Excel Waterfall Chart Connector Lines: How to Format

In Excel for Microsoft 365 on Windows, select the waterfall chart’s data series, open Format Data Series, expand Series Options, and select Show connector lines. Clear that checkbox to hide them; it controls whether the chart draws the lines linking consecutive columns.

What connector lines show

A waterfall chart explains how a starting value changes through a sequence of increases and decreases before reaching an ending value. Its columns represent the values at each step, while connector lines help the eye follow the running total from one step to the next. They are especially useful when several floating columns sit at different heights and the relationship between them is not immediately obvious.

For example, a chart might begin with revenue of $100, show a $25 increase, a $10 decrease, and finish at $115. The connectors indicate where each change begins in relation to the cumulative result of the preceding steps. They are visual guides, not additional values in the source data, and they do not change the calculations or the height of the columns.

Excel’s built-in Waterfall chart includes a setting to show or hide these lines. The setting is separate from the colors used for increase, decrease, and total columns. If the chart looks cluttered, hiding connectors may simplify it; if readers struggle to trace the running total, showing them can make the sequence easier to understand.

Show or hide connector lines in Excel

These steps apply to Excel for Microsoft 365 on Windows. Start by clicking the chart, then click one of its columns to select the waterfall data series. If the first click selects the chart area, click a column again. Right-click a selected column and choose Format Data Series. In the formatting pane, open Series Options and use the Show connector lines checkbox.

Select the waterfall chart and then select one of its columns.
Right-click the selected column and choose Format Data Series.
In the pane, choose Series Options.
Select Show connector lines to display the lines, or clear it to remove them.

You can also select the series and use the ribbon’s Format Selection command to open its formatting pane. The exact placement of controls can vary slightly with window size and Excel updates, but the checkbox belongs to the waterfall series’ options. If the pane is showing formatting for the chart area, axis, or an individual data point instead, select a column and open Format Data Series again.

On Excel for Mac, select the series and open the formatting pane, then look under the series options for the connector-line setting. Pane labels and layout can differ from Windows. Excel for the web may expose fewer chart-formatting controls than the desktop app; if you cannot find the checkbox there, open the workbook in Excel for Microsoft 365 desktop.

What you can format—and what the checkbox does

The checkbox is a visibility control: it turns the built-in connector lines on or off. It does not add arrows, change the order of categories, or modify the source values. Nor should it be confused with changing the fill color of the columns. In a standard waterfall chart, Excel distinguishes increases, decreases, and totals through separate data-point formatting options.

Connector-line styling is less flexible than styling a normal chart series. Depending on the Excel build and what part of the chart you select, the format pane may not provide independent controls for connector-line color, width, or dash pattern. Try selecting a connector itself and opening the formatting options; if Excel exposes line settings for that selection, you can use the available controls. If it selects the whole series or offers no line controls, the built-in chart does not provide a separate control in that context. Avoid assuming that changing the column outline will also change the connectors.

For a presentation where connector appearance must match a precise design, consider a custom chart construction or add separate line shapes after the chart is complete. Manually drawn shapes are not linked to the chart’s data, however, so they can become misaligned when values, categories, or chart dimensions change. Keep the automatic connector setting for a chart that needs to update reliably.

How Excel builds a waterfall

Excel calculates each intermediate position from the preceding running total and the next increase or decrease. A positive step raises the cumulative result; a negative step lowers it. The columns for those changes therefore float between the previous and new totals rather than all starting at zero. Connector lines make the transition between those levels visible.

A basic source table usually has one column of category names and one column of values. For instance, list Opening balance, New sales, Returns, Expenses, and Closing balance, with a value beside each. Insert a Waterfall chart using Insert > Insert Waterfall, Funnel, Stock, Surface or Radar Chart > Waterfall. Excel treats the values as sequential changes unless you identify particular columns as totals.

That distinction matters: an opening or closing balance is often a subtotal that should extend from the baseline, not a change to be added to the previous running result. A connector line cannot fix a column that Excel is treating as the wrong kind of value. Mark the relevant point as a total first, then check whether the chart tells the intended story.

Mark opening and closing values as totals

To set a column as a total in the desktop chart, click the column once to select the series and click it again to select that individual data point. Right-click it and choose Set as Total. Excel formats that column from the chart’s baseline and treats it as a subtotal or final result rather than another increment. The command is applied to the selected point, so repeat it for each total that needs this treatment.

For example, if the values are 100, 25, -10, and 115, the final 115 should generally be marked as a total if it represents the ending balance. Otherwise Excel may interpret it as an additional increase after the preceding steps. That can produce an unexpectedly tall final column. The connector lines may still appear, but their presence does not mean the underlying total has been classified correctly.

Check the chart’s arithmetic as well as its appearance. In this example, 100 + 25 – 10 equals 115. A final column of 115 marked as a total displays that ending value. If the data instead list only changes and omit a closing-balance row, do not add a total merely to make the chart look familiar; choose categories that accurately represent the data.

Common connector-line problems

The checkbox is missing: Confirm that the selected object is the waterfall data series, not the chart area, axis, legend, or a single column. Open Format Data Series and check Series Options.
Lines do not appear between every column: Review the chart’s category sequence and look for blank or omitted categories. Also inspect whether totals divide the changes into visually separate sections. The connector is a chart guide, not a line drawn through every point in a conventional line chart.
The ending column is much too high: The final balance may be treated as another positive change. Select that data point and use Set as Total if it represents a subtotal or ending result.
Lines are difficult to see: Check whether connectors are enabled and whether the chart is small or crowded. Try enlarging the chart or simplifying category labels before adding manual shapes.
The chart no longer matches the table: Verify the source range and confirm that categories and values are in the intended order. Connector lines display the chart’s sequence; they do not validate the data.

When diagnosing a chart, change one thing at a time: first confirm the source values, then confirm which points are totals, and finally adjust the connector setting. This order helps separate a data-model problem from a formatting choice.

When to show connectors

Show connector lines when the chart has several positive and negative steps, when floating columns are close together, or when the audience needs to trace a cumulative result. A monthly cash movement chart, project budget bridge, or reconciliation from opening to closing inventory can benefit from the visual handoffs between steps.

Hiding them can work for a short chart with only a few changes, particularly when the columns and data labels already make the sequence clear. It can also reduce visual noise in a crowded report. There is no universal rule: check whether a reader can follow the running total without the lines, ideally at the size at which the chart will be viewed or printed.

Use meaningful category labels and a clear title whichever setting you choose. Connector lines do not explain what a movement represents, distinguish actuals from estimates, or supply missing units. Labels such as “Opening cash,” “Operating costs,” and “Closing cash” communicate more than generic categories such as “Item 1” and “Item 2.”

Built-in waterfall versus manual alternatives

The built-in Waterfall chart is usually the simplest choice when the data consist of sequential increases, decreases, and totals. It handles the running positions and offers a dedicated connector visibility setting. It is also easier to maintain than a chart assembled from many individual shapes.

A manually constructed chart can offer more control over connector color, line weight, labels, or unusual layouts, but it requires extra setup. A common custom approach uses a stacked column chart with a hidden base series and a visible change series. That method can imitate floating bars, but negative changes, totals, and category order need careful treatment. Manual connector shapes add another maintenance task because they do not automatically recalculate with the data.

Choose a custom approach only when the built-in chart cannot meet a specific presentation or analytical requirement. For routine reporting, a correctly classified native waterfall chart with connectors switched on or off is generally clearer and more robust.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I add connector lines to a waterfall chart in Excel?
Select a column in the chart, open Format Data Series, choose Series Options, and select Show connector lines. If the option is unavailable, verify that the chart is a Waterfall chart and that the series, rather than another chart element, is selected.

Can I change the connector-line color in Excel?
The built-in chart reliably provides a show-or-hide option, but it may not expose separate color or width controls in every build or selection context. Try selecting a connector and checking its formatting pane. If no line controls appear, use a custom chart or carefully maintained shapes for precise styling.

Why is my final waterfall column too tall?
Excel may be treating the ending balance as another change to add to the running total. Select the final column as an individual data point, right-click, and choose Set as Total when that value represents the final result.

Do connector lines change the chart’s calculations?
No. They are visual guides between steps. Showing or hiding them does not change source values, running totals, or the classification of a column as a total.

Can I format waterfall connector lines in Excel for the web?
Available chart-formatting controls can differ between Excel for the web and desktop Excel. If the web interface does not show the connector setting, open the workbook in Excel for Microsoft 365 on Windows or Mac and use the series-formatting pane.

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