How to Make a Chart in Excel: Choose the Right Type and Make It Readable
You can make a chart just by selecting a range and inserting one. Making it communicate depends on choosing the right type and tidying it up afterward.
2026-11-10
Key points
- 1Bars to compare, lines for trends, pie or 100% stacked for shares
- 2Write what the chart shows in the title
- 3Use one color and highlight only what matters
How to create a chart
- 1
Select the range to chart, including headers
Example: the Month and Sales columns. Leave out the total row. - 2
Click Recommended Charts on the Insert tab
On Windows you can also press Alt → N → R. - 3
Pick a chart type and click OK
| Shortcuts | What it does |
|---|---|
| Alt + F1 | Instantly creates the default chart on the same sheet |
| F11 | Creates the chart on a new chart sheet |
Choosing a chart type
Decide what you want to show first, then pick the type.
| What you want to show | Chart | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Compare sizes | Column or bar | Sales by branch |
| Change over time | Line | Monthly sales trend |
| Share of a whole | Pie or 100% stacked bar | Sales mix by product |
| Relationship between two values | Scatter | Ad spend vs. sales |
| Values with different units together | Combo (secondary axis) | Sales and YoY growth |
Note
Pie charts get hard to read with many slices. Use a bar chart for more than five items or to compare several years.
Parts of a chart
| Name | Where |
|---|---|
| Chart title | The heading above the chart |
| Vertical and horizontal axes | The lines with the scale numbers or category names |
| Axis Titles | Text for the axis units and so on |
| Legend | The key that shows which color is which series |
| Data labels | Values shown next to bars or points |
| Gridlines | Horizontal lines in the background |
Select the chart and use the "+" (Chart Elements) button at the top right to show or hide parts. On a Mac, use Add Chart Element on the Chart Design tab.
Tips for a readable chart
- Don't leave "Chart Title"; say what the numbers are and when, such as "Monthly Sales (Apr–Jul)"
- Use one color and give only the key bar a different one
- Remove the legend when there's only one series
- Show values with data labels above the bars, and lighten or remove gridlines
- Start a bar chart's vertical axis at 0
- Avoid 3-D charts
Click a bar or line and press Ctrl + 1 to change its color or width.
Make a combo chart with a secondary axis
For values with different units, such as sales (dollars) and YoY growth (%), add a second vertical axis on the right.
- 1
Select the Month, Sales, and YoY columns and create a chart
- 2
Right-click the chart and choose Change Chart Type
- 3
Choose Combo in the list on the left
- 4
Set YoY to Line, check Secondary Axis, and click OK
Fix the horizontal and vertical axes
| Problem | Fix |
|---|---|
| The horizontal axis shows 1, 2, 3 | Chart Design → Select Data → Edit under Horizontal (Category) Axis Labels, and choose the range |
| Categories and series are swapped | Chart Design → Switch Row/Column |
| A date axis leaves gaps for weekends | Select the horizontal axis, press Ctrl + 1, and set Axis Type to Text axis |
| You want to change the vertical axis min or max | Select the vertical axis, press Ctrl + 1, and enter the Minimum and Maximum bounds |
FAQ
QDoes the chart update when I add data?
If you turn the source range into a table with Ctrl + T, the chart range grows when you add rows.
QHow do I paste a chart into PowerPoint?
Copy the chart and paste it in PowerPoint. Paste Options let you keep the source formatting or paste as a picture. If the numbers won't change, a picture won't break.
QI want to make the same style of chart again and again.
Right-click a finished chart and choose Save as Template. Next time, pick it under Templates in Change Chart Type.
Make a chart from a PivotTable
To chart summarized data, select a PivotTable and insert a PivotChart; the chart follows the PivotTable as you change it.