How to Make a Chart in Excel (Step by Step)

By Dr. Zubair Khalid, DVM, MS, PhD · 2026-10-03

To make a chart in Excel, select the data you want to plot, go to Insert > Charts, and pick a chart type. Excel draws the chart on the same sheet, and you can move it, change its type, or switch which rows and columns are plotted. This guide walks through the whole process for a chart in Excel, from data layout to cleanup.

Quick Answer

Put your data in columns or rows with clear headers, one category column and one or more value columns.
Select the range, including the headers, then go to Insert > Charts and choose a type.
For a quick result, select the data and press ALT + F1 to create a chart immediately, though it might not be the best chart for the data [1].
If you are unsure which type fits, open the Recommended Charts tab to preview options, or the All Charts tab to see every type [1].
After inserting, use Chart Design > Switch Row/Column to change whether rows or columns are plotted on the horizontal axis [1].

Before You Start

Chart quality depends on data layout more than on chart settings. Excel reads your selection and guesses which column holds categories and which holds values. A clean layout makes that guess correct.

Follow these rules:

Put each variable in its own column, with a header in the first row.
Keep one row per record, such as one row per month.
Leave no blank rows or blank columns inside the range you select.
Use plain numbers, not text that looks like numbers. A value stored as text plots as zero or gets skipped.
Avoid merged cells in the data range.

If your numbers come from calculations, build them first. A guide to making a formula in Excel covers that step.

Step by Step

Select the data range. Click the first header cell and drag to the last value cell. Include the header row so Excel can label the series and axis. In the example below, that range is A1:B7.

Open the Insert tab. The Charts group holds the chart buttons, grouped by family: column and bar, line, pie, and others.

Choose a chart type. Click the button for the family you want, then pick a subtype from the gallery. For a category-by-category comparison over time, a clustered column chart is a common starting point.

Check the result. Excel places the chart on the sheet as a floating object. Confirm the horizontal axis shows your categories and the vertical axis shows your values.

Fix the orientation if needed. If Excel plotted the wrong field on the horizontal axis, click the chart, go to the Chart Design tab, and click Switch Row/Column [1]. For a chart embedded in Word or PowerPoint, this option is available only when the chart's Excel data table is open [1].

Move and resize the chart. Drag the chart by its border to reposition it. Drag a corner handle to resize it.

Add or adjust elements. Use the plus button beside the chart to turn chart elements on or off, such as axis titles, data labels, and a legend.

Change the type later if you want. Select the chart, click the Design tab, and click Change Chart Type, then choose a new type in the Change Chart Type box [2].

Worked Example

Suppose you track monthly sales for the first half of the year. The sheet holds a month label and a sales figure for each month.

Row	A	B
1	Month	Sales
2	Jan	12000
3	Feb	15000
4	Mar	13500
5	Apr	17000
6	May	16000
7	Jun	18500

There are no formulas in this sheet. Every cell holds a literal label or number, so the chart plots the values exactly as typed.

The interface steps are:

Select range A1:B7.
Go to Insert > Charts > Insert Column or Bar Chart > Clustered Column.
Drag the chart to position it beside the data.

The result is a clustered column chart with six columns, one per month, rising from 12,000 in January to 18,500 in June with a dip in March. The month names sit on the horizontal axis and the sales values on the vertical axis.

If you later want the same data drawn as connected points instead of columns, the steps are nearly identical. A line chart in Excel suits trends over time, and a bar chart in Excel suits comparisons between items when the labels are long.

Other Ways to Do It

Recommended Charts. Select your data, open Insert > Charts, and look at the Recommended Charts tab. Select a chart on that tab to preview it, and switch to the All Charts tab if you do not see one you like [1].

Keyboard shortcut. Select the data and press ALT + F1 to create a chart immediately [1]. This is the fastest route, but the default type may not match your data.

Change the type of an existing chart. Select the chart, click the Design tab, and click Change Chart Type, then pick a new type [2].

Switch what is plotted. Use Chart Design > Switch Row/Column to reverse which fields land on the horizontal and vertical axes [1]. This is useful when your table is wider than it is tall.

Troubleshooting

Symptom	Likely cause	Fix
Chart is empty or flat	Values stored as text	Re-enter the numbers or convert the column to a number format
Wrong field on the horizontal axis	Excel guessed the orientation	Use Chart Design > Switch Row/Column [1]
Extra series appears	Range included an unwanted column	Reselect the range or edit the series in Select Data
Dates appear as text labels	Dates stored as text	Convert the column to real dates
Switch Row/Column is grayed out	In Word or PowerPoint, the chart's data table is closed	Open the chart's data in Excel [1]
Legend shows Series1, Series2	Headers were not included in the selection	Reselect the range with the header row

Common Mistakes

Selecting the wrong range. If you leave out the header row, Excel names the series Series1 and Series2. Include headers in the selection so labels come through.
Mixing units in one chart. Plotting revenue in dollars next to unit counts on a single axis makes the smaller series invisible. Split them into two charts or use a secondary axis.
Using a pie chart for too many slices. Pie charts compare parts to a whole, and they get hard to read as categories multiply. Use a column or bar chart when you have many categories.
Choosing a doughnut chart by default. Doughnut charts show data in rings, where each ring represents a data series, and they are not easy to read. A stacked column or stacked bar chart usually works better [2].
Leaving the chart type on the default. The ALT + F1 shortcut creates a chart immediately, but it might not be the best chart for the data [1]. Check the type before you present.
Forgetting to update the range. If you add rows of data after inserting the chart, the chart will not include them until you edit the range.

Limitations

A chart shows what the selected range contains, nothing more. If the underlying numbers are wrong, the chart presents the error clearly and convincingly. Charts also hide detail: a single column can summarize thousands of rows, so outliers and gaps in the data disappear unless you check the source.

Excel cannot tell you which chart type is correct for your message. Recommended Charts offers suggestions based on the shape of your data, but the choice depends on what you want the reader to notice. Some types also carry restrictions. For charts in Word or PowerPoint, Switch Row/Column is available only when the chart's data table is open [1]. When a chart lives in a Word document or PowerPoint presentation, closing that file closes the chart's Excel data table automatically [1].

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I create a chart in Excel from selected data?

Select the range you want to plot, including headers, then go to Insert > Charts and choose a type. Excel inserts the chart on the same sheet. You can also select the data and press ALT + F1 for an immediate chart, though the default type may not suit your data [1].

Which chart type should I use?

Use column charts to show how data changes over time or to compare items, since categories sit on the horizontal axis and values on the vertical axis [2]. Use line charts for trends, bar charts when category labels are long, and pie charts only for a few parts of a single whole. Preview options on the Recommended Charts tab before deciding [1].

How do I change a chart to a different type?

Select the chart, click the Design tab, and click Change Chart Type. Choose a new type in the Change Chart Type box [2]. The chart keeps its data range, so you can compare how the same numbers look in different formats.

Why is my Excel chart blank?

The most common cause is numbers stored as text, which Excel cannot plot as values. Check the source cells for a green error indicator or left-aligned numbers, then convert them to a number format. A range that excludes the value column will also produce an empty chart.

How do I switch the rows and columns in a chart?

Click the chart, go to the Chart Design tab, and click Switch Row/Column [1]. This reverses which fields are plotted on the horizontal and vertical axes. For a chart in Word or PowerPoint, the option is available only when the chart's data table is open [1].

For related chart builds, see how to make a clustered bar chart in Excel, a scatter plot in Excel, or an X Y graph in Excel.