How It Works

SPARKLINE creates a tiny chart inside a single cell. This is perfect for dashboards - see trends at a glance without taking up space with full charts.

Syntax

=SPARKLINE(data, [options])

data: Range of values to chart
options: Chart type and styling (optional)

Example

Monthly Spending Trend:

Category	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Trend
Groceries	420	385	450	410	430	395	📈
Dining	180	220	165	200	190	175	📈

Formula in H2: =SPARKLINE(B2:G2)

Chart Types

Line Chart (Default)

=SPARKLINE(B2:G2, {"charttype","line"})

Best for: Trends over time

Bar Chart

=SPARKLINE(B2:G2, {"charttype","bar"})

Best for: Comparing values

Column Chart

=SPARKLINE(B2:G2, {"charttype","column"})

Best for: Category comparisons

Win/Loss Chart

=SPARKLINE(B2:G2, {"charttype","winloss"})

Best for: Positive vs negative (profit/loss, over/under budget)

Styling Options

Custom Colors

=SPARKLINE(B2:G2, {"charttype","line"; "color","green"})

Multiple Options

=SPARKLINE(B2:G2, {
  "charttype","line";
  "color","#4285f4";
  "linewidth",2;
  "firstcolor","#ea4335";
  "lastcolor","#34a853"
})

Bar Chart with Negative Colors

=SPARKLINE(B2:G2, {
  "charttype","bar";
  "negcolor","red";
  "color","green"
})

Budget Dashboard Examples

Spending vs. Budget Progress

Show budget used as a progress bar:

=SPARKLINE({spent, budget-spent}, {"charttype","bar"; "color1","#4285f4"; "color2","#e0e0e0"})

Category	Budget	Spent	Progress
Groceries	$500	$325	[███████░░░]

Over/Under Budget

Highlight when over budget:

=SPARKLINE({spent/budget}, {
  "charttype","bar";
  "max",1.2;
  "color1",IF(spent>budget,"red","green")
})

Monthly Trend with Target Line

=SPARKLINE(B2:G2, {
  "charttype","line";
  "color","blue";
  "ymin",0;
  "ymax",600
})

Net Worth Tracker

Account	6-Month Trend	Current
Checking	=SPARKLINE(history!B2:G2)	$5,420
Savings	=SPARKLINE(history!B3:G3)	$18,500
401(k)	=SPARKLINE(history!B4:G4)	$85,200

Win/Loss for Budget Categories

Show months on/under budget:

Category	Budget Status (6 mo)
Groceries	=SPARKLINE(B2:G2-budget, {“charttype”,“winloss”})

Green bars = under budget, Red bars = over budget

Investment Performance

Portfolio Value Trend

=SPARKLINE(portfolio_history, {
  "charttype","line";
  "color","green";
  "linewidth",2
})

Daily Change Indicator

=SPARKLINE({yesterday_value, today_value}, {
  "charttype","bar";
  "color",IF(today>yesterday,"green","red")
})

Building a Mini Dashboard

Create a compact financial overview:

Metric	Value	Trend
Net Worth	$142,000	=SPARKLINE(nw_history)
Savings Rate	22%	=SPARKLINE(sr_history)
Debt	$8,500	=SPARKLINE(debt_history)

All trends visible without scrolling or switching tabs.

Dynamic Ranges

Last N Months

=SPARKLINE(OFFSET(A1, 0, MAX(0, COUNT(A1:Z1)-6), 1, MIN(6, COUNT(A1:Z1))))

Non-Empty Values Only

=SPARKLINE(FILTER(B2:M2, B2:M2<>""))

Pro Tips

Consistent scales - set ymin/ymax for comparable sparklines:
```
{"ymin",0; "ymax",1000}
```
Highlight endpoints - use firstcolor/lastcolor to emphasize start and end
Empty values - SPARKLINE skips empty cells, which can distort trends
Row height - increase row height for taller, more visible sparklines
Color meaning - use green for good trends (savings up, debt down), red for concerning

Common Errors

#N/A or blank: Data range might be empty or contain text
Flat line: Check that ymin/ymax aren’t cutting off your data
Wrong direction: For debt, invert so down is good: =SPARKLINE(-1*debt_values)

Sparkline Trends