How to Make a Line Graph in Excel

To make a line graph in Excel, arrange dates or ordered labels in the first column and numeric values in the next columns. Select the table, choose Insert, select a Line chart, then check the horizontal axis, series names, units, title, and source before sharing the result.

A line graph is most useful when the order of observations matters. Monthly revenue, daily sign-ups, weekly support volume, and measurements taken through an experiment all have a meaningful sequence. Connecting those observations helps readers see direction and turning points. It does not mean the values between two observations were measured, and it does not explain why the change occurred.

This tutorial uses fictional monthly revenue for two sales channels. The instructions target recent desktop editions of Excel, including Microsoft 365. Menu names can vary on Mac and Excel for the web. Microsoft's chart creation guide is the appropriate place to confirm the controls for your version.

Start with a line-chart table

Download the fictional monthly revenue CSV, or copy the table below. Each row represents one month. The first column supplies the horizontal position, while the two revenue columns become separate lines.

Month,Online revenue,Store revenue
2026-01-01,42000,37000
2026-02-01,45500,38100
2026-03-01,44800,39600
2026-04-01,49200,41000
2026-05-01,53600,42300
2026-06-01,57100,44500

The data is fictional and is provided only for demonstration. A real table should also have a documented currency and reporting scope. Keep notes, totals, blank separator rows, and explanatory headings outside the selected range. If a Total row is connected to monthly observations, Excel will treat that summary as another moment in time and distort the story.

Prepare the dates and values

1. Use one observation per row. Each month or date should appear once. Aggregate duplicate dates before charting unless the duplicate rows represent separate series that you deliberately reshape.
2. Use real dates when elapsed time matters. ISO dates such as 2026-01-01 are unambiguous. Month names can work as ordered labels, but Excel may interpret them differently under different regional settings.
3. Keep every plotted series numeric. Remove currency symbols typed directly into cells and apply number formatting instead. Text such as “n/a” can interrupt a line or be treated as missing.
4. Use consistent units. Do not place dollars and percentages on one axis merely because both are numbers. Two scales can create a persuasive-looking but ambiguous chart.
5. Name the columns clearly. The first row becomes the legend and axis context. “Online revenue” is more useful than “Series 1.”

Create the line graph in Excel

1. Open the CSV in Excel and confirm that Month, Online revenue, and Store revenue occupy separate columns. If the CSV opens in one column, use Excel's text or CSV import flow and select a comma delimiter.
2. Select the complete rectangular table, including the header row but excluding empty rows, totals, and notes.
3. Open the Insert tab and choose a two-dimensional Line chart. A standard line with markers is a useful first version for six monthly observations.
4. Check that Month appears on the horizontal axis and that Online revenue and Store revenue appear as two separate series. If the chart shows months as several series, use Switch Row/Column or correct the table orientation.
5. Replace the default title with a statement that includes the measure and period, such as “Monthly revenue by channel, January–June 2026.”
6. Format the vertical axis as currency, keep the legend close to the chart, and remove decorative effects that do not help comparison.

Excel's chart-type reference explains the available line chart variants. Avoid three-dimensional line charts: perspective changes perceived positions without adding information. A stacked line also answers a different question from two ordinary lines, because the upper series is visually measured from a changing baseline.

Check the date axis before you trust the picture

A date axis can space observations according to elapsed time. A text axis gives each label equal space. Those treatments produce the same appearance for evenly spaced months, but not for irregular observation dates. If January, February, and June are the only records, equal spacing hides the four-month gap between February and June.

Open the horizontal-axis formatting options and confirm how Excel interpreted the first column. If the workbook needs equal spacing for named stages rather than calendar time, use descriptive ordered labels. If the time gaps matter, use valid dates. Sorting the table chronologically before charting also makes the source easier to audit.

Improve the graph without decorating it

Label the unit and time period

A reader should not have to open the workbook to learn whether the values represent dollars, thousands of dollars, or order counts. Put the unit in the title, subtitle, vertical-axis title, or source note. If the period is partial, state that explicitly.

Use markers selectively

Markers make a small number of measured observations visible. They become noise with hundreds of daily records. Direct labels can replace a legend when there are only two short series, but avoid labeling every point if the labels overlap.

Keep the lines distinguishable

Use colors with enough contrast and add markers or line styles when the graph may be printed without color. Do not rely on red versus green alone. Highlight one series only when there is a real editorial reason to make it primary.

Describe, do not imply causation

The sample shows both channels rising over six months, but the chart does not establish a cause. Seasonality, price changes, promotions, or reporting changes could all contribute. A title such as “Revenue increased after the campaign” makes a causal claim that the line graph alone cannot support.

Common line graph mistakes

Export a separate line graph in Charttoolbox

Excel is appropriate when the chart should remain editable inside a workbook. When you need a separate PNG or SVG from a small table, open the line graph maker. Charttoolbox creates a new graphic from the imported values; it does not import Excel's existing chart formatting or maintain a live link to the workbook.

1. Upload the CSV or Excel file, paste the cells, or load the fictional sample. XLS and XLSX imports read the first worksheet.
2. Review the detected X field and numeric series. Choose Dates when the first column uses valid YYYY-MM-DD dates, or Ordered labels when equal spacing is intentional.
3. Add a title, subtitle, takeaway, source, and footnote as needed. Choose a publication style and export PNG or SVG.

The tool accepts one unique date or label per row and one to eight numeric series. Blank selected cells, duplicate X labels, mixed percentages and ordinary numbers on the shared axis, or invalid dates must be corrected. Spreadsheet contents are processed locally in the browser. Optional analytics loads only after consent and does not receive the table contents.

When to choose another chart

Use a bar chart maker when you are comparing unordered categories such as regions or products. Use a scatter plot maker when every row contains two numeric measurements and the question concerns their relationship. A line graph connects an ordered sequence; a scatter plot does not connect independent observations.

For one numeric variable and a question about its distribution, use a histogram. For a small set of non-negative shares that form one meaningful whole, consider a pie or donut. The choice should follow the question and the row structure, not the visual style you happen to prefer.