Creating an organizational chart from Google Sheets data is the most practical approach for companies that don’t use enterprise HR software. This guide explains how to structure your spreadsheet and generate an org chart that automatically updates when your team changes.
Why Use Google Sheets for Org Charts?
Google Sheets is often the de facto HR system for startups and small companies. Teams already track employee information there—names, titles, departments, start dates. Using this existing data for org charts makes sense because:
- No duplicate data entry - Use what you already have
- Easy to update - Anyone with access can edit
- Always current - Changes reflect immediately
- Free and familiar - No new tools to learn
The challenge is turning flat spreadsheet rows into a hierarchical org chart visualization.
Step 1: Structure Your Google Sheet
Your spreadsheet needs three essential columns to generate an org chart:
Required Columns
| Column | Purpose | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Employee Name | Identifies each person | “Jane Smith” |
| Job Title | Their role | “Engineering Manager” |
| Reports To | Their manager’s name | “John Doe” |
Example Spreadsheet Structure
| Name | Title | Reports To | Department |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sarah Chen | CEO | Executive | |
| John Doe | VP Engineering | Sarah Chen | Engineering |
| Jane Smith | Engineering Manager | John Doe | Engineering |
| Mike Johnson | Senior Developer | Jane Smith | Engineering |
| Lisa Park | VP Marketing | Sarah Chen | Marketing |
| Tom Wilson | Marketing Manager | Lisa Park | Marketing |
Key Requirements
- Consistent naming - “John Doe” in the Reports To column must match exactly with “John Doe” in the Name column
- One person at the top - The CEO or top person has no “Reports To” value
- No circular references - A person cannot report to someone who reports to them
- Unique names - If you have duplicate names, add a distinguisher (e.g., “John Smith (Marketing)”)
Step 2: Choose Your Org Chart Tool
Several options exist for converting Google Sheets to org charts:
Option 1: Manual Tools (PowerPoint, Lucidchart, Draw.io) or Google Sheets
- Export data and manually create boxes and lines in external tools, or use Google Sheets’ built-in org chart feature
- Pros: Full design control, no additional tools required
- Cons: Tedious, doesn’t auto-update, goes stale quickly
Check this guide to manually create an Org Chart inside Google Sheets and you’ll see how limited and tedious it is.
Option 2: Google Sheets Add-ons
- Various add-ons claim to generate org charts
- Pros: Works within Sheets
- Cons: Limited functionality, often buggy, poor visualization
Option 3: Dedicated Org Chart Tools (like OrgNice)
- Connect your Google Sheet directly
- Pros: Auto-updates, professional appearance, sharing features
- Cons: Requires account setup
For teams that need charts that stay current, a dedicated tool that connects to Google Sheets is the most practical solution.
Step 3: Generate Your Org Chart with OrgNice
Here’s how to create an org chart using OrgNice:
Connect Your Google Sheet
- Go to OrgNice
- Sign in with your Google account
- Click “Create New Project”
- Select your Google Sheet from the file picker
- Grant read access to the spreadsheet
Map Your Columns
OrgNice uses AI to automatically detect which columns contain:
- Employee names
- Job titles
- Reporting relationships
You can adjust these mappings if the auto-detection isn’t perfect.
View Your Org Chart
Once columns are mapped, your org chart generates instantly. You’ll see:
- Hierarchical boxes showing each employee
- Lines connecting people to their managers
- The organizational structure from top to bottom
Customize Appearance
OrgNice offers extensive appearance configuration:
- Brand Colors — Match your company’s color palette
- Layout Options — Vertical, horizontal, or compact views
- Card Styling — Adjust borders, shadows, and card appearance
- Conditional Appearance — Color-code by department, highlight roles, or visually express any data dimension
- Profile Pictures — Display employee photos from URLs in your spreadsheet
- Information Display — Choose which fields appear on employee cards
Step 4: Keep Your Org Chart Updated
The main advantage of the Google Sheets approach: updates happen automatically.
When you:
- Add a new employee row → They appear in the chart
- Change someone’s manager → The reporting line updates
- Remove someone → They disappear from the chart
No manual chart editing required.
Step 5: Share Your Org Chart
Common sharing methods:
Direct Link
Generate a shareable URL for your org chart. Control access levels:
- Private — Only you can view
- Specific Individuals — Share with named people via email
- Organization — Anyone in your company domain
- Public — Anyone with the link can view
Recipients don’t need OrgNice accounts to view shared charts.
Embed in Other Tools
Embed the org chart in platforms your team already uses:
- Confluence — Company wiki and documentation
- Notion — Team workspaces and knowledge bases
- Google Sites — Internal company sites
- WordPress — Company websites and intranets
- SharePoint — Microsoft-based intranets
- Google Sheets Plugin — View the chart directly from your spreadsheet
- Any Website — Embed via iframe in any HTML page
The embedded chart updates automatically—no need to re-embed when the organization changes.
Export as Image
Download your org chart for offline use:
- PNG — For presentations, documents, and emails
- SVG — For high-quality, scalable graphics
- PDF — For printing and formal documentation
Common Issues and Solutions
OrgNice auto-corrects and repairs problems in data to draw a chart in almost all cases. However, when the data has issues, the chart you see may not match your expectations. In Setup, OrgNice provides extensive data validation that you can use to fix any data errors.
Problem: Structure Doesn’t Match
OrgNice will still include them in the heirarchy but not in the expected place
Symptom: Employees appear disconnected from the hierarchy Solution: Ensure “Reports To” values exactly match ids in the Id column.
Problem: Multiple Root Nodes
OrgNice will group them under a synthetic root node
Symptom: Chart shows several disconnected trees Solution: Everyone except the top person needs a valid “Reports To” entry. Check for employees with blank or incorrect manager references.
Problem: Circular References
OrgNice will detect and break the loop
Symptom: Error message or infinite loops Solution: Check that no one reports to someone who reports back to them, directly or through a chain.
Problem: Missing Employees
Symptom: Some people don’t appear in the chart Solution: Verify they have values in all required columns (Name, Title, Reports To). Empty cells can cause exclusion.
Best Practices
Data Hygiene
- Use consistent name formats
- Avoid abbreviations that might vary (e.g., “Dept” vs “Department”)
- Regularly audit for orphaned records
Sheet Organization
- Keep org data in a dedicated sheet or tab
- Use data validation to prevent typos in Reports To column
- Consider a dropdown for manager ids
Access Control
- Limit who can edit the master sheet
- Use Google Sheets’ built-in permissions
- Track changes with version history
Advanced: Adding More Information
Beyond the basic three columns, you can enrich your org chart with typed additional fields:
| Field Type | Example Use |
|---|---|
| Click-to-email links on employee cards | |
| Links | Personal websites, LinkedIn profiles, portfolios |
| Social Profiles | Twitter, GitHub, other social handles |
| Phone | Contact numbers |
| Photo URL | Display profile pictures on cards |
| Location | Office, city, or remote status |
| Department | Team or division (can be used for conditional coloring) |
| Custom Text | Any additional information you want to display |
OrgNice supports these typed fields, displaying them appropriately on employee cards. Email fields become clickable mailto links. Link fields become clickable URLs. This transforms your org chart into a functional employee directory.
Summary
Creating an org chart from Google Sheets involves:
- Structure your data with Name, Title, and Reports To columns
- Use a tool that connects directly to your spreadsheet
- Map columns to let the tool understand your data
- Keep the sheet updated and the chart updates automatically
- Share via links, embeds, or exports
This approach ensures your org chart is always accurate because it’s generated from your actual employee data, not a separate diagram that someone has to remember to update.
For teams already using Google Sheets for employee data, this is the most efficient path to org charts that don’t go stale.
Ready to create your org chart? Get started with OrgNice — connect your Google Sheet and generate your chart in minutes.