Tip #18: 6 Trendlines and when to use them in your spreadsheet data?

Tip #18: 6 Trendlines and when to use them in your spreadsheet data?

Charts are a great tool for visualizing and interpreting large chunks of data in spreadsheets. Zoho Sheet offers you 35+ chart options, along with AI-powered chart recommendations based on the data set you select. There are various chart elements that can help you format and add additional details to your charts based on how you'd like to visualize the data.
 
A trendline is one of the chart elements that helps you visualize the general direction or trend of the data points plotted on the chart. It helps you observe the overall movement, pattern, or tendency of data over time to support analysis and forecasting. For example, let's take a chart indicating the sales of product X increasing over the given number of years. By adding trendlines to your chart, you can easily deduce the increasing sales.


What are the different types of trendlines and when should you use them? 

  • Linear
  • Power
  • Exponential
  • Logarithmic
  • Polynomial
  • Moving average

Linear


Linear trendlines are suitable for data sets that indicate a steady increase or decrease over a given period of time and are often straight lines.



In this example, an employee's annual salary has steadily increased in relation to their work experience, indicating a linear trendline.


Power


Power trendlines are helpful in predicting data sets that increase at a regular interval and result in a curved line.



In this example, the number of people following a Twitter account has increased rapidly over the course of a year.

Exponential


Exponential trendlines form a curved line representing values that increase or decrease at an accelerating rate. It's used for data with exponential growth or decay.



In this example, bicycle usage decreases rapidly over the given years.

Logarithmic


Logarithmic trendlines are suitable to represent data sets that show an increase or decrease and then gradually stabilize.



In this example, the person's height increases as he grows and then levels out as he reaches maturity.

Polynomial


Polynomial trendlines are appropriate capturing complex relationships between variables in data sets that keep oscillating or have intricate fluctuations.This type of trendline is classified into different types based on the degree or order. In Zoho Sheet, you can select the degree of the polynomial (2 to 10) based on how perfectly the trendline fits the given data set.



In this example, electricity consumption gradually increases and then decreases over the given months.

Moving average


The moving average trendline takes the fluctuations in the given values, averages them, and uses the average values to plot the trendline.
Moving average trendlines are useful for showing the overall trajectory of data sets with a lot of ups and downs. 

The stock market is a perfect match for the moving average trendline because stocks generally fluctuate on a regular basis.




Zoho Sheet offers multiple chart elements, like trendlines, data labels, legends, and gridlines, to help you customize the way your charts visualize information and ideas. You can also check out our post on the 3 important chart customizations.

 

Follow our Tips and Tricks forum to explore similar tips on using Zoho Sheet for your business. You can also join our community to stay informed on the latest updates and feature enhancements.




      Zoho Campaigns Resources


        • Desk Community Learning Series


        • Digest


        • Functions


        • Meetups


        • Kbase


        • Resources


        • Glossary


        • Desk Marketplace


        • MVP Corner


        • Word of the Day


        • Ask the Experts


          • Sticky Posts

          • Tip #18: 6 Trendlines and when to use them in your spreadsheet data?

            Charts are a great tool for visualizing and interpreting large chunks of data in spreadsheets. Zoho Sheet offers you 35+ chart options, along with AI-powered chart recommendations based on the data set you select. There are various chart elements that
          • Tip #17: Easily share spreadsheets with non-Zoho account users

            With efficient, collaboration-friendly options, Zoho Sheet is a popular choice among users. Sheet's external share links help you collaborate more effectively by sharing your spreadsheets with anyone outside your organization, including users who do not
          • Tip #20 - Three things you probably didn't know you can do with picklists

            Hello Zoho Sheet users! We’re back with another quick tip to help you make your spreadsheets smarter. Picklists are a great tool to maintain consistency in your spreadsheet. Manually entering data is time-consuming and often leaves typos and irregular
          • Tip #16: Ask Zia your data-related questions and get powerful insights

            Zoho Sheet provides a variety of tools and functionalities to help you analyze your data from end to end. But what if you could analyze all your data sets with a single AI-powered tool? Meet Zia, our smart virtual assistant who will answer all your data-related
          • Tip #7: Four things you didn't know you can do with Conditional Formatting

            Conditional formatting helps you highlight and visualize data in your spreadsheet based on provided rules. Zoho Sheet offers three types of conditional formatting: Classic, Color Scales, and Icon Sets. If you're already familiar with how Conditional Formatting works, here are some bonus tips for Classic formats: Customize rules with formulas Zoho Sheet allows you to create personalized rules based on formulas. For example, in a task list you can use customized formulas to highlight tasks which are

          Zoho CRM Plus Resources

            Zoho Books Resources


              Zoho Subscriptions Resources

                Zoho Projects Resources


                  Zoho Sprints Resources


                    Zoho Orchestly Resources


                      Zoho Creator Resources


                        Zoho WorkDrive Resources



                          Zoho CRM Resources

                          • CRM Community Learning Series

                            CRM Community Learning Series


                          • Tips

                            Tips

                          • Functions

                            Functions

                          • Meetups

                            Meetups

                          • Kbase

                            Kbase

                          • Resources

                            Resources

                          • Digest

                            Digest

                          • CRM Marketplace

                            CRM Marketplace

                          • MVP Corner

                            MVP Corner




                            Zoho Writer Writer

                            Get Started. Write Away!

                            Writer is a powerful online word processor, designed for collaborative work.

                              Zoho CRM コンテンツ






                                ご検討中の方

                                  • Recent Topics

                                  • Free webinar: Why a password manager is a “must-have” for everyone in 2024

                                    In the past decade, we've witnessed numerous cybersecurity breaches globally, with a significant portion resulting from the "it won't happen to me" mindset. Shockingly, in 2023, 86% of breaches involved weak and stolen passwords. Password hygiene is crucial
                                  • Zoho Vault - Webinars 2023 - Video Recordings and Slide Decks

                                    Hello, We wanted to offer a consolidated list of Zoho Vault webinar resources from 2023. Therefore, we're putting together a list that includes links to our webinar recordings and slide decks for easy access. Webinar Video recording Slide deck Getting
                                  • Free webinar: ‌Focal point: Building a financial ecosystem with Zoho Vault and Zoho Workplace

                                    Hi everyone! Cyber threats against the financial sector are escalating. In the last two decades, nearly one-fifth of reported incidents targeted financial institutions, causing $12 billion in direct losses. Cybercriminals are becoming more sophisticated,
                                  • New features in Zoho Vault

                                    We’re thrilled to introduce a wave of powerful updates in Zoho Vault, designed to enhance security, streamline workflows, and improve your overall experience. Let’s dive into what’s new! Folder creation restrictions Limit who can create folders in your
                                  • Join our World Password and Passkey Day expert Q&A 2025

                                    Hey everyone! World Password and Passkey Day is almost here, and there's no better time to talk about something we all rely on daily—secure authentication. Did you know that a staggering 60% of hacking-related breaches are tied to weak or stolen passwords?
                                  • Dashlane discontinued its free plan: Here's why Zoho Vault's free plan is worth the switch

                                    Hey everyone, Dashlane password manager has officially announced that its free plan will be discontinued starting September 16, 2025. This change means that current free users will need to either upgrade to a paid subscription or export their data and
                                  • Introducing SecureForms in Zoho Vault

                                    Hey everyone, Let’s face it—asking someone to send over a password or other sensitive data is rarely straightforward. You wait. You nudge. You follow up once, twice—maybe more. And when the information finally arrives, it shows up in the worst possible
                                  • Clickjacking: Zoho Vault's Response

                                    Issue: Password manager browser extensions are found to be vulnerable to clickjacking security vulnerabilities that could allow attackers to steal account credentials, TFA codes, and card details under certain conditions. Reported by: Marek Toth, Independent
                                  • Free webinar: Security that works: Building resilience for the AI-powered workforce

                                    Hello there, Did you know that more than 51% of organizations worldwide have experienced one or more security breaches, each costing over $1 million in losses or incident response? In today’s threat landscape, simply playing defense is no longer enough.
                                  • Free webinar—Redefining workforce security with Zoho Vault: Passwords, passkeys, and multi-factor authentication

                                    Hi everyone! Did you know that in Q2 alone, 94 million data records were leaked globally? Behind every breach is a combination of poor password habits, phishing attacks, privilege misuse, and simple human error. The fallout—including reputational damage,
                                  • Audio/video quality issues with Zoho Meeting – Any roadmap for improvement?

                                    Hi Zoho Team, We’ve been using Zoho Meeting for both internal and external meetings, and unfortunately, the experience has been consistently poor. The video and audio quality are so unreliable that it often renders meetings ineffective—especially with
                                  • Cannot give public access to Html Snippet in Zoho Creator Page

                                    Hi, I created a form in Zoho Creator and published it. The permalink works but I want to override the css of the form. (style based URL parameters is not good enough) So I created a page and added an Html snippet. I can now override the css, which is
                                  • In arattai received message can't be deleted

                                    The issue has been noticed in following: arattai app (Android) arattai app (Window) arattai web While the message posted by me may be deleted, the ones received from others can't be. The item <Delete> change to <Report> when the message is a received
                                  • Fill Colors

                                    Hello, Just curious, is it possible to manage the Used and standard colors in the fill drop down menu ? I would like to change/edit them is possible to colors I frequently use. Thanks for you reply, Bruce
                                  • Is there a way to generate a virtual meeting for a group service in Zoho Bookings?

                                    Are virtual meetings not supported for group services/meetings? I have integrated Zoom with one-on-one services, but I need a way to create an online group meeting. Thanks
                                  • Attachment reminder?

                                    My team and I often need to attach files to our messages, e.g. an explanatory screenshot or a shipping label. More often that I want to admit I mention the attachment but forget to actually attach it. Some email clients have a check-for-missing-attachments
                                  • Items Below Reorder Point Report?

                                    Is there a way to run a report of Items that are below the Reorder Point? I don't see this as a specific report, nor can I figure out how to customize any of the other stock reports to give me this information. Please tell me I'm missing something s
                                  • Markdown for Desk?

                                    Hi, my company wants to use markdown for formatting text in Desk (in all modules there, especially Tickets and Helpcenter). Zoho already offers use of markdown in several products (see https://help.zoho.com/portal/en/kb/backstage/microsite-guide/formatting-with-markdown/articles/formatting-with-markdo)
                                  • Multiple upload field CRM

                                    I desperately need the functionality to add more than one upload field to web to contacts form. How can I do this?
                                  • Client scripts for Zoho Books ?

                                    Good day everyone, I am looking for a way to be able to interact with the Quotes and Invoices as they are being created. Think of it like Zoho client script in Zoho CRM. But for the life of me I dont see a way to do this. The issue with having function
                                  • Fillable template with dynamic tables?

                                    Is there a way to build a fillable template so that users can add rows to a table? To describe what I'm trying to accomplish the table has 3 sections; a header row, some number of rows with custom information, and a summary row with totals. I can't figure
                                  • Invoicing multiple expense items as a single line item

                                          My client would like me to invoice them for multiple expense items on a single line item on an invoice.  Can this be done?  I know I can import billable expenses to an invoice, but I don't know how to show them as a single line item or have them
                                  • Zoho Books | Product updates | November 2025

                                    Hello users, We’ve rolled out new features and enhancements in Zoho Books. From translating email notification templates to the new transaction locking restrictions, explore the updates designed to enhance your bookkeeping experience. Making Tax Digital
                                  • Tables improvement ideas / features

                                    Heya, I've been using Zoho Tables for a few months now and wanted to post some features that I think will be greatly beneficial for the tool: 1. Ability to delete a record in automation or move a record in automation. - Usecase: I move a record from one
                                  • Announcing offline payment modes for event tickets

                                    Hello everyone,   Collecting ticket payments from prospective attendees can be a tricky part of event planning. While Zoho Backstage has always allowed you to collect payments online as people buy tickets from your event microsite, we have now enabled
                                  • What is going on with GMail extension.

                                    Suddenly, it is popping up and saying "Please wait while we work our magic... 10%" and it sits there. Yesterday I waited for an entire hour call and it never got further. Today, it's not resolved. Is there a fix I can do? I've tried all the typical
                                  • Gmail is ramping up its email sender policy from November 2025

                                    Hello marketers, As you may be aware, Gmail introduced a guideline for bulk senders starting February 2024. If not, here's a quick refresher straight from Google: After this policy was announced first in 2023 and soft-implemented in February 2024, we
                                  • Collapsible Sections & Section Navigation Needed

                                    The flexibility of Zoho CRM has expanded greatly in the last few years, to the point that a leads module is now permissible to contain up to 350 fields. We don't use that many, but we are using 168 fields which are broken apart into 18 different sections.
                                  • Gmail is ramping up its email sender policy as of November 2025

                                    Hello marketers, As you may be aware, Gmail introduced a guideline for bulk senders starting February 2024. If not, here's a quick refresher straight from Google: After this policy was announced first in 2023 and soft-implemented in February 2024, we
                                  • Good news! Calendar in Zoho CRM gets a face lift

                                    Dear Customers, We are delighted to unveil the revamped calendar UI in Zoho CRM. With a complete visual overhaul aligned with CRM for Everyone, the calendar now offers a more intuitive and flexible scheduling experience. What’s new? Distinguish activities
                                  • Deluge Error Code 1002 - "Resource does not exist."

                                    I am using the following script in a Custom Button on a Sales Return. Basically, the function takes the information in the sales return (plus the arguments that are entered by the user when the button is pushed) and creates a return shipping label via
                                  • Zoho Analytics Export API

                                    Hi Team, I’m working on some integration tasks and wanted to confirm if it’s possible to retrieve a Zoho Analytics table as JSON data using a Deluge script. I’ve already stored my custom data from multiple sources and combined it into a single source.
                                  • Item images

                                    Can we get an "On hover" expanded image for items please ?
                                  • Ability to Create and Manage YouTube Video Chapters in Zoho Social

                                    Hi Zoho Social Team, How are you? We would like to request an enhancement to Zoho Social that would allow users to create and manage YouTube video chapters directly within the platform. Currently, Zoho Social does not support manually adding chapters
                                  • What happens to my current site SEO if i opt for zoho creator?

                                    I have an existing website and I need to use Zoho creators for the rapid creation of my webpage creation. Currently, my IT team is creating the web pages, but I am concerned about the SEO of my current website if I shift to zoho will i loose it all?
                                  • Automatic Portal invite

                                    We have numerous customers we move through a blueprint in deals, when they get to a certain point we need to give them portal access, how can this be done through deluge or a workflow?
                                  • Preview Emails with Merge Fields before sending

                                    Hello, Are there plans to preview an email with merge fields before sending out? Currently, all you see in the preview are the merge field values, but before I send out the email I want to make sure the merge is working. Also, the saved emails only show
                                  • User Filter not selecting All Items

                                    We are encountering 2 issues when using the user filter. When users are trying to search using the filter option, the OK button is grayed out. Users have to unselect or make a change before it filters properly. 2. When filtering and the OK button works,
                                  • Support Nested JavaScript Variables in PageSense Pop-up Targeting

                                    Hello Zoho PageSense Team, I hope you're doing well. I’d like to request a feature enhancement for the PageSense pop-up targeting functionality. Current Limitation: Currently, PageSense pop-ups can be triggered using simple JavaScript variables. However,
                                  • Cannot Invert Axis for Rankings

                                    Hi there I want to be able to create a ranking graph in Analytics/BI, with 1 at the top of the Y axis, but I am unable to invert the axis. Super simple example in Excel below. Higher rankings need to be higher up on the graph to give the correct visual
                                  • Next Page