Waterfall charts with subtotals, in PowerPoint and Google Slides
A waterfall chart, or bridge, shows how a starting value becomes an ending value through a series of increases and decreases. Deckcell draws waterfalls in PowerPoint and Google Slides with subtotals anywhere in the bridge, dashed connectors, colour by sign and values below zero.
Last updated 24 October 2026
What a Deckcell waterfall handles
The parts of a bridge that usually mean drawing extra shapes by hand.
Subtotals anywhere
Type e instead of a number and that bar becomes a running total, at the end or in the middle of the bridge.
Colour by sign
Increases and decreases get their own colours, from your brand file or the palette.
Connectors
Dashed lines carry the level from one bar to the next.
Values below zero
Bridges that cross the baseline are drawn correctly, bars below and labels in place.
Difference arrows
Show the change between the first and last bar, or any two bars.
Linked to Excel
Link the bridge to a worksheet range and update it with the monthly numbers.
Subtotals in the middle of the bridge
An EBIT bridge often needs gross profit halfway. Add a row with e as its value and Deckcell draws the running total there, then carries on.
| Label | Value |
|---|---|
| FY24 EBIT | 48 |
| Price | 9 |
| Volume | 6 |
| Gross profit | e |
| Wages | -7 |
| Energy | -4 |
| Other | 2 |
| FY25 EBIT | e |
How to make one
About a minute, once your numbers are in Excel.
- Open Deckcell from the Home tab in PowerPoint, or Extensions in Google Slides, and choose Waterfall.
- Paste two columns from Excel: labels and values. Use negative numbers for decreases.
- Type
ein the value cell of any bar that should be a total. - Click Insert. Change the numbers later by selecting the chart.
Frequently asked questions
Doesn’t PowerPoint already have a waterfall chart?
PowerPoint has had a built-in waterfall chart since Office 2016, and it works for simple bridges. Deckcell adds what consulting and finance bridges usually need: subtotals typed straight into the data, difference arrows, brand colours by sign, Excel links that refresh the whole deck, and the same chart in Google Slides.
How do I show a subtotal in a waterfall chart?
In Deckcell’s datasheet, type the letter e instead of a value. That bar is drawn as the running total at that point.
Can the bridge go below zero?
Yes. Bars and labels are placed correctly when the running total crosses the baseline.
Does it work in Google Slides?
Yes. Waterfalls are drawn as native Google Slides shapes and can be edited again from the Deckcell sidebar.
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