AI-Powered Financial Dashboard

Build a financial analysis dashboard using Google Sheets, ChatGPT, and Data Studio.

Introduction

30 Second Summary

Every business, no matter how small, lives or dies by how well it understands its money. Tracking income and expenses is the easy part. The real challenge is turning raw numbers into decisions.

In this project, you will build a complete AI-powered financial analysis system for a small consulting firm. You'll structure financial data in Google Sheets, use ChatGPT to generate insights and reports, and visualize everything in a professional interactive dashboard using Google Data Studio.

What You'll Build

A complete financial analysis system combining structured accounting data, AI-driven spending analysis and forecasting, and an interactive visualization dashboard that serves as a portfolio-ready deliverable.

By the end of this project, you'll have:

  • A Google Sheets financial workbook with 6 months of categorized transactions, automated formulas, and KPI tracking.
  • AI-generated financial insights including spending analysis, budget recommendations, and a professional monthly report created using ChatGPT.
  • An interactive Google Data Studio dashboard with revenue trends, expense breakdowns, KPI scorecards, and filterable charts.
  • Secret Mission: Add financial forecasting with AI-predicted trends and a savings goal tracker to your dashboard.

Are there any prerequisites?

None. All the tools in this project are free to use, and every step includes full setup instructions. You just need a web browser and a Google account.

Set Up Your Tools

Before diving into financial data, you need three free browser-based tools ready to go. Google Sheets will hold your financial dataset. ChatGPT will analyze the data and generate insights. Google Data Studio will turn everything into a polished interactive dashboard.

All three tools are completely free and run in your browser, so there is nothing to install. In this step, you will create accounts (if needed) and verify that each tool is ready to use.

In this step, get ready to:
  • Create a Google Sheets workbook for your financial data.
  • Sign in to ChatGPT and verify file upload access.
  • Open Google Data Studio and confirm you can create reports.
Create your Google Sheets workbook

Google Sheets is the spreadsheet tool where you will build and store all of your financial data. You need a Google account to access it.

  • Open your browser and go to sheets.google.com.
  • Sign in with your Google account. If you do not have one, click Create account and follow the prompts to set one up.
  • On the Google Sheets home page, click the Blank spreadsheet card (the large + icon) to create a new spreadsheet.
  • Click the title in the top-left corner (it says Untitled spreadsheet by default).
  • Replace it with NextGen Consulting - Financial Data and press Enter.

You should see your new spreadsheet open with the title NextGen Consulting - Financial Data displayed at the top left.

Why Google Sheets?

Google Sheets connects natively to Google Data Studio without any extra plugins or exports. Your data will flow directly from the spreadsheet into the dashboard you build later.

Can't access Google Sheets?

Make sure you are signed in to a personal Google account, not a school or work account that may have Sheets disabled. Try opening an incognito window and signing in with a personal Gmail address.

help me troubleshoot why I can't access Google Sheets

Sign in to ChatGPT

ChatGPT's free tier includes data analysis and file upload capabilities. You will use these later to upload your financial CSV and generate insights.

  • Open a new browser tab and go to chatgpt.com.
  • Click Sign up to create a free account (or Log in if you already have one).
  • Once signed in, look at the chat input area at the bottom of the screen.
  • Locate the paperclip (attachment) icon to the left of the text input field. This is the button you will use later to upload your financial data file.

You should see the ChatGPT chat interface with the paperclip icon visible in the input area.

What is the paperclip icon for?

The paperclip icon lets you upload files directly into a ChatGPT conversation. Free tier users can upload up to 3 files per day, which is more than enough for this project since you only need to upload one CSV.

Don't see the paperclip icon?

Make sure you are on the web version at chatgpt.com and not a third-party ChatGPT app. The icon appears once you are signed in and have an active chat or new conversation open.

help me find the file upload button in ChatGPT

Set up Google Data Studio

Google Data Studio is a free visualization tool that turns spreadsheet data into interactive dashboards. It connects directly to Google Sheets, which is why the two tools pair so well together.

  • Open a new browser tab and go to lookerstudio.google.com.
  • Sign in with the same Google account you used for Google Sheets.
  • On the Data Studio home page, click the + Create button in the top-left corner.
  • Verify that you see Report as one of the options in the dropdown menu.
  • Press Escape or click away to close the menu. You do not need to create a report yet.

You should see the Data Studio home page with the + Create button accessible and Report confirmed as an available option.

Why is the URL lookerstudio.google.com?

Google rebranded this tool from Looker Studio back to Data Studio in 2026. The URL still uses the old name, but the product is now called Google Data Studio.

Not seeing the + Create button?

Make sure you are signed in to a personal Google account. Some managed accounts (school or workplace) may restrict access to Data Studio. Try signing in with the same personal account you used for Google Sheets.

help me get access to Google Data Studio

All three tools are set up and ready to go. Next up, you will fill your Google Sheets workbook with six months of realistic financial data for NextGen Consulting.

Build the Financial Dataset in Google Sheets

Your tools are ready. Now it is time to build the foundation for your entire financial analysis system.

Every financial dashboard starts with clean, structured data. In this step, you will create a complete 6-month financial dataset for a fictional small business called NextGen Consulting. This dataset becomes the raw material that ChatGPT will analyze and Google Data Studio will visualize.

In this step, get ready to:
  • Create a Transactions sheet with 50+ categorized entries spanning January to June 2026.
  • Build a Monthly Summary sheet with formulas that automatically calculate income, expenses, and profit.
  • Set up a Dashboard Data sheet with KPI aggregations and overspending alerts.
Create the Transactions sheet

The Transactions sheet is your raw financial ledger. It stores every individual transaction that NextGen Consulting made over 6 months, categorized by type so you can analyze spending patterns later.

  • Switch back to your NextGen Consulting - Financial Data spreadsheet in Google Sheets.
  • The default sheet tab at the bottom is called Sheet1. Double-click the tab name and rename it to Transactions.
  • Click cell A1 and type the first column header: Date.
  • Continue across row 1, entering these headers in cells B1 through G1:
Date | Description | Category | Type | Amount | Payment Method | Notes

What do these columns track?

  • Date records when the transaction occurred.
  • Description names the specific transaction (e.g., Client Project Payment).
  • Category groups it (Revenue, Salaries, Rent, Marketing, Utilities, Software, Travel).
  • Type marks it as Income or Expense.
  • Amount is the dollar value.
  • Payment Method tracks how it was paid (Bank Transfer, Credit Card, Check).
  • Notes holds any extra context about the transaction.

Now populate the sheet with sample transactions. You will add 50+ rows covering January through June 2026 with realistic amounts for a small consulting firm.

  • Enter the January transactions starting in row 2 by typing this data into cells A2 through G2 and continuing down:
01/05/2026 | Client Project Payment | Revenue | Income | 18000 | Bank Transfer | Q1 consulting retainer
01/05/2026 | Workshop Facilitation | Revenue | Income | 3500 | Bank Transfer | Leadership workshop
01/10/2026 | Staff Salaries | Salaries | Expense | 8000 | Bank Transfer | Monthly payroll
01/10/2026 | Office Rent | Rent | Expense | 2500 | Bank Transfer | January rent
01/12/2026 | Google Ads Campaign | Marketing | Expense | 1200 | Credit Card | Lead generation
01/15/2026 | Electric Bill | Utilities | Expense | 320 | Bank Transfer | Office utilities
01/18/2026 | Slack Subscription | Software | Expense | 150 | Credit Card | Team communication
01/22/2026 | Client Lunch Meeting | Travel | Expense | 85 | Credit Card | Business development
01/25/2026 | Internet Service | Utilities | Expense | 110 | Bank Transfer | Office internet
  • Continue adding February transactions below the January data:
02/03/2026 | Client Project Payment | Revenue | Income | 15000 | Bank Transfer | Strategy engagement
02/05/2026 | Training Revenue | Revenue | Income | 4200 | Bank Transfer | Corporate training
02/10/2026 | Staff Salaries | Salaries | Expense | 8000 | Bank Transfer | Monthly payroll
02/10/2026 | Office Rent | Rent | Expense | 2500 | Bank Transfer | February rent
02/14/2026 | LinkedIn Ads | Marketing | Expense | 800 | Credit Card | Recruiting campaign
02/16/2026 | Electric Bill | Utilities | Expense | 295 | Bank Transfer | Office utilities
02/18/2026 | Zoom Pro | Software | Expense | 200 | Credit Card | Video conferencing
02/20/2026 | Conference Airfare | Travel | Expense | 450 | Credit Card | Industry conference
02/22/2026 | Conference Hotel | Travel | Expense | 380 | Credit Card | Industry conference
  • Add March transactions:
03/02/2026 | Client Project Payment | Revenue | Income | 20000 | Bank Transfer | Digital transformation project
03/06/2026 | Consulting Retainer | Revenue | Income | 2500 | Bank Transfer | Monthly advisory
03/10/2026 | Staff Salaries | Salaries | Expense | 8000 | Bank Transfer | Monthly payroll
03/10/2026 | Office Rent | Rent | Expense | 2500 | Bank Transfer | March rent
03/12/2026 | Facebook Ads | Marketing | Expense | 950 | Credit Card | Brand awareness
03/15/2026 | Electric Bill | Utilities | Expense | 310 | Bank Transfer | Office utilities
03/17/2026 | Adobe Creative Cloud | Software | Expense | 600 | Credit Card | Design tools
03/20/2026 | Client Site Visit | Travel | Expense | 220 | Credit Card | Travel expenses
03/28/2026 | Internet Service | Utilities | Expense | 110 | Bank Transfer | Office internet
  • Add April transactions:
04/01/2026 | Client Project Payment | Revenue | Income | 22000 | Bank Transfer | Full implementation phase
04/04/2026 | Workshop Revenue | Revenue | Income | 3000 | Bank Transfer | Team building workshop
04/10/2026 | Staff Salaries | Salaries | Expense | 8000 | Bank Transfer | Monthly payroll
04/10/2026 | Office Rent | Rent | Expense | 2500 | Bank Transfer | April rent
04/13/2026 | Google Ads Campaign | Marketing | Expense | 1400 | Credit Card | Q2 push
04/15/2026 | Electric Bill | Utilities | Expense | 280 | Bank Transfer | Office utilities
04/18/2026 | Project Management Tool | Software | Expense | 350 | Credit Card | Asana subscription
04/22/2026 | Client Dinner | Travel | Expense | 175 | Credit Card | Relationship building
04/28/2026 | Internet Service | Utilities | Expense | 110 | Bank Transfer | Office internet
  • Add May transactions:
05/02/2026 | Client Project Payment | Revenue | Income | 19500 | Bank Transfer | Ongoing engagement
05/05/2026 | Speaking Fee | Revenue | Income | 2000 | Check | Conference keynote
05/10/2026 | Staff Salaries | Salaries | Expense | 8000 | Bank Transfer | Monthly payroll
05/10/2026 | Office Rent | Rent | Expense | 2500 | Bank Transfer | May rent
05/12/2026 | Content Marketing | Marketing | Expense | 1100 | Credit Card | Blog and social
05/15/2026 | Electric Bill | Utilities | Expense | 340 | Bank Transfer | Office utilities
05/18/2026 | Slack Subscription | Software | Expense | 150 | Credit Card | Team communication
05/21/2026 | Networking Event | Travel | Expense | 95 | Credit Card | Local meetup
05/28/2026 | Internet Service | Utilities | Expense | 110 | Bank Transfer | Office internet
  • Add June transactions:
06/01/2026 | Client Project Payment | Revenue | Income | 21000 | Bank Transfer | Phase 2 delivery
06/04/2026 | Training Revenue | Revenue | Income | 3800 | Bank Transfer | Skills workshop
06/10/2026 | Staff Salaries | Salaries | Expense | 8000 | Bank Transfer | Monthly payroll
06/10/2026 | Office Rent | Rent | Expense | 2500 | Bank Transfer | June rent
06/12/2026 | LinkedIn Ads | Marketing | Expense | 900 | Credit Card | Talent acquisition
06/15/2026 | Electric Bill | Utilities | Expense | 305 | Bank Transfer | Office utilities
06/18/2026 | Zoom Pro | Software | Expense | 200 | Credit Card | Video conferencing
06/20/2026 | Client Travel | Travel | Expense | 520 | Credit Card | Offsite meeting
06/25/2026 | Office Supplies | Utilities | Expense | 180 | Credit Card | Printer and paper
06/28/2026 | Internet Service | Utilities | Expense | 110 | Bank Transfer | Office internet

Speed up data entry

You can type each pipe-separated value into its own column. Click cell A2, type the date, press Tab to move to the next column, and continue across. Press Enter at the end of a row to start the next one.

  • Verify your Transactions sheet has at least 55 rows of data (row 1 is headers, rows 2 through 56+ are transactions).
  • Check that the Amount column contains numbers only (no dollar signs or commas in the cells).
  • Select the Amount column (column E).
  • Click Format in the menu bar.
  • Click Number, then select Number.

Data not lining up in columns?

Make sure each piece of data goes in its own column. If everything ended up in column A, you may have pasted all the text into one cell. Clear the sheet and re-enter each value in the correct column (A through G).

help me fix my Transactions sheet layout

Create the Monthly Summary sheet with formulas

Raw transaction data is useful, but you need summarized numbers to spot trends. The Monthly Summary sheet uses formulas to automatically calculate totals, profit, and margins from your transaction data.

  • Click the + icon at the bottom left of the spreadsheet (next to your Transactions tab) to add a new sheet.
  • Double-click the new tab and rename it to Monthly Summary.
  • Enter these headers across row 1 in cells A1 through G1:
Month | Total Income | Total Expenses | Net Profit | Profit Margin | Running Cash Balance | Top Expense Category
  • In cells A2 through A7, enter the month names: January, February, March, April, May, June.
  • Click cell B2 and enter the SUMIFS formula to calculate January total income:
=SUMIFS(Transactions!E:E, Transactions!D:D, "Income", Transactions!A:A, ">="&DATE(2026,1,1), Transactions!A:A, "<"&DATE(2026,2,1))

What does this SUMIFS formula do?

SUMIFS adds up values from a range only when multiple conditions are all met. This formula sums column E (Amount) from the Transactions sheet, but only for rows where column D equals "Income" AND column A (Date) falls within January 2026.

The syntax is =SUMIFS(sum_range, criteria_range1, criterion1, criteria_range2, criterion2, ...). Each pair of criteria_range and criterion adds another filter condition.

  • Click cell C2 and enter the formula for January total expenses:
=SUMIFS(Transactions!E:E, Transactions!D:D, "Expense", Transactions!A:A, ">="&DATE(2026,1,1), Transactions!A:A, "<"&DATE(2026,2,1))
  • Click cell D2 and enter the Net Profit formula:
=B2-C2
  • Click cell E2 and enter the Profit Margin formula:
=D2/B2
  • Select cell E2.
  • Click Format in the menu bar.
  • Click Number, then select Percent.
  • Click cell F2 and enter the Running Cash Balance formula for January (the net profit for the first month):
=D2
  • Now repeat the formulas for February. Click cell B3 and enter the February income formula:
=SUMIFS(Transactions!E:E, Transactions!D:D, "Income", Transactions!A:A, ">="&DATE(2026,2,1), Transactions!A:A, "<"&DATE(2026,3,1))
  • Enter the matching expenses formula in C3 (change "Income" to "Expense" and use the same February date range).
  • For D3, enter =B3-C3.
  • For E3, enter =D3/B3 and format as percent.
  • For F3, enter =F2+D3 to carry the running balance forward.
  • Repeat this pattern for rows 4 through 7 (March through June), updating the month numbers in the DATE functions each time (3,1 for March, 4,1 for April, and so on).

Use QUERY for category breakdowns

Below your monthly data (around row 10), add a category breakdown using the QUERY function. In cell A10, type Category Breakdown as a section header. In cell A11, enter:

=QUERY(Transactions!A:G, "SELECT C, SUM(E) WHERE D='Expense' GROUP BY C LABEL SUM(E) 'Total Spent'")

This QUERY function uses a SQL-like syntax to group all expenses by category and show the total spent in each. It automatically creates a summary table below.

  • Verify your Monthly Summary sheet by checking that January shows Total Income around $21,500 and Total Expenses around $12,365.

Seeing zeros or errors in your formulas?

If SUMIFS returns 0, check that your Date column in the Transactions sheet is formatted as actual dates (not plain text). Select the Date column, click Format, then Number, then Date.

If you see a #DIV/0! error in Profit Margin, it means Total Income is zero for that month. Double-check your date ranges in the SUMIFS formula.

help me debug my SUMIFS formula in Google Sheets

Create the Dashboard Data sheet with KPI tracking

The Dashboard Data sheet pulls together the key performance indicators that will power your visual dashboard. It also includes an overspending alert that highlights months where expenses consume too much of the revenue.

  • Click the + icon to add another new sheet tab.
  • Rename the tab to Dashboard Data.
  • Enter these headers in row 1 across cells A1 through G1:
Month | Total Revenue | Total Expenses | Net Profit | Profit Margin % | Savings Rate % | Top Expense Category
  • In cells A2 through A7, enter January through June.
  • Link the data from your Monthly Summary sheet. In cell B2, enter:
='Monthly Summary'!B2
  • In cell C2, enter ='Monthly Summary'!C2 to pull Total Expenses.
  • In cell D2, enter ='Monthly Summary'!D2 to pull Net Profit.
  • In cell E2, enter this formula for Profit Margin as a percentage:
=D2/B2*100
  • In cell F2, enter the Savings Rate formula:
=D2/B2*100

What is Savings Rate?

For a business, the savings rate represents what percentage of revenue is retained after all expenses. In this simplified model, it equals the profit margin. In more complex scenarios, it would account for reinvestment and reserves separately.

  • In cell G2, enter this formula to find the top expense category for January:
=INDEX(Transactions!C:C, MATCH(MAXIFS(Transactions!E:E, Transactions!D:D, "Expense", Transactions!A:A, ">="&DATE(2026,1,1), Transactions!A:A, "<"&DATE(2026,2,1)), Transactions!E:E, 0))

How does this formula find the top expense?

MAXIFS finds the largest expense amount for the month. MATCH locates that amount in the Transactions sheet. INDEX returns the category name from that row. Together, they identify which category had the single largest transaction.

  • Copy the formulas in row 2 down to rows 3 through 7, updating the month references in each row (change the DATE functions to 2,1 for February, 3,1 for March, and so on).

Now add the overspending alert using conditional formatting. This highlights any month where expenses exceed 80% of revenue.

  • Select the range A2:G7 (all your monthly data rows).
  • Click Format in the menu bar.
  • Click Conditional formatting.
  • In the panel that opens on the right, click the dropdown under Format cells if and select Custom formula is.
  • In the formula field, enter:
=$C2/$B2>0.8

How does this conditional formatting work?

The formula =$C2/$B2>0.8 divides Total Expenses (column C) by Total Revenue (column B) for each row. If expenses are more than 80% of revenue, the condition is TRUE and the formatting applies.

The $ before C and B locks the column reference so it evaluates correctly across the entire row.

  • Under Formatting style, click the paint bucket icon and choose a red or orange background color.
  • Click Done to apply the rule.
  • Check your Dashboard Data sheet. If any months have expenses above 80% of revenue, those rows should now be highlighted in your chosen color.

Conditional formatting not highlighting anything?

With the sample data provided, most months have a healthy profit margin, so no rows may be highlighted. That means the formatting is working correctly. The alert only triggers when expenses exceed 80% of revenue.

If you want to test it, temporarily change one month's expense to a very high number and confirm the row turns your chosen color. Then change it back.

help me troubleshoot conditional formatting in Google Sheets

✔️ Awesome, I've got everything!

Great. Double check that your spreadsheet has saved. Google Sheets auto-saves, but verify you see "All changes saved" in the top bar.

ⓧ I'd like to double check the full setup

Your workbook should have exactly three sheet tabs:

  • Transactions with 50+ rows of data across columns A-G (Date, Description, Category, Type, Amount, Payment Method, Notes) covering Jan-Jun 2026.
  • Monthly Summary with SUMIFS formulas calculating Total Income and Total Expenses per month, Net Profit (Income minus Expenses), Profit Margin (Net Profit divided by Income), Running Cash Balance, and a QUERY-based category breakdown.
  • Dashboard Data with monthly KPIs (Total Revenue, Total Expenses, Net Profit, Profit Margin %, Savings Rate %, Top Expense Category) and conditional formatting that highlights rows where expenses exceed 80% of revenue.

If any formulas show errors, check that your Transactions sheet dates are formatted as actual dates and that the Type column contains exactly "Income" or "Expense" (case-sensitive in SUMIFS).

Your financial dataset is complete. You now have structured, formula-driven data that automatically calculates key business metrics. Next up, you will hand this data to ChatGPT and let AI uncover insights that would take hours to find manually.

Generate AI Financial Analysis with ChatGPT

Your Google Sheets workbook now holds six months of structured financial data with automated summaries and KPI calculations. The numbers are there, but raw numbers alone don't tell a business owner what to do next.

In this step, you'll feed your financial data to ChatGPT and use its data analysis capabilities to generate spending insights, budget recommendations, a 3-month forecast, and a professional financial report. These AI-generated outputs become portfolio evidence of your ability to leverage AI for business intelligence.

In this step, get ready to:
  • Upload your financial data to ChatGPT for AI-powered analysis.
  • Generate a financial forecast and a professional monthly report.
  • Save all AI outputs as portfolio evidence.
Export your data and upload it to ChatGPT

ChatGPT's data analysis feature accepts CSV file uploads and uses pandas and Matplotlib behind the scenes to examine your data, run calculations, and generate charts. You'll export your Transactions sheet as a CSV so ChatGPT can ingest it.

  • Switch back to your NextGen Consulting - Financial Data spreadsheet in Google Sheets.
  • Make sure you are on the Transactions sheet tab at the bottom.
  • Click File in the top menu bar.
  • Hover over Download.
  • Select Comma-separated values (.csv).

A .csv file downloads to your computer. This is the file you'll upload to ChatGPT.

  • Return to ChatGPT at chatgpt.com.
  • Click the attachment icon (paperclip) in the chat input area.
  • Select the CSV file you just downloaded from your Downloads folder.
  • In the message field, type the following prompt and press Enter to send:
Analyze this 6-month financial data for NextGen Consulting. Provide: (1) spending behavior summary, (2) top 3 areas of overspending, (3) month-over-month trends, and (4) 3 specific budget improvement recommendations

ChatGPT will examine the first rows of your data to understand its structure, then run Python code to produce analytical output. This may take 15-30 seconds.

What is ChatGPT doing with my data?

When you upload a file, ChatGPT reads the column headers and sample rows to understand the schema. It then writes and executes Python code in a secure environment to calculate totals, identify patterns, and generate visualizations.

The free tier includes GPT-5.5 with data analysis capabilities and supports CSV file uploads. Free users are limited to 3 file uploads per day, which is enough for this project since you only need 1-2 uploads.

Not seeing the attachment icon?

Make sure you're on the main ChatGPT page (not in a GPT or settings). The paperclip icon sits to the left of the message input field. If you still don't see it, try refreshing the page.

If your upload fails, check that the file is under 50 MB and has a .csv extension.

Help me upload my CSV file to ChatGPT for data analysis.

Generate a financial forecast and professional report

Your first prompt gives you a snapshot of past performance. Now you'll ask ChatGPT to look forward and predict what happens next, then produce a stakeholder-ready report.

  • In the same ChatGPT conversation (so it retains your data context), type this follow-up prompt and send it:
Based on the trends in this data, predict the next 3 months of revenue and expenses. Identify any concerning patterns and suggest savings strategies to improve the profit margin by 10%

Why stay in the same conversation?

ChatGPT remembers the uploaded file within a single conversation. If you start a new chat, you would need to re-upload the CSV. Keeping everything in one thread means ChatGPT can reference the original data for its forecast calculations.

ChatGPT will respond with predicted revenue and expense figures for July through September 2026, along with identified patterns and savings strategies.

  • Once that response is complete, type this final prompt and send it:
Generate a professional monthly financial report for June 2026 that I could present to a business owner, including key metrics, insights, and recommended actions

ChatGPT will produce a formatted report with sections for key metrics, performance analysis, and action items. This is the kind of deliverable a finance professional would present to leadership.

Refine if needed

AI responses vary each time. If the output feels too generic, follow up with a more specific request like "Include exact dollar figures and percentage changes for each metric." You can iterate until the report matches the level of detail you want in your portfolio.

Save your AI analysis outputs as portfolio evidence

The analysis you just generated is valuable portfolio evidence. It demonstrates that you can use AI tools for financial analysis, not just manual spreadsheet work. You'll save three types of outputs: chart images, the written report, and conversation screenshots.

  • Scroll through your ChatGPT conversation and look for any charts or visualizations it generated (line graphs, bar charts, pie charts).
  • For each chart, hover over it and click the download icon to save it as an image file.
  • Create a folder on your Desktop called NextGen-AI-Analysis and save the chart images there.

Next, save the professional financial report text into a Google Doc for easy reference later.

  • Open a new browser tab and go to docs.google.com.
  • Click Blank document to create a new doc.
  • Name the document NextGen Consulting - June 2026 Financial Report.
  • Switch back to your ChatGPT conversation.
  • Select and copy the entire professional financial report that ChatGPT generated (the response to your last prompt).
  • Paste it into your new Google Doc.

Finally, capture the analysis conversation itself as a screenshot for your portfolio.

  • Return to your ChatGPT conversation.
  • Scroll to the top of the conversation where you uploaded the file and received the spending behavior summary.
  • Take a screenshot showing the uploaded file and ChatGPT's analysis response. Press Cmd+Shift+4 (macOS) or Windows+Shift+S (Windows) to capture a selected area.
  • Save the screenshot to your NextGen-AI-Analysis folder.
  • Take additional screenshots of the forecast response and the financial report response.

Why save all these outputs?

In Step 5, you'll compile these into a Canva portfolio presentation. The chart images show your data visualization skills, the report demonstrates AI-powered business communication, and the screenshots prove you drove the analysis process yourself.

ChatGPT didn't generate any charts?

Sometimes ChatGPT responds with text-only analysis. You can ask it directly: "Create a bar chart showing monthly expenses by category" or "Visualize the revenue vs expenses trend as a line chart." It will then generate downloadable chart images.

Help me get ChatGPT to generate charts from my financial data.

You now have AI-generated financial intelligence sitting alongside your raw data. Next up, you'll bring everything together in an interactive dashboard that makes these insights visual and explorable.

Build the Interactive Dashboard in Google Data Studio

You now have AI-generated insights, charts, and a professional financial report saved from ChatGPT. Raw data and analysis are powerful, but stakeholders need a visual story they can interact with.

In this step, you will turn your Google Sheets data into a live, interactive dashboard using Google Data Studio. Viewers will be able to filter by date and category to explore the financial picture on their own terms.

In this step, get ready to:
  • Connect your Google Sheets workbook to a new Data Studio report.
  • Build scorecards and charts that visualize revenue, expenses, and profit.
  • Add filters and professional styling for a portfolio-ready dashboard.
Connect your Google Sheets data to a new report

Google Data Studio pulls live data from external sources through connectors. The Google Sheets connector links directly to your workbook so your dashboard always reflects the latest numbers.

  • Return to Google Data Studio at lookerstudio.google.com.
  • Click + Create in the top left corner.
  • Select Report.
  • The Add data to report panel appears with two tabs: Connect to data and My data sources.
  • In the Connect to data tab, select the Google Sheets connector.
  • Authorize access if prompted.
  • Select your spreadsheet named NextGen Consulting - Financial Data.
  • Select the Transactions worksheet as the data source.
  • Click Add in the bottom right.

What just happened?

Data Studio created an embedded data source connected to your Transactions sheet. A default chart appears on the canvas automatically. You will replace it with your own visualizations in the next substep.

  • Verify the field types are correct by clicking Resource in the top menu, then Manage added data sources.
  • Click Edit next to the Transactions data source.
  • Confirm that the Date field shows type Date, the Amount field shows type Number, and the Category field shows type Text.
  • If any type is incorrect, click the type dropdown next to the field name and select the correct type.
  • Click Done to return to the report editor.

Don't see your spreadsheet in the list?

Make sure you are signed into the same Google account that owns the spreadsheet. If you recently created the file, try refreshing the connector list by clicking the refresh icon next to the search bar.

help me connect my Google Sheets data to Data Studio

Build the dashboard layout with scorecards and charts

A strong financial dashboard leads with KPIs at the top, then supports them with trend and breakdown charts below. You will build four visualization components that tell the full financial story.

  • Delete the default chart that Data Studio placed on the canvas by selecting it and pressing Delete on your keyboard.
  • In the toolbar, click Add a chart.
  • Select Scorecard and click the top-left area of the canvas to place it.
  • In the Properties panel on the right, select the SETUP tab.
  • Set the Metric to Amount with aggregation SUM.
  • Add a filter to this scorecard: click ADD A FILTER, then CREATE A FILTER.
  • Name the filter Income Only, set it to Include, choose the Type field, condition Equal to, and value Income. Click Save.
  • This scorecard now shows Total Revenue. Rename it by clicking the scorecard title area and typing Total Revenue.

Repeat the process to create three more scorecards placed in a row beside the first.

  • Create a second scorecard for Total Expenses: use the same Amount/SUM metric but create a filter named Expense Only that includes rows where Type equals Expense.
  • Create a third scorecard for Net Profit. You can use a calculated field: click Create Field in the metric picker and enter a formula that subtracts expenses from revenue. Alternatively, connect to your Monthly Summary sheet as a second data source that already has Net Profit calculated.
  • Create a fourth scorecard for Profit Margin using a calculated field that divides Net Profit by Total Revenue.

Align your scorecards neatly

Select all four scorecards by holding Cmd (macOS) or Ctrl (Windows) and clicking each one. Then go to Arrange in the top menu and choose Align > Top to snap them into a clean row.

Now add the three charts below your scorecard row.

  • Click Add a chart and select Time series.
  • Click the canvas below the scorecards to place the chart.
  • In the SETUP tab, set the Date Range Dimension to Date.
  • Add a Breakdown Dimension and set it to the Type field so that Income and Expense display as separate lines.
  • Set the Metric to Amount with SUM aggregation.
  • This creates a time-series line chart showing monthly revenue vs. expenses over your 6-month period.
  • Click Add a chart and select Pie chart.
  • Place it to the right of or below the time-series chart.
  • In the SETUP tab, set the Dimension to Category.
  • Set the Metric to Amount with SUM aggregation.
  • Add a filter (reuse or create Expense Only) so the pie chart shows only the expense category breakdown.
  • Click Add a chart and select Bar chart.
  • Place it beside the pie chart.
  • In the SETUP tab, set the Dimension to Date grouped by Year Month.
  • Set the Metric to a calculated Net Profit field, or connect to the Monthly Summary sheet that has this pre-calculated.
  • This bar chart now displays monthly net profit across Jan-Jun 2026.

Why these four chart types?

Scorecards give instant KPI snapshots for decision-makers. The time-series chart reveals trends over time. The pie chart highlights which expense categories consume the most budget. The bar chart makes month-to-month profit comparison easy to read at a glance.

Charts showing unexpected numbers?

Check that your filters are applied to the correct charts. A common mistake is forgetting to add the Income Only or Expense Only filter, which causes scorecards to sum all transactions together. Also confirm the Amount field type is Number, not Text.

help me fix my Data Studio chart that shows wrong totals

Add filters, a data table, and professional styling

Interactive controls let viewers explore the data on their own. Adding a date range filter and a category dropdown transforms your static report into a self-service tool.

  • In the toolbar, click Add a control.
  • Select Date range control and place it at the top of the canvas above your scorecards.
  • In the Properties panel, leave the default date range set to Auto date range so it shows all data from your sheet.
  • Click Add a control again and select Drop-down list.
  • Place it next to the date range control.
  • In the SETUP tab, set the Control field to Category. This creates a dropdown filter that lets viewers isolate specific expense categories.

How do controls affect your charts?

By default, a date range control applies to every chart on the page that has a date dimension. The dropdown filter applies to all charts sharing the same data source fields. Viewers can narrow down the data without editing the report.

Now add a data table to show individual transaction detail.

  • Click Add a chart and select Table.
  • Place it below your charts.
  • In the SETUP tab, add these dimensions: Date, Description, Category, Type.
  • Set the Metric to Amount with SUM aggregation.
  • Under Sort, set it to sort by Amount in Descending order.
  • Set Rows per page to 10 so it displays the top 10 transactions by amount.

Finally, apply professional styling to make the dashboard portfolio-ready.

  • Click Theme and layout in the toolbar (or go to the Theme tab in the right panel).
  • Select a dark theme as the base, or click Customize to set the report Background color to a dark shade manually.
  • For chart colors, use blues and greens to represent income and reds or oranges to represent expenses. Set these in each chart's STYLE tab under the Color section.
  • Add a title to your dashboard: click the Text tool in the toolbar.
  • Click the top of the canvas and type NextGen Consulting - Financial Dashboard.
  • Set the font size to 24 or larger and the font color to white so it stands out against the dark background.

Why a consistent color palette matters

Assigning fixed colors to income (blue/green) and expenses (red/orange) across every chart builds instant recognition. Viewers never need to re-read legends because the color meaning stays constant throughout the dashboard.

Your dashboard now shows scorecards, three charts, interactive filters, a data table, and professional styling.

Data Studio auto-saves your work, so there is no manual save step required.

Filters not affecting your charts?

Make sure all charts are using the same data source (your Transactions sheet). Controls only affect charts that share matching data source fields. If you added a second data source for the Monthly Summary sheet, the dropdown filter will not apply to those charts automatically.

help me fix my Data Studio filters

Your interactive financial dashboard is live. Next up, you will package everything into a polished portfolio presentation that proves these skills to employers.

Create the Portfolio Presentation

Your financial dashboard is live and your AI analysis is complete. The final piece is packaging everything into a professional presentation that proves your skills to employers.

A portfolio presentation ties your entire project together. It shows not just what you built, but how you think about data, AI, and business decisions.

In this step, get ready to:
  • Create a presentation in Canva with a professional business template.
  • Add dashboard screenshots, AI analysis highlights, and skills documentation.
  • Write a resume-ready project summary.
Set up your Canva presentation

Canva is a free design tool that makes it easy to create professional presentations without graphic design experience.

  • Open your browser and navigate to canva.com.
  • Sign up for a free account (or sign in if you already have one).
  • From the Canva homepage, click Templates in the left side navigation.
  • Type business presentation in the search bar and press Enter.
  • Browse the results and select a professional template that uses clean, corporate styling.
  • Click Customize this template to open it in the editor.

You should see the Canva editor with your chosen template loaded and ready to customize.

  • Structure your presentation with the following slides (add or delete pages as needed using the + button at the bottom of the page panel):
  • Slide 1: Title Slide (project name and your name).
  • Slide 2: Project Overview (what you built and why).
  • Slide 3: Financial Dashboard Screenshots.
  • Slide 4: AI Analysis Highlights.
  • Slide 5: Key Insights & Recommendations.
  • Slide 6: Skills Demonstrated.

Why a portfolio presentation?

Employers want to see your work in action. A polished presentation proves you can communicate technical results to non-technical stakeholders.

This is the deliverable you link on your resume and share in interviews.

Don't see Customize this template?

Some templates are premium (marked with a crown icon). Make sure you select one labeled Free. You can filter for free templates using the sidebar filters.

help me find a free business presentation template in Canva

Populate slides with dashboard screenshots and AI insights

Now you will fill each slide with the assets you created throughout this project.

  • Switch to your Google Data Studio dashboard in another browser tab.
  • Take a full-page screenshot of your dashboard (press Cmd+Shift+3 on macOS or Windows+Shift+S on Windows).
  • Return to Canva and navigate to the Financial Dashboard Screenshots slide (Slide 3).
  • Click Uploads in the left panel, then click Upload files.
  • Select your dashboard screenshot and drag it onto the slide.
  • Resize the image to fill the content area of the slide.
  • Navigate to the AI Analysis Highlights slide (Slide 4).
  • Open the Google Doc containing your June 2026 financial report.
  • Copy 3-4 key insights from the ChatGPT analysis (the spending behavior summary, top overspending areas, and budget recommendations).
  • Paste these insights as bullet points on Slide 4.
  • Upload any chart images that ChatGPT generated during your analysis and add them to this slide.
  • Navigate to the Key Insights & Recommendations slide (Slide 5).
  • Add 3-4 actionable recommendations from your AI analysis (e.g., budget improvement suggestions, savings strategies).
  • Navigate to the Skills Demonstrated slide (Slide 6).
  • Add a Tools & Technologies Used section listing: Google Sheets, ChatGPT, Google Data Studio.
  • Add a Skills section listing: data analysis, AI prompting, financial modeling, data visualization.

Your presentation should now have content on every slide. Each slide focuses on one aspect of the project.

What makes a strong portfolio slide?

Keep text minimal and let visuals do the talking. Employers skim presentations quickly, so use large screenshots, short bullet points, and clear headings.

A good rule is no more than 5 bullet points per slide and at least one visual element.

Screenshots look blurry?

Make sure you are taking full-resolution screenshots. On macOS, Cmd+Shift+3 captures the full screen at native resolution. On Windows, use Windows+Shift+S and select the full dashboard area.

my dashboard screenshots are blurry when I upload them to Canva

Write your resume summary slide

The final slide turns your project into resume-ready language. This is the text you can copy directly into job applications.

  • Add a new slide at the end of your presentation by clicking the + button.
  • Title this slide Resume Summary.
  • Add the following 2-3 line project description (customize with your own details):

"Built an AI-powered financial analysis dashboard tracking $100K+ in transactions, leveraging ChatGPT for automated insights and Google Data Studio for interactive visualization. Demonstrated proficiency in financial modeling, AI-driven analysis, and business intelligence presentation."

  • Paste or type this text onto the Resume Summary slide.
  • Adjust the font size so the text is large and readable.
  • Add a subtitle below it that says Tools: Google Sheets, ChatGPT, Google Data Studio, Canva.

Why write a resume summary now?

Hiring managers spend 6-10 seconds scanning each resume. A concise project description with concrete numbers ($100K+ in transactions) immediately signals you can handle real data at scale.

Having the summary ready means you can copy it directly into LinkedIn or your resume without rewriting later.

  • Review your full presentation from Slide 1 to the Resume Summary slide.
  • Click the Share button in the top right corner of Canva.
  • Click Download and choose PDF Standard as the file type.
  • Click Download to save a copy of your finished presentation.

Your presentation is now saved as a PDF you can attach to job applications or share via a link.

Keep your Canva link handy

Canva auto-saves your work in the cloud. You can share a view-only link to your presentation directly from the Share menu. This is useful for linking from your LinkedIn profile.

Download button not working?

Make sure you are signed into your Canva account. Free accounts can download in PDF and PNG formats without any issues.

I'm having trouble downloading my presentation from Canva

Your portfolio presentation is complete. You now have a professional deliverable that ties together your financial data, AI analysis, and dashboard into one shareable package. Next, take on the Secret Mission to add predictive forecasting to your dashboard.

Secret mission

Financial Forecasting & Savings Tracker

Your dashboard currently shows what happened in the past. What if it could predict the future? In this secret mission, you'll use ChatGPT to generate a 3-month financial forecast, calculate savings timelines and loan payments, then visualize predictions alongside actual data in a dedicated forecasting page.

Clean Up Your Resources

Clean Up Your Resources

Decide whether to keep your resources running, pause them to come back later, or delete them entirely.

This project uses entirely free tools (Google Sheets, Google Data Studio, ChatGPT free tier, Canva free tier), so there are no ongoing costs.

Resources you used:

  • Google Sheets workbook ("NextGen Consulting - Financial Data").
  • Google Data Studio report ("NextGen Consulting - Financial Dashboard").
  • Google Doc containing the June 2026 financial report.
  • Canva presentation (portfolio slides).
  • ChatGPT conversation with financial analysis and forecasts.
  • Local files: CSV export and downloaded chart images.

Keep everything running

No action needed. Choose this if you're still actively building or want to revisit your dashboard and portfolio materials later.

  • Your Google Sheets workbook stays in Google Drive and costs nothing to store.
  • Your Google Data Studio report remains accessible at lookerstudio.google.com.
  • Your Canva presentation stays in your Canva account indefinitely on the free tier.
  • Your ChatGPT conversation history remains accessible in your sidebar.
  • Local files (CSV and chart images) stay wherever you saved them on your computer.

Pause - I'll come back to this later

Since all tools are free and cloud-based, there's nothing to pause for cost savings. Your resources will stay available whenever you return.

  • Bookmark your Google Data Studio report URL so you can find it quickly later.
  • Star your Google Sheets workbook in Google Drive for easy access.
  • Delete your local CSV export and chart images if they are taking up space. You can always re-export from Google Sheets or re-download from ChatGPT later.

Delete - I don't want to use this again

Remove all project resources and start fresh. Follow each step below to clean up completely.

  • Delete the Google Sheets workbook: open Google Drive at drive.google.com, right-click the file named "NextGen Consulting - Financial Data", and select Move to trash.
  • Delete the Google Doc: in Google Drive, right-click the financial report document and select Move to trash.
  • Delete the Google Data Studio report: open lookerstudio.google.com, find your "NextGen Consulting - Financial Dashboard" report, click the three-dot menu icon next to it, and select Remove.
  • Delete the Canva presentation: open canva.com, find your presentation in Projects, click the three-dot menu on the design, and select Move to trash.
  • Delete the ChatGPT conversation: in the ChatGPT sidebar, hover over your financial analysis conversation, click the three-dot menu, and select Delete.
  • Delete local files: remove the CSV export and any downloaded chart images from your computer. On macOS, move them to the Trash. On Windows, select the files and press the Delete key.

Nice Work!

Nice Work!

You just built a professional AI-powered financial analysis system from scratch.

You've learned how to:

  • Build a structured financial dataset with automated formulas and KPI tracking in Google Sheets.
  • Use ChatGPT to analyze spending patterns, generate budget recommendations, create financial forecasts, and write professional reports.
  • Create an interactive, filterable dashboard in Google Data Studio with charts, scorecards, and professional styling.
  • Added predictive financial forecasting and a savings goal tracker to your dashboard for advanced portfolio impact.

Ready to quiz yourself?