How to Set Intervals on Excel Charts (2 Suitable Examples)

Excel has a powerful graphing feature that can add visual depth and clarity to even the most mundane of datasets. Though Excel does most of the heavy lifting, you may wish to edit some aspects of your chart. For instance, you may need to change the axis intervals automatically set by Excel to better represent your dataset. Hence, in this article, we’ll discuss 2 examples of how to set intervals on Excel charts.

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2 Examples to Set Intervals on Excel Charts

Example-1: Set Y-Axis Intervals with Format Axis Option

Example-2: Set Intervals on X-Axis with Format Axis Option

Practice Section

Conclusion

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You can download the practice workbook from the link below.

Setting Intervals on Chart.xlsx

2 Examples to Set Intervals on Excel Charts

Now, let’s consider the Revenue Earnings by Month dataset shown in the B4:D14 cells. Here, we have the Month Numbers, the Month Names, and the Revenue earnings in USD respectively.

Here, we have used Microsoft Excel 365 version, you may use any other version according to your convenience.

Example-1: Set Y-Axis Intervals with Format Axis Option

Let’s begin by setting the Y-Axis Intervals using Excel’s Format Axis option. Here, we’ll change the scale of the vertical axis for a better fit. So, just follow these steps.

📌 Steps:

At the very beginning, select the B4:D14 cells >> now, go to the Insert tab >> click the Insert Line or Area Chart dropdown >> select the Line with Markers option.

This inserts the Line Chart as shown in the picture below.

Next, right-click on the vertical (Y) axis >> from the list, select the Format Axis option.

Now, this opens the Format Axis pane on the right.

Following this, set the Maximum Bound to 4500 and the Major Units to 500.

After completing this step, the chart re-scales as shown in the image below.

In turn, add formatting to the chart using the Chart Elements option.

In addition to the default selection, enable the Axes Title to provide axes names. Here, it is Revenue in USD and Month.
Now, add the Chart Title, for example, Breakdown of Revenue Earnings by Month.
Lastly, disable the Gridlines option to give your chart a cleaner look.

Finally, your chart should look like the screenshot given below.

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Example-2: Set Intervals on X-Axis with Format Axis Option

For our next example, we’ll be setting the X-Axis Intervals using a similar approach. Therefore, let us go through the process in detail.

📌 Steps:

Initially, select the B4:D14 cells >> go to the Insert tab >> press the Insert Line or Area Chart dropdown >> choose the Line with Markers option.

Now, this should generate the Line Chart as shown in the image below.

Secondly, right-click on the horizontal (X) axis >> from the list, select the Format Axis option.

Next, this unveils the Format Axis pane on the right side of the spreadsheet.

Thirdly, click the Labels drop-down >> set the Specify interval unit to 3.

Now, the horizontal axis should look like the screenshot below.

Following this, you can format your chart with the Chart Elements option.

First of all, enable the Axes Title to provide axes names. For instance, it is Revenue in USD and Month.
Next, add the Chart Title, for example, Breakdown of Revenue Earnings by Month.
Finally, disable the Gridlines option to give your chart a cleaner look.

Eventually, your output should look like the picture shown below.

Admittedly, I have skipped some of the relevant examples on changing the X-Axis values which you may explore if you wish.

Practice Section

We have provided a Practice section on the right side of each sheet so you can practice yourself. Please make sure to do it by yourself.

Conclusion

I hope that the examples on how to set intervals on Excel charts will now prompt you to apply them in your Excel spreadsheets more effectively. If you have any questions or feedback, please let me know in the comment section. Or you can check out our other articles related to Excel functions on this website.