How to Create a Custom Sankey Diagram in Google Sheet?

You can use Sankey Charts to visualize data with flow-like attributes, such as material, energy, cost, finance etc. An energy flow diagram is a type of Sankey diagram that tracks the flow of energy from raw or primary sources of energy.

This interactive Sankey diagram draws the reader’s attention to the enormous flows, the largest consumer, the major losses, and other insights. Besides, Sankey uses links and nodes to uncover hidden insights into relationships between critical metrics.

Types of Sankey Chart Supported by ChartExpo

Interactive Sankey diagram in ChartExpo offers every type of Sankey. You can choose levels from 2 levels to 8 levels.

Table Of Content

• How to do data formation for Sankey Chart?
• Let’s Draw 2 levels “Sankey Chart” in Google Sheets
• Let’s Draw 3 Levels Sankey Chart in Google Sheets
• Let’s Draw 4 Level Sankey Chart in Google Sheets
• Understand Different Properties for Sankey Chart
• How does Add chart to sheet and Export works?

Case Study

You have the data of different delivery services. You need the information to give better understanding of services to stake holders.

In this guide, we will discuss 2, 3, 4 levels to create Sankey chart. Let’s begin.

Video Tutorial:

How to do data formation for Sankey Chart?

Tabular data for Sankey Chart should include levels, counts.

Levels are the nodes where counts are the numbers.

• The size of a node is directly proportionate to the quantity of the data point under review.
• Each flow has a varying height depending on its quantity to help.

For example you have data of different logistic companies, you have 2 levels data and you used Sankey Chart for showing flow. Delivery Services is first level and countriesHow to do data formation for Sankey Chart? is second level. Deliveries is metric for Sankey chart.

Let’s Draw 2 levels “Sankey Chart” in Google Sheets

Here are few details you need to know while creating Sankey Chart in Google Sheets.

Prerequisite Understanding

For every node specific metric is provided. Which will be required by chart to draw the visualization. You need 3 columns for creating 2 levels Sankey Chart. First column will contain data of first level from left, second column will contain second level, third column will contain metric for each node that should be numeric type.

Prepare data for 2 node Sankey Chart

Your data should be prepared as shown below.

Once you are done with ChartExpo Add-on installation. You can now put the data in Google Sheets then go to Extensions, find Charts, Graphs & Visualizations by ChartExpo, and click on Open.

Now click on Add New Chart button.

You will find Sankey Chart in the list of charts.

After click on the Sankey Chart you will find some attributes which should be filled to draw this chart.

Create Sankey Chart in 5 simple steps

Step 1: Select relevant sheet name.

Step 2: Select the column of Delivery Services.

Step 3: Select the column of Countries.

Step 4: Select the column of Deliveries.

Step5: Once you filled these attributes you can click on Create Chart button.

Your 2 level Sankey chart is ready to present!

Click here to go directly to properties section.

Let’s discuss structure of Sankey Chart.

• Chart is divided into two levels and each level have its own nodes and stats.
• First level have nodes in first column you used.
• Second level have nodes in second column.
• Arrow highlighting with Stats is actually the metric(numbers) against each node.

Let’s discuss few things about chart.

As you can notice in image that how beautifully ChartExpo has mapped levels, nodes and flow.

Node name is coming on the right of each node.

Each level is divided into different nodes and each nodes have its own flow. So the reader or viewer can easily understand different flows. If you look in this mapping you will notice that Level 1 is mapped on first column, level 2 is mapped on second column.

There are few properties which you need to know which can help you to change the aesthetic of this chart. These properties are explained in detail after the section “Let’s Draw 4 Level Sankey Chart in Google Sheets”. You can click here to directly go to properties section.

Let’s Draw 3 Levels Sankey Chart in Google Sheets

Prerequisite Understanding

You need 4 columns for creating 3 levels Sankey Chart. First to third columns will contain data of node, and fourth column will contain metric for each node.

Prepare data for 3 level Sankey Chart

You have data of 3 level Sankey data.

You can now put the data in Google Sheets then go to Extensions, find Charts, Graphs & Visualizations by ChartExpo, and click on Open.

Now click on Add New Chart button.

You will find Sankey Chart in the list of charts.

Create Sankey Chart in 6 simple steps

Step 1: Select relevant sheet name.

Step 2: Select the column of Packages.

Step 3: Select the column of Delivery Services.

Step 4: Select the column of Countries.

Step 5: Select the column of Deliveries.

Step 6: Once everything is selected. Click on Create Chart.

Your chart will be ready.

Click here to go directly to properties section.

Let’s Draw 4 Level Sankey Chart in Google Sheets

Prerequisite Understanding

You need 4 columns for creating 4 levels Sankey Chart. First to fourth columns will contain data of node, and fourth column will contain metric for each node.

Prepare data for 4 Level Sankey Chart

Let’s make 4 Level Sankey Chart. For this we will use old example but will add one more column in it.

You can now put the data in Google Sheets then go to Extensions, find Charts, Graphs & Visualizations by ChartExpo, and click on Open.

Now click on Add New Chart button.

You will find Sankey Chart in the list of charts.

Create Sankey Chart in 7 simple steps

Step 1: Select relevant sheet name.

Step 2: Select the column of Companies.

Step 3: Select the column of Packages.

Step 4: Select the column of Delivery Services.

Step 5: Select the column of Countries.

Step 6: Select the column of Deliveries.

Step 7: Click on Create Chart after selecting all columns.

Your chart is ready to be serve.

Understand Different Properties for Sankey Chart

Following properties you should know to bring more improvement in Sankey Chart presentation.

1. How to sort nodes and levels in Sankey Chart?

Let’s arrange nodes in whole Sankey chart. Click on highlighted icon in Sankey chart.

A new window will appear. Click on Chart.

If you select By metric (Deliveries) ASC it will arrange nodes in ascending order according to value of Deliveries, By metric (Deliveries) DESC it will arrange nodes in descending order according to value of Deliveries, by number of links ASC will sort nodes ascending order according to number of links each node have, and by number of links DESC will sort nodes descending order according to number of links each node have. Let’s select By metric (Deliveries) DESC.

Note: Changes will be applied on all nodes of chart.

As shown in figure below all nodes of chart are arrange in descending order.

Let’s arrange nodes of Level 2 in Sankey Chart. Click on highlighted icon.

Let’s select By metric (Deliveries) ASC.

Level 2 nodes are arranged in ascending order.

2. How to add heading and levels name on Chart?

You can to add heading by going on Edit Chart.

Click on Chart Header pencil icon (Highlighted with arrow).

• Now, a new window will open and go to the Text.
• Write text in Line 1.
• After that he have to click on Show.

• Here you can apply font styles on your header as per your requirement.

• Here we will just change the size of font to 20. If you are done with your changes of font click on Apply.

• Our header is added.

3. How to add levels name on Chart?

You can add level name by going to pencil icon in the bottom.

New window through this window you can add level name. Here we are adding Companies for level 1. Once done click on apply.

You can add each level name by doing the same.

4. Exploring Node Properties

Click on pencil icon on the top of Kings Fishery.

First property in this new window is Node.

From Mark as Drop-Off Node property you can disable/enable a node. Enable it and click on Apply.

The Kings Fishery node is disable now.

Now, let’s reset to see more properties. Click on pencil icon on the top Kings Fishery. Go to “Reset” button against Node.

Click on Yes button.

Press Apply button.

Kings Fishery node enabled.

Note: Rest button resets the current property to default properties.

Click on pencil icon on the top of Kings Fishery.

First property in this new window is Node. You can use this for changing the color of current node.

After selecting “All” go to apply.

You can select as per requirement, after that click on Choose.

With Color Direction properties you can decide in which direction flow colors should be applied.

When you click on “All” a drop will open. “All” will apply red color to every level nodes. Let’s apply this.

After selecting “All” go to apply.

You can see that Kings Fishery red color flow is applied to the end of chart.

Now, let’s choose None for next case study. First click on Kings Fishery top pencil icon, go to Node and choose None in from Color Direction drop down.

After choosing None click on Apply.

Now, red color is only applied on node.

Let’s explore other options on United Package node. Click on United Package top pencil icon, go to Node.

Pick color of your choice.

Choose Node Links Left in from Color Direction drop down.

After selecting Node Links Left. Click on Apply button.

Blue color is on left flow of United Package.

Let’s try Node Links Right on United Package node. Click on United Package top pencil icon, go to Node. Choose Node Links Right in from Color Direction drop down.

After selecting Node Links Right. Click on Apply button.

Blue color is on right flow of United Package.

Let’s use Node Link Left One Level on United Package node. Click on United Package top pencil icon, go to Node. Choose Node Links Left One Level in from Color Direction drop down.

After selecting Node Links Left One Level. Click on Apply button.

Blue color is applied one level left flow of United Package.

Let’s use Node Links Right One Level on United Package node. Click on United Package top pencil icon, go to Node. Choose Node Links One Left One Level in from Color Direction drop down.

After selecting Node Links One Left One Level. Click on Apply button.

Blue color is applied one level right flow of United Package.

Let’s explore second item in list of Node Properties. Which is Link.

When click on Link it will expand. Under Link Show zero value is first property and it can hide/show the flow which have zero value.

Second property under Link is Opacity. You increase or decrease the value opacity of link (flow).

Let’s set Opacity value on 0.7 and click on Apply button.

As you can see the opacity of flow has increased.

Let’s explore Number in list of Node Properties.

When click on Number it will expand. Under Number you will find Show Number and it can hide/show the number (stats).

Second property under Number is Scope. With this you can define either you want to apply this change to whole chart or just on current node level.

Let’s hide numbers of Delivery Services. After selecting Level click on Apply button.

As you can notice Numbers for Delivery Services are not showing. You can hide/show numbers in whole chart by selecting Chart in Scope drop down.

Let’s Percentage in Node Properties menu.

When click on Percentage it will expand. Under Percentage you will find Show Percentage and it can hide/show the Percentage.

Second property under Number is Scope. With this you can define either you want to apply this change to whole chart or just on current node level.

Let’s hide Percentage of whole chart. After selecting Chart click on Apply button.

As you can notice Numbers for Delivery Services are not showing. You can hide/show numbers in whole chart by selecting Chart in Scope drop down.

In Percentage section third property is about Precision. You can change it to any value you want to have for precision (how many numeric to show after decimal).

Now, let’s explore currency symbols as prefix or postfix in Node Properties.

Under Symbols you will find Prefix and Postfix options. With this you can add Prefix/Postfix against value. Let’s add Prefix of $ against value.

As you can notice Prefix $ added against each node value.

Next item in Node Properties is Font Styles.

First property is Chart.

When expand this you will find following three options.

1. Chart
2. Level
3. Node

If you choose Chart the changes in font styles will be applied in chart. If you choose Level the changes in font styles will be applied on current level. If you choose Node the changes in font styles will be applied on current node.

Let’s apply font style changes on Node. For this let’s increase the size of font and bold the font. Previous font is 12.

Let’s change font size to 14 and click on B to make font bold.

After applying all changes click on Apply.

As you can notice Font size of United Package is changed and bold.

Once you have made changes in properties, you can Click on Save Button to preserve your all new properties, let’s see below how chart will look if you apply certain properties.

Here is our final visualization with changed properties as they are all preserved now.

How does Add chart to sheet and Export works?

If click on “Add chart to sheet” button this visualization will appear on your Google Sheets.

Sankey Chart is added in Google Sheets.

If you click on Export button.

It will ask you either you want visualization in JPG or PNG format.

Let’s choose Export as JPG option.

It will automatically download on your PC.

If you slide highlighted dots of width or height to right will increase width or height of chart. The maximum width goes up to 1200px and minimum width goes up to 100. The maximum height goes up to 750px and minimum height goes up to 333.

If you slide highlighted dots of width or height to right will increase width or height of chart. The maximum width goes up to 1200px and minimum width goes up to 100. The maximum height goes up to 750px and minimum height goes up to 333.

How does Reset all button work?

If you click on Reset all button all setting wipe out and visualization will go to default Sankey Chart.

A new window will appear click on Yes.

A new window will appear click on Yes.

After this you will have default Sankey Chart.
You can create Sankey Chart much effort with ChartExpo. Sankey Chart can be created any type of flow data by following these steps.