Table of Contents
How to Make a Line Chart in Excel
Create effective line charts to visualize trends and changes over time
Excel line charts are the go-to visualization for showing trends, patterns, and changes over time. Whether you're tracking stock prices, monitoring website traffic, analyzing sales trends, or comparing performance metrics, line charts provide a clear way to see how data evolves. Perfect for time-series data and continuous datasets.
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Step-by-Step Guide
Learn how to create and customize line charts in Excel
Basic Requirements
To create a line chart, your data should: - Be organized with time periods or categories in one column - Have corresponding values in adjacent columns - Include clear headers for each data series - Be sorted chronologically for time-based data
Creating a Line Chart
1
Select your data range including headers (time/category column + value columns)
2
Click on the 'Insert' tab in Excel's top menu
3
In the 'Charts' group, click on the 'Insert Line or Area Chart' button
4
Choose a line chart type: Line, Line with Markers, Stacked Line, or 100% Stacked Line
5
Once inserted, click on the chart to access 'Chart Design' and 'Format' tabs
6
Add a chart title by clicking on 'Chart Title' and typing your title
7
Right-click on the line to format it (change color, thickness, add markers)
8
Adjust axis labels and gridlines as needed for clarity
Common Use Cases
Trend Analysis
Track how metrics like sales, revenue, or engagement change over time
Performance Monitoring
Monitor KPIs, system metrics, or progress towards goals over time
Forecasting
Visualize historical data patterns to support future predictions
Comparison Over Time
Compare multiple data series to see how they trend relative to each other
Scientific Data
Display continuous measurements like temperature, pressure, or growth rates
Tips & Best Practices
- 1Use line charts primarily for continuous data or time series - bar charts are better for categorical comparisons
- 2Add markers to data points when you have fewer than 15-20 data points for better visibility
- 3Keep the number of lines to 5 or fewer to maintain readability
- 4Use distinct colors for each line and ensure they're distinguishable for colorblind viewers
- 5Consider using a secondary Y-axis when comparing data with different scales
- 6Start the Y-axis at zero unless there's a specific reason not to (avoid misleading visualizations)
- 7Add data labels selectively - too many can clutter the chart
- 8Use smooth lines sparingly as they can misrepresent actual data points
- 9Include a legend when displaying multiple lines, positioned to not overlap with data
Frequently Asked Questions about Line Charts
Common questions and solutions for Excel Line Charts
Use line charts when: 1) Your data represents continuous change over time (sales by month, temperature by hour), 2) You want to emphasize trends and patterns rather than individual values, 3) You have many data points that would make a bar chart cluttered, 4) You're comparing trends between multiple series. Use bar charts when comparing discrete categories or when the order of categories doesn't matter.
To add a trendline: 1) Click on the line in your chart, 2) Click the '+' button (Chart Elements) next to the chart, 3) Check 'Trendline', 4) Click the arrow next to Trendline to choose the type (Linear, Exponential, Moving Average, etc.). You can also right-click the line and select 'Add Trendline'. Trendlines help visualize the overall direction of your data and can be extended to forecast future values.
To use a secondary axis: 1) Select the data series that needs a different scale, 2) Right-click and choose 'Format Data Series', 3) Under 'Series Options', select 'Secondary Axis'. This creates a second Y-axis on the right side of the chart. This is useful when comparing data like revenue (in thousands) with units sold (in hundreds) on the same chart.
Common date issues and fixes: 1) Ensure dates are formatted as dates, not text - select the column and format as Date, 2) Right-click the X-axis, select 'Format Axis', and set 'Axis Type' to 'Date axis', 3) Adjust 'Base unit' and 'Major/Minor unit' to control spacing (days, months, years), 4) If dates are stored as text, use DATEVALUE function to convert them. Proper date formatting ensures correct chronological ordering and spacing.
To add data markers: 1) Right-click on the line and select 'Format Data Series', 2) Click on the paint bucket icon (Fill & Line), 3) Expand 'Marker', 4) Select 'Built-in' and choose a marker type (circle, square, diamond, etc.), 5) Adjust marker size and color as needed. Markers help viewers identify exact data points, especially useful for charts with fewer data points or when precise values matter.
Excel handles missing data in line charts based on settings: 1) Click on the chart, 2) Go to Chart Design tab > Select Data > Hidden and Empty Cells, 3) Choose how to handle empty cells: 'Gaps' (breaks the line), 'Zero' (treats as zero value), or 'Connect data points with line' (draws through the gap). Choose 'Gaps' when missing data is significant; choose 'Connect' when continuity matters more than exact values.
To create smooth lines: 1) Right-click on the line in your chart, 2) Select 'Format Data Series', 3) Click on the paint bucket icon, 4) Under 'Line', check 'Smoothed line'. Note: Smoothed lines make charts look polished but can misrepresent actual data - the line may show values between points that don't exist. Use sparingly and only when the aesthetic benefit outweighs accuracy concerns.
Yes, you can create a combo chart: 1) Select your data and insert a chart, 2) Click on the chart, go to Chart Design > Change Chart Type, 3) Select 'Combo' from the left panel, 4) Choose which series should be lines and which should be bars, 5) Optionally add a secondary axis for series with different scales. Combo charts are excellent for showing related but different types of data, like monthly sales (bars) with a cumulative total line.