How to change and remove data series in Excel charts
When you work with charts in Excel, it is common to update or refine your visualizations by changing or removing data series. As your underlying data evolves or analysis requirements shift, you may need to adjust which series are shown on a chart to better highlight trends or insights. This step-by-step guide demonstrates how to change, remove, or dynamically control chart data series in Excel, both through Excel’s built-in dialog boxes, with programmatic VBA techniques, and by using dynamic formulas.
Change data series from a chart in Excel
Remove data series from a chart in Excel
Change data series from a chart in Excel
Suppose you have created a column chart based on data in the range A1:E5, as shown in the screenshot below. Later, you might update your dataset, such as adding a new series called “Profits” and wanting to switch an existing series (like “Promotions”) to this new one in your chart. This is a typical requirement—especially when your business metrics or tracked categories change overtime. Here's how you can efficiently change the data series displayed on an Excel chart.
1. Right-click on the chart and choose Select Data from the context menu. This action allows you to specify and edit the source of the data visualized in the chart. If you do not see this option, make sure that you have actually clicked directly on the chart area.
2. In the Select Data Source dialog that appears, find and select the series you wish to change under the Legend Entries (Series) list. Then, click the Edit button (sometimes misspelled as "Ebdit" in earlier Excel versions or due to custom translations).
3. In the Edit Series dialog box, you can specify a new name for the series by selecting a different cell under Series name. For Series values, select the new data range you want the series to reference. Ensure that the selected value range matches the expected series length in your chart for proper display. Once the new references are set, click OK.
4. You will be returned to the Select Data Source dialog box. Here you can immediately see that the series has been updated. Click OK to finish and save your changes.
The specified data series is now changed in the chart. This approach is direct and suitable for most chart types supported in Excel. If your chart does not update as expected, double-check that the data ranges are correctly specified and have consistent lengths.
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Remove data series from a chart in Excel
If you need to remove a particular data series from an existing chart, such as deleting the Promotions series, Excel provides a straightforward method for this. Removing unused or irrelevant series can help declutter your chart and focus your audience on the most meaningful information. However, be aware that removing a series from the chart doesn’t delete any original worksheet data—only the visualization updates.
1. Right-click on the chart and choose Select Data from the context menu, ensuring you select the actual chart object for the menu to appear.
2. In the Select Data Source dialog, select the series you want to remove from the Legend Entries (Series) list. Click the Remove button. After verifying the correct series is selected for deletion, click OK to confirm and apply your changes.
The chosen data series will immediately be removed from the chart. This method is commonly used for static data or where series changes are infrequent. Note that you can always re-add the series later if needed through the Select Data dialog.
Note: Instead of permanently removing a series, you can temporarily hide it from view.
To hide a data series without deleting it from the chart, click the chart, then use the Chart Filters button that appears next to the chart. Here, you can uncheck the box beside any series you want to hide and then click Apply. This is a flexible approach if you want to toggle data series visibility without editing chart data sources. See screenshot:
This method only impacts the current chart. If you want to control multiple charts or update series dynamically, consider trying programmatic approaches, as detailed in subsequent sections.
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