How to Exclude a Total Row from an Excel Stacked Bar Chart
Question details
The user wants to remove the grand total from a stacked bar chart but needs to keep it visible in the accompanying data table.
- Product
- Excel
- Device & OS
- not provided
- Scenario
- Creating or formatting a stacked bar chart based on a dataset that includes a calculated total row.
- Observed behavior
- The total row is inadvertently included as a data series in the stacked bar chart, distorting the chart's scale and visual representation.
Ensure your dataset is properly formatted, and verify whether your data is currently set up as a standard range or an official Excel Table, as this affects how charts handle the total row.
Convert Data to an Excel Table to Automatically Exclude Totals
Converting your standard range into an official Excel Table and using its built-in Total Row feature will automatically omit the total from the chart.
Excel Tables handle dynamic data efficiently. By utilizing the built-in Total Row function of an Excel Table, Excel recognizes that this row is an aggregation and automatically prevents it from being plotted as a data series in your stacked bar chart.
Select your entire data range (including headers but excluding your manual total row for now) and press Ctrl+T. Ensure 'My table has headers' is checked and click OK.
Click anywhere inside your new Table. Navigate to the 'Table Design' tab on the ribbon and check the 'Total Row' box in the Table Style Options group.
Select the data within your table (excluding the newly created Total Row), go to the 'Insert' tab, and select 'Stacked Bar' from the Charts group. The total will remain visible in the worksheet but will not appear in the chart.
Manually Adjust Chart Source Data and Simulate a Data Table
If you are using a standard range and want the total displayed directly beneath the chart, you must exclude the row from the chart's source data and align a worksheet table below it.
Easily Manage Charts and Data Tables with WPS Spreadsheet
WPS Spreadsheet provides intuitive, easy-to-use tools for creating stacked bar charts and managing complex data ranges. You can effortlessly adjust chart data sources to exclude total rows while keeping your data tables perfectly formatted on the worksheet.
- 1. Open your workbook: Launch WPS Spreadsheet and open the file containing your dataset and total row.
- 2. Insert your Stacked Bar Chart: Highlight your dataset, intentionally leaving out the total row, and insert a Stacked Bar Chart from the Insert tab.
- 3. Adjust existing chart data: If you already created a chart, simply click on it and drag the bounding box on your worksheet to instantly exclude the total row from the visualization.
- 4. Customize layout: Use the Chart Elements menu to fine-tune your chart layout, ensuring your worksheet total row remains clearly visible beneath your new chart.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is the total row skewing my stacked bar chart?
When a total row is included in a chart's data range, Excel treats it as a standard data series. Because the total equals the sum of the other parts, it effectively doubles the scale of your chart and massively distorts the stacked bars.
Can I hide the total row in the chart without deleting it from the worksheet?
Yes. By clicking the chart and dragging the highlighted data source box on the worksheet to exclude the total row, the total will disappear from the chart itself but remain perfectly intact and visible on your worksheet.
Why does the chart's built-in Data Table not show the total row after I excluded it?
The built-in 'Data Table' chart element exclusively mirrors the exact data range plotted in the chart. If you exclude the total row to fix your bar chart, it will inevitably be excluded from the built-in data table as well. To display it, you must simulate a data table using the worksheet cells beneath the chart.
