How to Make a Chart in Word (and Fill It With Your Own Data)

A chart turns a paragraph of numbers into something a reader takes in at a glance. If you write client reports, a monthly update for your team or a short survey write-up for your blog, you don't have to build the chart elsewhere and paste in a picture. Word can create one right inside the document.

What surprises most people is that Word borrows Excel to do it. When you add a chart, a small spreadsheet pops open for your data. Once you know that, the rest falls into place.

Pick the right chart type before you start

Microsoft's chart guide describes what each common type is for. Choosing well matters more than any styling you add later.

Chart type	Best used for, according to Microsoft
Column	Categories along the bottom and values up the side, such as enquiries in each month
Bar	Comparing individual items, especially when the labels are long
Line	Continuous data over time
Pie	The size of each item in one data series as a share of the whole
Doughnut	Similar to pie, though Microsoft warns they're not easy to read

If you're not sure, a column chart is the safest choice for most business documents.

Inserting a chart into a Word document

1. Click where you want the chart to appear.
2. Open the Insert tab and select Chart. Menus vary by version, so look for the small bar chart icon.
3. Choose a chart type, then double-click the style you want. On a Mac, Microsoft's steps are to select the chart type on the Insert tab and double-click the chart you want to add.

Word drops a sample chart into your page and opens a small Excel worksheet beside it.

Entering your own data in the chart's spreadsheet

Microsoft explains that the worksheet that opens contains a table of sample data. Replace it with your own:

1. Type your category names, such as months or product names, over the sample labels in the first column.
2. Type your series names, such as this period and last period, across the top row.
3. Enter your values in the cells underneath.
4. Watch the chart in Word update as you type.

If you've got fewer categories than the sample, delete the extra rows so empty bars don't show up. When you close the Word document, Microsoft says the chart's data table closes automatically, and your numbers stay saved inside the chart.

Switching rows and columns in a Word chart

Sometimes the chart groups things the wrong way round, with months in the legend instead of along the bottom. Go to the Chart Design tab and select Switch Row/Column. Microsoft notes that on a Mac this button only works while the chart's data table is open, and only for certain chart types, so reopen the data first if it's greyed out.

Adding titles, labels and a legend to a Word chart

Microsoft lists the main parts of a chart as the title, axis labels, a legend and gridlines. Clear labels make the difference between a chart people understand and one they skip.

• Click the chart title and type something that says what the reader should notice, not just what the data is.
• Use Add Chart Element on the Chart Design tab to switch on axis titles, data labels or a trendline.
• Turn the legend off if there's only one series, since it adds clutter without telling readers anything.

Styling a chart in Word with layouts and styles

For a quick polished look, select the chart, open the Chart Design tab and choose Quick Layout to apply a ready-made arrangement of titles and labels. Chart styles, which Microsoft describes as sets of complementary colours and effects, sit on the same tab.

I'd keep styling simple: one or two colours, no 3D effects, and enough white space that the labels breathe. If your business has brand colours, use them consistently across every chart in a report.

Making Word charts look good in the finished document

• Click the chart and use the layout options beside it to choose how text wraps around it, so it doesn't sit awkwardly mid-paragraph.
• Drag a corner handle to resize it, rather than an edge, so it keeps its proportions.
• Add a short sentence before or after the chart explaining the main takeaway.
• Check it in print preview if the report will be printed, since pale colours can vanish on paper.

If your Word chart won't behave

• The data window has closed. Select the chart and look on the Chart Design tab for the option to edit its data.
• Switch Row/Column is greyed out on a Mac. Open the data table first, as Microsoft advises.
• The chart shows blank categories. Delete the leftover sample rows in the spreadsheet.
• A pie chart looks confusing. Microsoft says pies show one data series, so use a column chart for comparisons across several.

Charts in reports, proposals and blog posts

A clear chart makes a short report feel far more professional, whether it's a quarterly update for a client or results from a reader survey. Pair it with consistent wording, which is where a simple brand voice document for your business helps. If you place your logo near the chart on a cover or summary page, a version with a clear background looks much neater, and here's how to make a transparent background in Canva for exactly that.

Frequently asked questions

How do I make a chart in Word?

Click where you want it, open the Insert tab and select Chart, choose a type and double-click the one you want. Word opens a small Excel worksheet with sample data for you to replace.

Do I need Excel to make a chart in Word?

Microsoft explains that inserting a chart into Word opens an Excel worksheet containing sample data, which is where you enter your own numbers.

How do I swap the rows and columns in a Word chart?

Select the chart, open the Chart Design tab and choose Switch Row/Column. On a Mac, the chart's data table needs to be open.

Which chart type should I use in Word?

Microsoft describes column charts for categories and values, line charts for continuous data over time, bar charts for comparing items and pie charts for parts of one series.

How do I add a title or labels to my Word chart?

Click the chart title to edit it, and use Add Chart Element on the Chart Design tab for axis titles, data labels or a trendline.