Creating a chart with dynamic labels

Excel 365 2013
This tip shows how to create dynamically updated chart labels that depend on the value of the cells.
The Chart with labels Excel 2016

The trick of this chart is to show data from specific cells in the chart labels. For example, if you have to show in one chart two different data bar:

  • To compare two different teams, you should create a chart using percent of task completion (in this example, cells C17:D17).
  • But it will be more informative to see the real volume for every team (in this example, cells C15:D15). Or the simple formulas:

    Team A: = CONCATENATE (IF ($C15 > $D15, "Winner - ", "Looser - "), TEXT (C13, "#.#0"))

    Team B: = CONCATENATE (IF ($C15 < $D15, "Winner - ", "Looser - "), TEXT (D13, "#.#0"))

Data for Chart with labels Excel 2016

For the existing chart, do the following:

   1.   Right-click on the chart and in the popup menu, select Add Data Labels and again Add Data Labels:

Add Data Label in Excel 2016

   2.   Do one of the following:

  • For all labels: on the Format Data Labels pane, in the Label Options, in the Label Contains group, check Value From Cells and then choose cells:
    Value from Cells for Label in Excel 2016
  • For the specific label: double-click on the label value, in the popup menu, select Choose Cell, and then specify the value:
    Choose cell for Label in Excel 2016

Make any other adjustments to get the look you desire.

The Chart with labels Excel 2016

See also this tip in French: Créer un graphique avec des étiquettes dynamiques.

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