How to Make a Scatter Plot in Excel (and Read What It Shows)

A scatter plot answers one question beautifully: when one number goes up, does the other one move too? Does spending more time on a blog post bring more readers? Do longer videos get more comments? Each dot is one pair of numbers, and the pattern of dots tells you whether there's a link worth paying attention to.

Excel calls it a scatter chart, or an X Y chart, and building one takes about a minute. The part people get wrong is how the data is laid out before they start, so I'll begin there, then go through the steps, the finishing touches and when a line chart is the better pick.

Laying out your data for an Excel scatter plot

A scatter plot needs two columns of numbers, side by side, with one row per item.

• Left column: the values for the horizontal axis, called the x values. In Microsoft's example, column A becomes the x axis.
• Right column: the values for the vertical axis, the y values. In Microsoft's example, that's column B.
• Headings: a short label at the top of each column helps when you add axis titles later.

Both columns need to be numbers. Microsoft explains that a scatter chart has two value axes and never shows categories on the horizontal axis, so text such as product names won't work as x values. Put the thing you think causes the change in the left column, and the result you're measuring on the right.

Inserting a scatter plot in Excel step by step

1. Select both columns of numbers, including the headings.
2. Go to the Insert tab.
3. Select Insert Scatter (X, Y) or Bubble Chart. Its icon looks like a small cluster of dots.
4. Under Scatter, pick the first option, which shows dots only. Hover over each option to see its name.

Excel drops the chart onto your sheet. Each dot sits where its x value and y value meet.

Choosing between the scatter chart styles

The Scatter menu offers dots on their own, and versions that join the dots with straight or smooth lines. For spotting a relationship, I'd stick with plain dots. Joining them only makes sense when the order of the points means something, such as measurements taken one after another.

Adding titles and labels to an Excel scatter chart

A chart without labels makes readers guess. Microsoft's steps for tidying it up:

1. Select the chart so the Chart Design and Format tabs appear.
2. On Chart Design, choose a chart style if you want a different look.
3. Select the chart title and type your own, such as "Video length and comments".
4. Go to Chart Design, Add Chart Element, Axis Titles.
5. Select Primary Horizontal and type a label for the x axis, then Primary Vertical for the y axis.

To change the size of the title text, right-click it, choose Font, and enter a size.

Reading what your scatter plot shows

Microsoft says scatter charts are good at showing linear or non-linear trends, clusters and outliers. In plain terms:

What the dots do	What it suggests
Rise from left to right	As x goes up, y tends to go up
Fall from left to right	As x goes up, y tends to go down
Form a loose cloud	Little or no clear link
Gather in clumps	Separate groups in your data
One dot far from the rest	An outlier worth checking

A pattern doesn't prove one thing causes the other. It's a prompt to dig deeper, not a final answer. To make the direction easier to see, add a trend line through the dots, which my guide on adding a trendline to an Excel chart walks through.

Scatter plot or line chart in Excel?

These two look alike, especially when a scatter chart has lines joining its dots, but they treat the horizontal axis very differently. Microsoft's rule of thumb: if your x values aren't numbers, use a line chart. If they're numbers, a scatter chart is usually better.

• Pick a scatter chart for pairs of measurements, for large sets of points, or when you want to change the scale of the horizontal axis, including a logarithmic scale.
• Pick a line chart for text labels like months or quarters, or for evenly spaced dates over time.

If you're still deciding which chart suits your data, my overview of making a graph in Excel compares the main chart types.

Scatter plot ideas for creators and small businesses

• Post length against engagement, to see whether longer captions help.
• Days of promotion against sign-ups for each launch.
• Number of product photos on a listing against the views it gets.
• Email send time against open activity, to see if timing matters for your list.

Keep each chart to one question. Two clean scatter plots tell a clearer story than one crowded chart trying to show everything.

If your Excel scatter plot looks wrong

• The dots are in a straight row along the bottom: one column is stored as text. Convert it to numbers and rebuild the chart.
• The axes are the wrong way round: Excel used the left column as x. Swap the columns, or edit the series under Select Data.
• You see a line instead of dots: you picked a line chart or a scatter style with lines. Change the chart type to plain Scatter.
• Squashed-looking dots: adjust the axis scale by right-clicking an axis and choosing Format Axis.

Frequently asked questions

How do I make a scatter plot in Excel with two columns?

Put the x values in the left column and the y values in the right, select both, then go to Insert, Insert Scatter (X, Y) or Bubble Chart and choose Scatter.

Which column becomes the x axis in an Excel scatter chart?

In Microsoft's example, the values in the left column, column A, are plotted on the horizontal (x) axis and column B on the vertical (y) axis.

Can I use text labels in a scatter plot?

Not on the axes. Microsoft says a scatter chart never shows categories on the horizontal axis. If your x values are text, use a line chart instead.

How do I add axis titles to a scatter plot?

Select the chart, go to Chart Design, Add Chart Element, Axis Titles, then choose Primary Horizontal and Primary Vertical and type your labels.

What's the difference between a scatter chart and a line chart?

A scatter chart has two value axes and plots pairs of numbers. A line chart spreads categories evenly along the bottom, which suits months or other labels over time.