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How to add minor gridlines in an Excel chart?

Author Kelly Last modified

In general, the horizontal gridlines will be added in a column/bar/line chart automatically. However, sometimes you may want to narrow the gridlines as below screenshot shown, how could you solve it? Actually, you can add minor gridlines in a column/bar/line chart in Excel.

Add minor gridlines in an Excel chart

add minor gridlines in chart

Add minor gridlines in an Excel chart

For example, you have created a line chart with major horizontal gridlines as below screenshot shown. Now you can follow below steps to change it to minor horizontal gridlines in the line chart.
create a sample chart

1. Click the chart to activate the Chart Tools, and click Design > Add Chart Element > Gridlines > Primary Major Horizontal to remove the original gridlines. See screenshot:
clcik Primary Major Horizontal to remove the original gridlines

2. Go on to click Design > Add Chart Element > Gridlines > Primary Minor Horizontal. See screenshot:
go on clicking Primary Minor Horizontal

Note: If you are using Excel 2010, you can click Layout > Gridlines > Primary Horizontal Gridlines > Minor Gridlines directly under Chart Tools.

Now the minor horizontal gridlines are added in the line chart. See screenshot:
the minor horizontal gridlines are added in chart

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