How to Edit Chart Data in Excel (5 Suitable Examples)

How to Create a Chart Based on Data in Excel

If you want to change the chart Data Range automatically with the modifications of rows/columns, change the dataset to a table. This way, you won’t need to manually update the chart every time you insert or delete a new row/ column.

To convert the dataset to an Excel table:

Select the whole dataset.

Go to the Insert tab from your ribbon and click on Table from the Table group.

A Create Table box will open. Make sure the My table has headers option is checked. Click on OK.

The dataset will be converted into an Excel table.

After some modifications, the table will look like this.

This is our final table which will serve as our chart data.

To create a chart out of it:

Select a cell in the table.
Go to the Insert tab from your ribbon and under the Charts group, select Recommended Charts.

The Insert Chart box will open. Select the chart type you want from this box. We have selected Clustered Column under the Recommended Charts Click on OK.

A column chart or bar chart will appear on the spreadsheet.

You can customize your chart as required.

All the methods/ examples will work regardless of the chart type if you have converted the dataset into a table and have selected the chart type.

Example 1 – Modifying Excel Chart Data

We will see how to modify the chart by editing chart data within it. Suppose, the price/unit of the first product in our table has gone down, from $22 to $10. Changing the value will automatically update the chart.

Change the value by entering 10 in cell D5.

You will see the change in the chart instantly.

Compare this graph with the one in the previous section. You will notice the height of the first column shortened.

Changing any values, that are present in the graph will change the chart. Changing the ID of the product will automatically update the chart as well.

We will change the cell value of cell B7 to “Product 3”.

The value of the third entry will change accordingly.

Example 2 – Editing Chart Data by Adding New Values in Excel

To add new values such as columns/rows, you need to make some modifications so that the table automatically adds new rows/ columns in the table.

Steps:

Go to the Excel Options by clicking on the File tab and select Options.

In the Excel Options box, go to the Proofing tab and select Autocorrect Options.

Ensure that the options shown in the following image are checked in the AutoFormat As You Type tab of the Autocorrect box.

Click on OK in both the boxes.
Excel will automatically add new rows/columns to the table as you keep entering data in the adjacent cells.
To add a new value to a chart, add a new column to the table.
Enter the header in cell E5.

Press Enter.

A column will automatically be created with the formats applied in the table.
Enter data in the new column.

The new values will be added to the chart according to the chart data in Excel.

Example 3 – Removing Values from Chart Data

Steps:

Select the column you want to delete.

Right-click on the column. A context menu will appear.
Select Delete and select Table Columns.

The column will be deleted.

The chart will automatically be updated.

Example 4 – Adding New Rows to Chart Data

To add new rows to chart data, ensure that you have enabled the options to automatically add new rows/columns to the table as illustrated in the Example 2. Enter a new product id in cell B9 and press Enter.