Your chart's spreadsheet will be at the top of the list because you just updated it to push data to your site!
The Cause: Google Sites only shows the "Update" button if it detects a difference between the spreadsheet data and the site.
The Fix: 1. Refresh your browser tab for the Google Sites editor. 2. Ensure you actually saved the changes in your Spreadsheet (Google Sheets usually saves automatically, but wait for the "Cloud" icon at the top to show a checkmark). 3. If the button still doesn't appear, click the Trash Can icon to remove the chart and re-insert it from the Insert > Charts menu. It will pull the most current data.
The Cause: This is the most common error. It means your Site is "Public," but your Spreadsheet is still "Private."
The Fix: 1. Go to your Google Sheet. 2. Click the Share button (top right). 3. Change "Restricted" to "Anyone with the link can view" or "Anyone in [Your Organization] can view." 4. Refresh your Google Site page to see the chart appear.
The Cause: You might have clicked "Update" in the editor but forgot to Publish.
The Fix: 1. You must click the blue Publish button in the top right of Google Sites every time you make a change. 2. View your site in an Incognito Window. If it looks correct there, your browser's "Cache" was just showing you an old version of the site.
The Cause: Google’s "Publish to Web" feature updates on a cycle (usually every 5–10 minutes).
The Fix: 1. Be patient! It is not instantaneous. 2. Check the Spreadsheet settings (File > Share > Publish to web) and make sure "Automatically republish when changes are made" is checked. If it isn't, the site will never update on its own.
The Fix: 1. Open a new tab and go to Drive.google.com. 2. In the search bar, type: type:spreadsheet followed by a word you remember from the chart title. 3. Or, go to Google Sites, click Insert > Charts, and look at the "Recent" list. The file at the very top is your most likely candidate!