How to Add Multiple Graphs in Excel

One chart rarely tells the entire story. To see the full picture, you often need to place multiple graphs side-by-side to compare trends or combine different data types into a single, powerful visualization. This tutorial will walk you through several practical methods for adding and managing multiple graphs in Excel, from simple side-by-side comparisons to sophisticated combination charts.

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Why Use More Than One Graph?

Before jumping into the "how," it's helpful to understand the "why." Visualizing data is about communication, and sometimes a single bar or line chart just can't convey the full message. Using multiple graphs helps you:

• Compare different categories: You might want to see how sales in the US compare to sales in Canada, not on the same axis, but as two distinct trends you can analyze separately.
• Track related but distinct metrics: A common scenario is comparing marketing spend to revenue. While related, they are different metrics that are best viewed together to understand their relationship. Putting a bar chart of ad spend next to a line chart of sales can reveal powerful correlations.
• Show volume and ratios simultaneously: You might want to visualize your total sales in dollars (volume) alongside your profit margin percentage (ratio). A single chart axis would make this comparison impossible, but a combination chart with a secondary axis makes it clear.
• Create a dashboard view: By strategically arranging several charts on one sheet, you can build a simple, effective dashboard that gives you a high-level overview of key performance indicators (KPIs) at a glance.

Essentially, using multiple graphs transforms your Excel sheet from a static table of numbers into a dynamic and storytelling report.

Method 1: Place Multiple Separate Charts on One Sheet

This is the most straightforward and common method. You simply create individual charts from your data and then arrange them on the same worksheet. It’s perfect for creating a quick dashboard view of your most important metrics.

Step 1: Organize Your Data

Good charts start with clean, well-organized data. The best practice is to set up your data in clear tables. For this example, let's say we're a services business wanting to compare monthly revenue with the number of new leads generated.

Your data might look something like this:

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Step 2: Create Your First Chart (Revenue)

First, we’ll create a column chart to visualize revenue.

1. Highlight the data you need for the first chart. In this case, select the Month and Revenue columns (you can hold the Ctrl key to select non-adjacent columns).
2. Go to the Insert tab on the ribbon.
3. In the Charts group, find the Column or Bar Chart icon and click it. Select a "2-D Clustered Column" chart.
4. Excel will instantly create the chart and place it on your worksheet.

Step 3: Create Your Second Chart (New Leads)

Now, let's create a line chart to show the trend in new leads.

1. Highlight the Month and New Leads columns.
2. Go back to the Insert tab.
3. In the Charts group, find the Line or Area Chart icon and click it. Select a "Line with Markers" chart.
4. A second chart will appear on your sheet.

Step 4: Arrange and Format Your Charts

You now have two charts, likely overlapping each other. The final step is to arrange them into a clean dashboard.

• Move: Click and drag each chart to position it where you want on the sheet. A common layout is to place them side-by-side or stacked vertically.
• Resize: Click on a chart to select it, then drag the small white handles on the corners and edges to resize it. Try to make them a consistent size for a professional look.
• Format: To make your dashboard cohesive, use consistent formatting. Click on a chart to bring up the Chart Design and Format tabs. Use these to adjust colors, fonts, and add clear titles like "Monthly Revenue" and "New Leads Generated."

You’ve successfully created a simple dashboard view with two distinct but related visualizations on the same sheet!

Method 2: Create a Combination Chart (Two Graphs in One)

What if you want to show two different types of data on the same chart? This is extremely common when you're comparing a large number (like revenue) with a small number (like a growth percentage). A combination chart, which uses a secondary axis, is the perfect solution.

Let's use an example of monthly sales revenue (a large dollar amount) and the conversion rate (a small percentage).

Step 1: Set Up for a Combo Chart

Your data table should have all the series you want to plot.

Step 2: Insert a Standard Chart

1. Select your entire data table, including all three columns.
2. Go to the Insert tab and choose a standard "2-D Clustered Column" chart.

At this point, your chart will look strange. You'll see big bars for Sales, but the bars for Conversion Rate will be almost invisible. This is because Excel is using the same scale (from $0 to over $250,000) for both sets of data. A 3% value barely registers on that scale.

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Step 3: Change a Series to a Different Chart Type

This is where the magic happens. We'll change the chart type for just one of the data series.

1. Right-click directly on one of the tiny, almost invisible bars representing the Conversion Rate series.
2. From the menu that appears, click Change Series Chart Type...

Step 4: Create the "Combo" and Add a Secondary Axis

A new "Change Chart Type" window will open, with the "Combo" option selected at the bottom of the left-hand menu. This screen is your control panel for combining chart types.

1. You'll see each of your data series listed: Sales ($) and Conversion Rate.
2. Keep Sales ($) as a "Clustered Column."
3. For the Conversion Rate series, click the dropdown menu next to it and change its chart type to Line. You'll see a preview of how this will look.
4. Here's the most important step: To the right of the Conversion Rate series, check the box for Secondary Axis.

As soon as you check that box, you'll see the preview update. The line chart for conversion rate will now be properly plotted against a new axis on the right-hand side of the chart, scaled for percentages. Click OK.

Step 5: Clean Up Your Final Chart

Your combination chart is now functional, but it needs a few final touches to be readable.

• Add a chart title like "Monthly Sales vs. Conversion Rate."
• Ensure you have axis titles for both vertical axes. The left axis is "Sales ($)" and the new right axis is "Conversion Rate." This prevents any confusion for your audience.
• Adjust colors as needed to make the bars and the line distinct and easy to follow.

Method 3: Creating Small Multiples Manually

Small multiples (also known as panel charts) are a powerful data visualization technique where you display a series of similar charts in a grid. This allows for rapid comparison across different categories. For instance, you could show the sales trend for four different product lines, with each product getting its own small line chart.

While newer versions of Excel have some built-in features for this, the most reliable method is to create them manually. It gives you complete control over formatting and placement.

Step 1: Create a Perfect Master Chart

Start by creating the first chart for a single category.

1. Using your data, select the data for just the first category (e.g., Months and Sales for "Product A").
2. Insert a line chart (or your preferred type).
3. Format this chart perfectly. This is your template. Set the font size, axis titles, colors, and line thickness. Remove any unnecessary clutter like gridlines to keep it clean. Crucially, you may want to set the vertical axis bounds manually (right-click axis -> Format Axis) so all charts share the same scale for a fair comparison.

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Step 2: Duplicate and Repoint the Data Source

Once you have your template chart, the rest is a matter of duplication and repointing.

1. Select the perfected chart and duplicate it by pressing Ctrl + D. A perfect copy will appear.
2. Drag the copied chart to its new position.
3. With the copied chart selected, right-click and choose Select Data. The "Select Data Source" window will pop up.
4. Here, you'll edit the existing series to point to the data for your next category ("Product B"). You can either type in the new cell range or use the selector tool to highlight the new data on your worksheet. Click OK.
5. The chart will instantly update to show the data for the next product, while retaining all of your "master" formatting.

Step 3: Repeat and Align

Repeat the duplicate-and-repoint process for all your categories. Once you have a chart for each, take a moment to align them neatly in a grid. You can select multiple charts by holding Shift or Ctrl and clicking them, then use the Shape Format > Align tools to perfectly distribute them horizontally and vertically. The result is a highly effective, professional-looking dashboard of small multiples.

Final Thoughts

Placing multiple graphs in Excel transforms a simple spreadsheet into a powerful reporting tool. Whether you're arranging separate charts on a single sheet, creating an insightful combination chart with a secondary axis, or building a grid of small multiples, these techniques allow you to tell a much richer and more compelling data story.

While mastering these methods in Excel is a valuable skill, the process of creating, formatting, and updating multiple charts manually can quickly become time-consuming. We wanted to build dashboards without spending hours wrestling with spreadsheets, which is why we created Graphed. You can connect your marketing and sales data sources just once, then simply describe the dashboard you need in plain English. Graphed instantly builds interactive, multi-chart reports that update in real-time, freeing you to focus on the insights, not the setup.