To quickly identify a data series in a chart, you can add data labels to the data points of the chart. By default, the data labels are linked to values on the worksheet, and they update automatically when changes are made to these values.

You can also display series names, category names, and percentages in data labels. For bubble charts, you can even display the size of the bubbles. For optimal detail, you can display more than one data label entry in each data label, separated by a comma or other separator that you specify.

To prevent data labels from overlapping and to make them easier to read, you can adjust their positions in the chart. And if you no longer need to display data labels, you can remove them.What do you want to do?

Add data labels to a chart

  1. On a chart, do one of the following:
    • To add a data label to all data points of all data series, click the chart area .
    • To add a data label to all data points of a data series, click once to select the data series that you want to label.
    • To add a data label to a single data point in a data series, click the data series that contains the data point that you want to label, and then click the data point again.

    This displays the Chart Tools, adding the Design, Layout, and Format tabs.

  2. On the Layout tab, in the Labels group, click Data Labels, and then click the display option that you want.

    excel ribbon image

    Note Depending on the chart type that you used, different data label options will be available.

Change the data label entries that are displayed

  1. On a chart, do one of the following:
    • To display additional label entries for all data points of a series, click a data label once to select all data labels of the data series.
    • To display additional label entries for a single data point, click the the data label in the data point that you want to change, and then click the data label again.

    This displays the Chart Tools, adding the Design, Layout, and Format tabs.

  2. On the Format tab, in the Current Selection group, click Format Selection.

    excel ribbon image

    Tip You can also right-click the selected label or labels on the chart, and then click Format Data Label or Format Data Labels on the shortcut menu.

  3. Click Label Options if it's not selected, and then under Label Contains, select the check box for the label entries that you want to add.
  4. To change the separator between the data label entries, select the separator that you want to use or type a custom separator in the Separator box.
  5. To adjust the label position to better present the additional text, select the option that you want under Label Position.

Tip If you have entered custom label text but want to display the data label entries that are linked to worksheet values again, you can click Reset Label Text.

Change the position of data labels

You can change the position of a single data label by dragging it. You can also place data labels in a standard position relative to their data markers. Depending on the chart type, you can choose from a variety of positioning options.

  1. On a chart, do one of the following:
    • To reposition all data labels for an entire data series, click a data label once to select the data series.
    • To reposition a specific data label, click that data label twice to select it.

    This displays the Chart Tools, adding the Design, Layout, and Format tabs.

  2. On the Layout tab, in the Labels group, click Data Labels, and then click the option that you want.

    excel ribbon image

    Tip For additional data label options, click More Data Label Options, click Label Options if it's not selected, and then select the options that you want.

Remove data labels from a chart

  1. Click the chart from which you want to remove data labels.

    This displays the Chart Tools, adding the Design, Layout, and Format tabs.

  2. Do one of the following:
    • On the Layout tab, in the Labels group, click Data Labels, and then click None.

      excel ribbon image

    • Click a data label once to select all data labels in a data series or twice to select just one data label that you want to delete, and then press DELETE.
    • Right-click a data label, and then click Delete on the shortcut menu.

      Note This removes all data labels from a data series.

    Tip You can also remove data labels immediately after you add them by clicking Undo button image on the Quick Access Toolbar, or by pressing CTRL+Z.

See also: