Google Sheets has a native organizational chart from 2 columns. For several visible fields, reviewed updates, themes, or export controls, download the roster and import it into Studio.
Create Google's native organizational chart
Google's current format uses one row per person:
- Column 1 contains the name or label shown in the box.
- Column 2 contains that person's manager or parent.
- An optional third column contains notes shown when someone points at the person.
| Employee | Manager | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Alex Rivera | Chief Executive Officer | |
| Casey Lee | Alex Rivera | VP Engineering |
| Morgan Chen | Alex Rivera | VP Operations |
| Jordan Patel | Casey Lee | Engineering Manager |
- Select the data range.
- Choose Insert > Chart.
- In the Chart editor, open Chart type and choose Organizational chart.
- Double-click the chart and choose Customize > Org to change box size or color.
Google's organizational-chart documentation is the authority for the relationship columns, optional tooltip notes, and current customization path.
The third column is hover information. Do not put essential information only there when the chart will be printed, downloaded, or read without a pointer.
Download or link Google's chart
Select the chart and open its 3-dot menu. Use the download formats shown there. Keep the Sheet as the editable source if you expect the data to change.
For a linked chart in Google Slides or Docs, Google documents copying the chart from Sheets, pasting it into the destination, and leaving Link to spreadsheet selected. After the source changes, use Update on the pasted chart. Choosing Paste unlinked creates a snapshot. This behavior belongs to Google's chart, not a Studio export.
Download the roster for Studio
Google documents downloading Sheets files in Excel, CSV, and other formats. In Sheets, choose File > Download, then select Microsoft Excel (.xlsx) or Comma Separated Values (.csv).
CSV includes the active sheet only, so activate the roster tab first. An Excel download can keep several sheets; Studio asks which one is the roster.
Or start from the Google Sheets CSV template: import into Sheets, replace the fictional rows, download the roster.
Import the downloaded file into Studio
- Open Org Chart Studio.
- Under Use a spreadsheet, choose Choose spreadsheet and select the
.xlsxor CSV file. - If it is a workbook with several sheets, choose the roster sheet.
- Check Map spreadsheet columns. Name is the only required field. Map manager names, or Employee ID and Manager ID together, to build reporting lines.
- Choose Confirm & import, then compare the people and reporting lines with the Sheet.
The CSV import guide covers row layouts, stable IDs, mapping, and unresolved managers. The file import is a snapshot. Studio does not claim a live Google Sheets connection.
Work with the chart in Studio
Use the chart when you want the reporting structure in view. Select a card to edit the person, add a direct report or coworker, or move the person after checking the named drop outcome.
Use People to edit rows and choose Reports to from a labeled control. On a phone, the compact workspace opens in People. The chart and People edit the same records.
Open Themes to preview colors, fonts, cards, connectors, and department treatment. Choose Apply to chart when the preview is right. Open Layout to change spacing and team arrangement. People Undo does not undo theme or layout changes.
Before sign-in, Studio keeps a local browser draft. Sign in to save the chart to your account and reopen it later. Saved charts update automatically; wait for Saved before switching charts or closing the tab.
Bring a newer Sheet into the same chart
Download a new copy, open People, and choose Update from spreadsheet. Studio compares the file with the current chart. Select the additions, field updates, manager moves, and removals you want before applying them. Missing file rows are not removed unless you select those removals.
The update is one people-history step. Undo asks for confirmation and reverses the selected people changes. It does not reverse the current chart theme or layout. See the update guide for matching and review details.
FAQ
What columns does a Google Sheets organizational chart use?
Google documents the member label in the first column, the manager or parent in the second, and optional hover notes in the third.
Can I show both a name and title in Google's boxes?
The first-column label appears in the box. The optional third column appears as hover notes, so it is a poor home for essential text in a static export.
Can I import a Google Sheet directly into Studio?
Download it from Sheets as Microsoft Excel or CSV, then select that file under Use a spreadsheet in Studio. This is a file import, not a live connection.
Will a Studio chart update when the Google Sheet changes?
Changes in Google Sheets do not update this chart automatically. Download a new copy and use Update from spreadsheet to review the differences before applying them.