Using Charts in Excel

It can be hard to understand Excel workbooks with a lot of data. Charts help by showing data visually. This makes it easier to compare numbers and see trends.

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Understanding Charts

Excel has different types of charts. You should pick the one that best fits your data. To use charts well, you need to know how each type works.

Charts have different parts that help explain the data. Learning how to read these parts will help you understand the chart better.

Types of Charts

Excel has a variety of chart types, each with its own advantages.

Column charts use vertical bars to represent data. They can work with many different types of data, but they're most frequently used for comparing information.

Line charts are ideal for showing trends. The data points are connected with lines, making it easy to see whether values are increasing or decreasing over time.

Pie charts make it easy to compare proportions. Each value is shown as a slice of the pie, so it's easy to see which values make up the percentage of a whole.

Bar charts work just like column charts, but they use horizontal rather than vertical bars.

Area charts are similar to line charts, except the areas under the lines are filled in.

Surface charts allow you to display data across a 3D landscape. They work best with large data sets, allowing you to see a variety of information at the same time.


The title should clearly describe what the chart is illustrating.



The vertical axis (also known as the y axis) is the vertical part of the chart.

Here, the vertical axis measures the value of the columns. In this example, the measured value is each genre's total sales.



The data series consists of the related data points in a chart. In this example, as we can see in the legend, the yellow columns represent net sales in February.



The horizontal axis (also known as the x axis) is the horizontal part of the chart.

Here, the horizontal axis identifies the categories in the chart. In this example, each genre is placed in its own group.



The legend identifies which data series each color on the chart represents.

In this example, the legend identifies the different months in the chart.

How to Insert a Chart

  1. Select the data you want to use, including column titles and row labels.
  2. Go to the Insert tab and click on the chart type you need.

  3. Choose a chart from the drop-down menu.

  4. The chart will appear in your worksheet.

If you are unsure which chart to use, click Recommended Charts. Excel will suggest the best options based on your data.

Editing Chart Style and Layout

Once you insert a chart, you may want to change how it looks. You can do this from the Design tab.

  • Add chart elements like titles, legends, and labels. Click Add Chart Element and choose what you need.

  • Edit chart elements by double-clicking and typing.

  • Use Quick Layouts for a pre-designed format. Click Quick Layout and pick a style.

  • Change chart styles to improve the look. Choose a style from the Chart Styles section.

You can also use chart shortcut buttons to add elements, change styles, or filter data quickly.


Other Chart Options

Switch Rows and Columns

You may need to change how data is grouped in a chart.

  1. Click the chart.

  2. Go to the Design tab and select Switch Row/Column.

  3. The data will switch places.

Change Chart Type

If a chart does not fit your data, you can change it.

  1. Click the chart.

  2. Go to the Design tab and click Change Chart Type.

  3. Choose a new type, then click OK.

For example, changing a column chart to a line chart can help show trends better.

Move a Chart

Charts appear in the same sheet as the data. You can move them to another sheet.

  1. Click the chart.

  2. Go to the Design tab and select Move Chart.

  3. Choose where you want to move it and click OK.

Keeping Charts Updated

By default, new data may not be added to a chart automatically.

  • To fix this, click the chart and adjust the highlighted data range.

  • If you often add data, convert your data into a table before making a chart. This way, new data will update the chart automatically.