A burnup or burndown chart gives a project team a simple visual way to track progress over time. In Google Sheets, these charts can be created with basic tables, formulas, and a line chart, making them useful for Agile sprints, product launches, content calendars, and any project with measurable work.

TLDR: A burndown chart shows how much work remains, while a burnup chart shows how much work has been completed. In Google Sheets, a team creates a date-based table, enters planned and actual work values, and turns the data into a line chart. The main steps are setting up the data, adding formulas, inserting a chart, and formatting it for easy tracking.

What Is the Difference Between a Burnup and Burndown Chart?

A burndown chart tracks remaining work over time. It usually starts with the total amount of work at the beginning of a sprint or project and moves downward toward zero as tasks are completed. This makes it useful when a team wants to see whether it is on pace to finish by a deadline.

A burnup chart tracks completed work over time. It starts at zero and rises as work is finished. Many teams prefer burnup charts because they can also show the total scope of the project, making changes in scope easier to notice.

Both chart types rely on the same basic information: dates, planned progress, and actual progress. Google Sheets is well suited for this because it allows teams to update values quickly and view the chart automatically.

Step 1: Choose the Chart Type

Before building the sheet, the project manager or team should decide whether a burnup or burndown chart is more appropriate.

• Use a burndown chart when the project has a fixed amount of work and the main question is, “How much remains?”
• Use a burnup chart when the project scope may change and the team wants to show both completed work and total work.

For example, a two-week sprint with 80 story points may work well as a burndown chart. A longer product roadmap with changing requirements may be better shown as a burnup chart.

Step 2: Set Up the Google Sheet

The team should open Google Sheets and create a new spreadsheet. The first row should contain clear column names. A simple burndown chart table may look like this:

• Column A: Date
• Column B: Ideal Remaining Work
• Column C: Actual Remaining Work

For a burnup chart, the table may use these columns instead:

• Column A: Date
• Column B: Planned Completed Work
• Column C: Actual Completed Work
• Column D: Total Scope

The dates should cover the full sprint or project period. For a 10-day sprint, the sheet should list each working day. For a longer project, weekly dates may be easier to manage.

Step 3: Enter the Starting Values

For a burndown chart, the first value in the Actual Remaining Work column should be the total amount of work at the start of the project. This may be story points, tasks, hours, or another unit. If the sprint starts with 80 story points, the first actual remaining work value should be 80.

For a burnup chart, the first value in the Actual Completed Work column is usually 0. As the team completes tasks, this number increases. The Total Scope column should show the total planned amount of work, such as 80 story points.

It is important that the team uses one consistent unit. Mixing story points, hours, and task counts in the same chart can make the results confusing.

Step 4: Create the Ideal Line

The ideal line shows how progress should look if work is completed at a steady pace. In a burndown chart, this line slopes downward. In a burnup chart, it slopes upward.

For a simple burndown chart, the team can calculate the ideal decrease manually. If there are 80 story points and 10 working days, the ideal remaining work should drop by 8 points per day. The values would be 80, 72, 64, 56, and so on until reaching 0.

For a burnup chart with the same numbers, the planned completed work would rise by 8 points per day: 0, 8, 16, 24, and so on until reaching 80.

Google Sheets formulas can also be used, but manual entry is often enough for small projects. Larger teams may prefer formulas to avoid calculation errors.

Step 5: Update the Actual Progress

The actual progress line is the most important part of the chart. It shows what has really happened. At the end of each day or reporting period, the team should update the actual value.

In a burndown chart, the actual value should decrease as work is completed. If the team starts with 80 story points and completes 10 points on the first day, the remaining work becomes 70.

In a burnup chart, the actual value should increase. If the team has completed 10 story points, the actual completed work becomes 10.

If the actual line is above the ideal line in a burndown chart, the team may be behind schedule. If the actual line is below the ideal line, the team may be ahead. For a burnup chart, the interpretation is reversed: an actual line below the planned line may show slower progress, while a line above it may show faster progress.

Step 6: Insert the Chart

Once the data is ready, the team can create the chart in Google Sheets:

1. Select the full data range, including the column headers.
2. Click Insert in the top menu.
3. Select Chart.
4. In the Chart editor, choose Line chart as the chart type.
5. Check that the date column is used as the horizontal axis.
6. Confirm that the planned and actual columns appear as separate lines.

A line chart is usually the best choice because it shows progress clearly over time. If the chart does not look correct, the team should review the data range and make sure each column has a clear heading.

Step 7: Format the Chart for Clarity

A useful chart should be easy to understand at a glance. Google Sheets allows basic formatting through the Chart editor. The team should consider the following adjustments:

• Chart title: Use a clear title, such as Sprint 4 Burndown Chart or Product Launch Burnup Chart.
• Line colors: Use different colors for planned and actual progress.
• Axis titles: Label the horizontal axis as Date and the vertical axis as Story Points, Tasks, or Hours.
• Legend: Keep the legend visible so viewers can identify each line.
• Gridlines: Use light gridlines to make the chart readable without making it crowded.

The chart should not be overloaded with unnecessary labels. A clean visual helps stakeholders understand progress without needing extra explanation.

Step 8: Keep the Chart Updated

A burnup or burndown chart is only valuable if it reflects current information. The team should update the sheet at a regular time, such as after the daily standup or at the end of each workday.

If scope changes during the project, a burnup chart can show this by updating the Total Scope line. For example, if the project grows from 80 to 95 story points, the total scope line should rise. This makes scope increases visible rather than hidden.

For burndown charts, scope changes can be harder to show clearly. Some teams add notes in the spreadsheet or use a separate line to represent changes in total work.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Using unclear units: The chart should track one type of work measurement only.
• Skipping updates: An outdated chart can mislead the team.
• Changing data without notes: Scope changes should be documented.
• Making the chart too complex: Simple charts are easier to interpret.
• Ignoring the trend: The chart should support decisions, not just reporting.

FAQ

What is better, a burnup or burndown chart?

Neither is always better. A burndown chart is useful for tracking remaining work, while a burnup chart is better for showing completed work and changes in scope.

Can Google Sheets automatically update the chart?

Yes. Once the chart is connected to the data range, it updates automatically whenever the spreadsheet values change.

What unit should a team use?

A team may use story points, tasks, hours, or tickets. The most important rule is to use the same unit throughout the chart.

How often should the chart be updated?

Most Agile teams update the chart daily. Longer projects may use weekly updates if daily tracking is unnecessary.

Can a burnup chart show scope changes?

Yes. A burnup chart can include a Total Scope line, which makes added or removed work visible over time.