How to Add Axis Labels in Excel

Written by co-founder Kasper Langmann, Microsoft Function Specialist.

Centrality labels make Excel charts easier to understand .

Microsoft Excel, a powerful spreadsheet software, allows y'all to store data , brand calculations on it, and create stunning graphs and charts out of your data.

And on those charts where axes are used, the only chart elements that are present, by default, include:

  • Axes
  • Chart Title
  • Grid lines

You volition have to manually add together centrality titles or labels on the chart.

In this commodity, we'll show you how you tin can easily add centrality labels to a chart.

Kasper Langmann, Co-founder of Spreadsheeto

Get your Gratuitous exercise file

Before you lot start:

Throughout this guide, yous need a data set to practise.

I've included one for you (for costless).

Download it right below!

Download the Gratis Exercise File

Download exercise file

The default chart elements

Let's say we have this "Monthly Pageviews" line chart:

monthly pageviews dataset line chart

As you lot take noticed, the only chart elements you lot can see are:

  • Chart Championship
  • Axes
  • Grid lines

If y'all would like to check what chart elements are present, only click the chart and click the plus (+) icon constitute on the upper-right side:

How to add axis titles

Here's how easy and quick it is to add together axis titles:

how to add axis titles

Now, let'south break down what just happened.

Get-go off, you have to click the nautical chart and click the plus (+) icon on the upper-right side.

Then, check the tickbox for 'Axis Titles' .

axis titles option on chart elements

If you would but like to add a title/label for one axis (horizontal or vertical), click the correct arrow abreast 'Axis Titles' and select which axis you would like to add a title/label.

Editing the Axis Titles

After adding the label, y'all would take to rename them yourself.

There are ii ways you can get about this:

  • Manually retype the titles
  • Use the formula bar

If you detect in the video at the start of the previous section, the titles weren't retyped.

To save yourself from the unnecessary effort, employ a simple reference from the axis title to the cell which contains the text value of that title.

Kasper Langmann, Co-founder of Spreadsheeto

Hither are the steps:

  • Click the axis title on the chart
  • Utilize the equal (=) sign on the formula bar
  • Click the cell with the advisable axis title
  • Press 'Enter'
editing axis title via the formula bar

Wrapping things up…

Adding centrality titles in Excel is easier and quicker than inserting a chart. Yous could literally do it in about 5 seconds!

If you lot don't have a nautical chart of your own and yous would similar to practice, experience costless to download the worksheet with the chart that we're using in this tutorial.

Kasper Langmann, Co-founder of Spreadsheeto