What you can change in an Excel graph
Once you insert a graph into Excel, you can change almost everything about it without touching the data underneath. You can alter the title, axis labels, colors, data series, legend position, and the type of graph itself. The graph stays linked to your spreadsheet — when you update a number in the cells, the graph updates automatically.
The key to editing is understanding that a graph in Excel is a single object you click to select, then a collection of smaller objects inside it that you can click individually. Clicking the graph border selects the whole thing. Clicking inside it — on the title, a bar, the legend — selects just that piece, and then you can change it.
Key Takeaways
- Click the graph once to select it as a whole object, then click the specific part you want to change — the title, bars, legend, or axis labels.
- Right-click any part of the graph to see formatting options, or use the Design and Format tabs that appear when the graph is selected.
- To change which data the graph shows, right-click the graph and choose Select Data to add, remove, or reorder data series.
- You can change the graph type entirely by right-clicking and choosing Change Chart Type, without losing your formatting choices.
- Double-click the graph to enter edit mode, then click outside it to exit — this prevents accidental changes when you are working elsewhere in the spreadsheet.
Selecting and entering a graph for editing
Click once on the graph to select it. You will see a border around the entire graph with small squares at the corners and edges. At the top of the screen, two new tabs appear: Design and Format. These tabs only show up when a graph is selected.
To edit specific parts of the graph — the title, a data series, the legend — you need to enter edit mode. Double-click the graph. The border changes to a gray dashed line, and now you can click individual elements inside. Click the title to select it, click a bar or line to select that data series, click the legend to select it.
When you are finished editing, click outside the graph to exit edit mode. The dashed border disappears and the graph returns to normal. This matters because if you stay in edit mode while working elsewhere, you might accidentally click inside the graph and change something you did not mean to.
Changing the title and axis labels
Double-click the graph to enter edit mode. Click the title at the top of the graph once. The title text will be highlighted with a border around it. Now you can type a new title directly, or right-click and choose Edit Text to open a text box where you can make changes.
To change the labels on the horizontal axis (the bottom), click on one of those labels. To change the vertical axis labels (the left side), click on one of those. Right-click and choose Format Axis Title or Edit Axis Title depending on what you see. You can also double-click the label text to type a new one directly.
If your axes do not have labels at all, right-click the axis itself and look for Add Axis Title. This opens a text box where you can type what that axis represents.
Changing colors, styles, and appearance
Double-click the graph to enter edit mode. Click the part you want to change — a bar, a line, the background, the legend box. Right-click it and you will see formatting options. For a data series (the bars or lines), you might see Fill, Line Color, or Shape Fill depending on the graph type.
Alternatively, with that part selected, go to the Format tab at the top. This tab shows options specific to what you selected. You can change fill color, line style, shadow effects, and more. The Format tab is often faster than right-clicking because all the options are visible at once.
To change the background color of the entire graph area, click on the white space inside the graph (not on any data), right-click, and choose Format Chart Area. To change the color behind the data itself, right-click the plot area and choose Format Plot Area.
Adding, removing, or reordering data in a graph
Right-click the graph (you do not need to be in edit mode) and choose Select Data. A dialog box opens showing all the data series the graph is currently using. Each row in this list is one data series — one set of bars, one line, one group of points.
To add a new data series, click Add and then select the cells from your spreadsheet that contain the data you want to add. To remove a series, select it in the list and click Remove. To change the order — so one series appears in front of another — select a series and click the up or down arrow.
You can also change the labels that appear in the legend. In the Select Data dialog, click Edit under Horizontal (Category) Axis Labels to change what the bottom axis shows, or click Edit under a data series name to change what that series is called in the legend.
Changing the graph type
Right-click the graph and choose Change Chart Type. A dialog opens showing all the graph types Excel offers: column, bar, line, pie, area, scatter, and others. Click the type you want. Most of the time, your data will work with the new type and the graph will redraw when ready.
If you change from a column graph to a pie chart, for example, Excel will show one data series as slices. If you change back to a column graph, your colors and formatting choices usually stay. This means you can experiment with different graph types without losing your work.
Some graph types have subtypes — for example, a column graph can be regular columns, stacked columns, or percentage stacked columns. When you choose a type, you will see these options on the right side of the dialog. Click the subtype you want before clicking OK.
Moving and resizing a graph
Click the graph once to select it (not in edit mode). A border with squares appears around it. To move it, click and drag the border to a new location on the spreadsheet. To resize it, click and drag one of the corner squares to make it larger or smaller. Dragging a corner keeps the proportions the same. Dragging an edge square stretches it in one direction.
If you want the graph to stay in a specific place and not move when you insert rows or columns, right-click the graph, choose Move or Size, and check the option to keep it from moving. This is useful when you are still building the spreadsheet and adding data.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does my graph show the wrong data?
The graph is probably including row or column headers as data. Right-click the graph, choose Select Data, and check the data range shown at the top. Make sure it includes only the cells with actual numbers, not the row with titles. You can also click and drag to select only the data you want before inserting the graph.
How do I make the legend show different names?
Right-click the graph and choose Select Data. In the dialog, you will see a list of data series. Click Edit next to the series name you want to change, then select the cell in your spreadsheet that contains the name you want to use instead. Click OK twice to explore the change.
Can I change a pie chart back to a column graph without starting over?
Yes. Right-click the graph, choose Change Chart Type, select Column, and click OK. Your title, colors, and other formatting usually stay the same. The data will display as columns instead of slices.
What if I want to delete part of the graph?
Double-click the graph to enter edit mode, click the part you want to remove — the legend, the title, an axis label — and press Delete. The graph will redraw without that element. You can always add it back by right-clicking and choosing the option to add it again.
How do I make the numbers on the axes show differently?
Double-click the graph, right-click the axis with the numbers you want to change, and choose Format Axis. In the dialog, look for Number or Number Format. You can change how many decimal places show, add dollar signs, use percentages, or switch to thousands format. Click OK to explore the change.