Excel Bar and Line Chart: Create and Format a Combo Chart

To put bars and a line in one Excel chart, select your category labels and data series, then choose Insert > Insert Combo Chart > Create Custom Combo Chart. Assign the series you want as bars to a column chart and the other series to Line; use a secondary axis if their values have very different scales. This is called a combo chart, or combination chart.

What an Excel bar and line chart shows

A combo chart displays two chart types together so readers can compare related measures across the same categories. A common example is monthly sales shown as columns and profit margin shown as a line. The columns emphasize each month’s sales total; the line makes changes in the percentage easier to follow.

Excel uses “bar chart” to mean a chart with horizontal bars, while “column chart” has vertical bars. People often use “bar chart” informally to mean either one. Excel’s familiar built-in combo chart is usually a clustered column chart combined with a line. If you specifically need horizontal bars, check the available chart-type choices in the custom combo dialog; supported combinations can depend on the chart types involved. For month-by-month or year-by-year comparisons, columns are generally the straightforward choice.

Use the combination when both measures share categories but have different units or roles. It is not simply a way to decorate a chart: the second series should add useful context. Combining unrelated measures, such as customer names and temperatures, does not make them meaningfully comparable just because they can be plotted together.

Arrange and prepare the source data

Place categories in the first column and each measure in its own adjacent column, with a clear header in the top row. For example, a small table might contain Month, Revenue, and Margin, with one row per month. Select the whole range, including headers, before inserting the chart. Excel uses the headers for the legend and the first column for category labels.

Before charting, check that each series contains consistent data. Revenue might be recorded as currency and margin as percentages; don’t mix text labels such as “n/a” into a numeric series if you expect Excel to plot every point. Make sure values are in the correct rows and months are in chronological order. If the chart places months in the wrong direction, sort the source table rather than manually dragging individual points.

Use one row per category, such as one row per month or product.
Give every series a short, descriptive heading.
Keep units consistent within a series; do not mix dollars and thousands of dollars.
Use actual blank cells for missing observations, and review how Excel displays gaps before interpreting the line.

Create the combo chart in Excel for Windows

In Excel for Microsoft 365 on Windows, select the data range and follow these steps:

Open the Insert tab.
In the Charts group, choose Insert Combo Chart, then select Create Custom Combo Chart. If the command is not visible, use Recommended Charts, open the All Charts tab, and choose Combo.
In the dialog, choose a chart type for each series. Set the measure that should appear as bars to Clustered Column, and set the other measure to Line.
If the measures use very different units or ranges, select Secondary Axis for the line series. Leave it unchecked when both series can be read clearly on the same scale.
Choose OK. Add or revise the title, axis labels, legend, and other chart elements as needed.

The chart can be edited after it is created. Select it, then use Chart Design > Change Chart Type to revisit the series types and axis settings. To include a series that was left out, use Chart Design > Select Data. In Excel for Mac, combo charts are also available, but the ribbon layout and location of the chart-type controls can differ; look under Insert for chart choices, then use the chart design controls to change the type. Excel for the web has a more limited editing interface than desktop Excel, so a missing combo-chart option may require opening the workbook in the desktop app.

When to use a secondary axis

A secondary axis gives one series its own scale on the right side of the chart, while the primary axis remains on the left. This is useful when the measures have different units—for example, revenue in dollars and margin in percent—or when one series is much smaller in magnitude. Without separate scales, a small percentage series may look nearly flat beside large revenue values.

A second axis solves a visibility problem, but it can also create a misleading impression. The line’s apparent steepness depends on the scale chosen for its axis. A reader might infer that the line and columns move in lockstep, or that a small change is dramatic, when the axis limits make it look that way. Label both axes with their units, make the secondary scale easy to identify, and choose sensible minimum and maximum bounds. Avoid implying that values are directly comparable when one axis is dollars and the other is a percentage.

For instance, monthly revenue might range from $80,000 to $120,000 while margin ranges from 18% to 24%. Showing both on one dollar-based scale makes the margin line hard to read. A secondary percentage axis makes its movement visible, but the chart should clearly label the left axis as revenue and the right axis as margin. If the relationship between the measures is more important than their category-by-category trends, a different chart may be more appropriate.

Format the chart so it is easy to read

Give the chart a title that explains what is being compared, such as “Monthly Revenue and Margin.” Add axis titles when units are not obvious. In Excel, select the chart and use the Chart Design tab’s Add Chart Element menu to add elements such as axis titles, data labels, or gridlines. The exact set of available elements depends on the chart type.

Use visually distinct colors for the bars and line. A line with markers can help readers locate individual observations, especially when there are only a few categories. With many months, markers on every point may add clutter; use a clear line and keep the legend visible. Avoid relying on color alone to communicate meaning, and make sure labels and lines have enough contrast against the chart background.

Keep gridlines light so they support value reading without dominating the data.
Format the axes appropriately: currency for revenue, percentage for margin, and sensible decimal places for each.
Remove redundant visual elements, but retain the legend if the series are not self-evident.
Check the chart at the size where it will be viewed or printed; labels that fit on screen can become too small in a report.

Choose the right chart for the question

A combo chart is most useful when the audience needs to see how two measures change across the same categories. It is common for time-based reporting, but it can also compare measures by region or product. Decide which series deserves the stronger visual emphasis: columns are effective for comparing amounts across categories, while a line draws attention to direction and continuity.

If the measures have the same units and similar ranges, a single-axis chart may be clearer. If they have different units but do not need to be compared at the same time, two aligned charts can avoid the interpretive problems of a secondary axis. If the goal is to show the relationship between two numeric variables rather than changes across named categories, use an XY (scatter) chart instead; a line chart treats its horizontal positions as categories or dates rather than plotting each x-value as a numeric coordinate.

Common problems and how to fix them

If Excel plots the wrong data orientation, select the chart and choose Chart Design > Switch Row/Column. This is useful when Excel interprets rows as series but you intended columns, or the reverse. If category labels are missing or the legend uses generic names such as Series 1, check that the selected source range includes the header and label cells. You can correct the chart’s range through Chart Design > Select Data.

A line that appears flat may be on the same axis as values much larger than its own. Assign it to a secondary axis if that makes the values readable, then label both scales. If the line has gaps, inspect the source for blanks or text values. Excel’s treatment of empty cells can be adjusted through the chart’s Select Data settings using Hidden and Empty Cells; the available gap and zero options affect how missing observations appear, so do not let a display choice suggest values that were never recorded.

Too many categories can make a chart crowded. Show a shorter time period, reduce unnecessary data labels, or split the data into smaller charts. A combo chart with many series is especially difficult to interpret; it is usually clearer to keep one bar series and one line series rather than adding a separate axis and color for every measure.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can Excel combine a bar chart and a line chart?
Yes. Use a combo chart and assign a chart type to each data series. For a standard vertical-bar-and-line view, choose Clustered Column for one series and Line for the other. If you mean horizontal bars specifically, check whether that pairing is offered in the custom combo options in your Excel version.

How do I put a line on a secondary axis?
When creating or editing a custom combo chart, select the Secondary Axis checkbox for the line series. The right-hand axis then shows that series’ scale. Add axis titles so readers can tell which measure belongs to each side.

Should the line be on the primary or secondary axis?
Use the primary axis when both measures share units and a useful scale. Use a secondary axis when a different unit or much smaller range makes the line unreadable on the primary scale. A secondary axis is not automatically better; it can exaggerate apparent relationships unless it is labeled and scaled carefully.

Can I make a bar-and-line chart with dates?
Yes. Put dates in one column and the measures in adjacent columns, then create the combo chart. Sort dates from earliest to latest and confirm that Excel recognizes them as dates. If dates appear as crowded category labels, adjust the axis formatting or show fewer date labels.

Why does Excel show the wrong series as bars?
Open Chart Design > Change Chart Type and set the chart type for each named series in the combo dialog. If the series names or category labels are wrong, use Chart Design > Select Data to correct the source range and its row or column orientation.

When a different chart is clearer

A combo chart is a tool, not a requirement. If the line and bars need separate explanations, if the secondary scale risks confusing readers, or if the chart is overloaded, use two charts with the same category order and aligned time periods. A compact table can also be better when exact values matter more than visual patterns. The best choice is the one that answers the reader’s question without hiding units, missing observations, or the scale behind the apparent trend.

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