How to turn Google Sheets into a dashboard

Chances are, you’ve used Google Sheets in your daily life—whether to organize information, track projects, or manage a quick budget. But what if I told you that those spreadsheets could be transformed into powerful dashboards? Yes, it’s possible!

When working with data, it's easy to get lost in the details, looking at each individual record or number. But sometimes, what we really need is a way to see the bigger picture. Dashboards provide just that, offering a consolidated view of key metrics, trends, and insights all in one place. Instead of sifting through endless rows and columns, dashboards let you focus on what truly matters, giving you a clearer understanding of your data and helping you make more informed decisions.

If you're wondering how to take that next step and turn your spreadsheets into a dashboard, you're in the right place. Let's walk through how you can make it happen with ease.

Why Google Sheets Dashboards Aren’t Enough (And How to Fix That)

Google Sheets is fantastic for organizing data, tracking projects, and keeping everything in one place. It’s versatile and accessible —no surprise it’s one of the most popular tools out there. However, when it comes to transforming that data into a clear, visually compelling dashboard, its limitations start to show.

The built-in charts and graphs often feel rigid, lacking the flexibility and polish needed for professional presentations. Plus, customizing the dashboard can be a real challenge, requiring advanced skills or time-consuming workarounds. At the end of the day, it still looks like a spreadsheet chart—not the kind of polished, impressive dashboard you’d want to showcase. And let’s be honest, who doesn’t want their dashboards to stand out?

That’s where Dashbreeze steps in. With Dashbreeze, you can transform your Google Sheets data into visually stunning dashboards that go beyond basic charts and graphs. It gives you the tools to create visuals that actually help you understand your data —no complicated steps or clunky charts. It’s a simple way to bring your data to life and make it more engaging, whether you’re working solo or sharing insights with a team.

But what is Dashbreeze?

Step-by-Step Guide: Creating Dashboards with Google Sheets

Now that we’ve covered the why, let’s dive into the how. Here’s a simple guide to help you turn your Google Sheets data into a dashboard that’s both useful and visually appealing.

Step 1: Create Your Account

To create your account, visit Dashbreeze’s website and click on Create a dashboard. You can sign up using your email address or a Google account.

The platform has an onboarding process. Complete it to better understand its features.

Step 2: Create a Dashboard

Click the Create dashboard button on the left side of your screen. The Dashbreeze dashboard creator is designed to be simple and intuitive. Choose a template to get started or build your dashboard from scratch.

Let’s be real—starting a dashboard from scratch can feel overwhelming. That’s where Dashbreeze templates come to the rescue. Think of them as your creative sidekick, giving you a head start with layouts tailored for all kinds of needs. And the best part? These templates are designed with both beauty and functionality in mind. They’re sleek, easy to use, and adaptable to whatever data you want to display.

Step 3: Connect Your Data

Let’s get your data connected to your block.

Start by clicking on the block you want to connect, then hit the Edit button. When the sidebar pops up on the right, click Connect Dataset. You’ll see a list of your existing datasets.

Click New Dataset. First, choose From Integration as your source, and activate Google Sheets.

A Google window will pop up asking you to connect a Google account. You can pick one from the list or click Use another account to sign in with a different Google account.

Once that’s done, you’ll be redirected to the dataset setup screen, where the Google account you just connected will already be selected.

Here’s what to do next:

Copy and paste the URL of the spreadsheet you want to use. Make sure this spreadsheet is located in the Google account you integrated with Dashbreeze.
If your spreadsheet has multiple sheets, select the one you need.
Does your spreadsheet have headers (column titles in the first row)? Keep the checkbox selected. If not, uncheck it.
Want your data to stay up-to-date automatically whenever you add new data to your original Google Sheets spreadsheet? Just turn on the auto-refresh setting.

And that’s it—your data is now in Dashbreeze.

It’s important to play around a bit in the dataset editing screen to format the columns correctly. This will ensure your data is organized and your dashboards turn out perfect!

Next, click the Back to Dashboard button in the top-right corner of your screen.

Now it’s time to connect your dataset to your blocks. Click Connect Dataset again and select the dataset you just created. After that, it’s all about configuring your block.

Scroll down the right panel, and for each field, choose the columns from your dataset that match what you want to show in the block.

Simply repeat this process for all the blocks in your dashboard: connect the dataset and configure it. You won’t need to create new datasets if the one you’ve already created contains all the data you need. Otherwise, feel free to create as many datasets as needed to build your perfect dashboard.

Step 4: Customize Your Dashboard

Customizing your dashboard is simple and starts in the Design tab on the right panel of your block (the same pannel where you connected your data). Here, you can adjust things like adding a title, footer description, and fine-tuning the colors to get everything looking just right.

Dashbreeze also offers a feature called Theme, located in the left panel. It’s a set of colors and fonts that apply across your entire dashboard, making it easy to maintain a consistent and professional look throughout.

Step 5: Share It!

With Google Sheets, you can share your dashboard, but there are a couple of challenges to keep in mind:

First, to hide the data behind your charts, you’ll need to manually hide the sheets. Second, the dashboard will still show the typical editing tools and grid from spreadsheets, which can clutter the clean, professional look you're aiming for.

Dashbreeze, on the other hand, eliminates these issues. Once your dashboard is ready, you can easily publish and share it with just a few clicks, without worrying about hidden data or unwanted editing tools. You have two simple options for sharing:

Share a link via email or social media
Embed your dashboard directly on your website

Turning Google Sheets into Dashboards

In conclusion, while Google Sheets is a powerful tool for organizing data, sometimes what you really need is a clear, visual overview that helps you see the bigger picture. Dashboards allow you to do just that—transforming your raw data into something that’s easy to understand and visually engaging. By using the right dashboard tools and a little creativity, you can take your spreadsheets from basic tables to polished dashboards that offer key insights at a glance. So, whether you're tracking projects, monitoring performance, or analyzing trends, creating a dashboard is a great way to make your data work harder for you. And with a simple, user-friendly platform like Dashbreeze, getting there is easier than you might think.

How to Turn a Google Sheets Spreadsheet Into a Dashboard

Explore simple steps on how to turn Google Sheets into a dashboard for better data visualization and clearer insights.