Excel graph issue

Craig Boswell 20 Reputation points
2026-06-29T18:11:40.87+00:00

I am unable to display any defined (x,y) points, deriving their 'x and y' data from cells on the same Excel spreadsheet as the graph upon which the points are to be displayed:

  • the x & y points fall within the limits of the domain and range specified and shown on the graph.
  • No error messages are received after selecting the cells representing the (x, y) values.
  • The 'Select Data' - 'Select data source' - 'Add' functions were used to arrive at a point where the x & y values were entered by selecting the valid sheet cells.
  • points data is accepted but the points are just not being displayed on the graph.
  • I am using the latest Excel on a Microsoft Windows 365 subscription.

For background - I have created a line graph with its range & domain defined from data series on the same sheet.  The line plot of this data series defines the boundaries of an aircraft's COG Moment limits.

What I need to do is to enter a take-off COG moment and a landing COG moment (x, y) values and then make sure that these points both plot within the defined boundaries of the allowed COG moment envelope.

Any help would be appreciated . . . I can send the .xlsx file via DM if this would help.

Thank-you.

Microsoft 365 and Office | Excel | For home | Windows
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Answer accepted by question author

Kai-H 20,755 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator
2026-06-30T07:45:20.87+00:00

Hi, Craig Boswell

This sounds like the chart is still behaving like a Line chart rather than a true X-Y chart. In Excel, a Line chart does not treat the horizontal axis as real numeric X values, while an X-Y Scatter chart does, so valid-looking X/Y cells can be accepted but still not appear where expected.

Here are some suggestions you can try:

First, change the whole chart to Scatter with Straight Lines or Scatter with Straight Lines and Markers, not a normal Line chart. Your COG envelope can still look like a line, but it needs to be an X-Y scatter series.

Then add the take-off and landing points as their own separate series:

Right-select the chart and choose Select Data

Select Add

For Series X values, select only the X cell for the point

For Series Y values, select only the Y cell for the point

After adding it, right-select that new series and choose Change Series Chart Type

Set it to X Y Scatter with Markers

Format the series with No line, but use a visible marker, for example a large red dot or triangle

Also check that the X and Y cells are real numbers, not text. A quick test is to select the cells, set them to Number, then use Data > Text to Columns > Finish. It is recommended that if the values come from formulas, avoid returning blank text like ""; use NA() instead where needed.

Finally, check the new point series is on the same primary axis as the envelope, not a secondary axis. That is a common reason the point exists in the chart but appears “missing.”

Thank you for your patience in reading, I hope this information has been helpful to you. 

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