Chart & Visualization Issues

How to Remove Blank Space from an Excel or PowerPoint Waterfall Chart

Huda Qurayshi Oct 9, 2026 870 views

Question details

The user needs to eliminate unnecessary blank space appearing on the right side of a waterfall chart in Excel or PowerPoint.

How to Remove Blank Space from an Excel or PowerPoint Waterfall Chart

Product: Microsoft Excel, Microsoft PowerPoint
Device & OS: not provided
Scenario: Creating or modifying a waterfall chart for data visualization and presentation.
Observed behavior: The waterfall chart correctly plots the data columns but leaves a large, empty area on the right side, treating blank cells in the worksheet as additional data categories.

Before you start

Check your source data table to ensure there are no hidden characters, spaces, or formatting in the blank cells immediately following your actual data entries.

Solution 1Recommended

Adjust the Chart Data Range via Chart Design

Re-selecting the exact data range ensures the chart only plots cells containing actual data, eliminating any unwanted empty space.

By default, charts may extend their data source range if entire columns were initially selected or if empty cells were accidentally included. Correcting this range tells the software to ignore the empty cells completely.

Select the Chart

Click on your waterfall chart in Excel or PowerPoint to activate the Chart Tools.

Open Chart Design

Navigate to the 'Chart Design' tab that appears in the top ribbon menu.

Choose Select Data

Click on the 'Select Data' button located in the Data group.

Highlight the Correct Range

In the Select Data Source dialog box, clear the existing range and manually highlight only the cells containing your specific categories and values, excluding any blank rows or columns.

Apply Changes

Click 'OK' to apply the new, precise data range and immediately update your chart to remove the blank space.

Adjust the Chart Data Range via Chart Design

Data Range Updated: Your chart will now cleanly fit the bounds of your actual data without trailing gaps.

Efficient Chart Editing

Create and Adjust Waterfall Charts Easily with WPS Office

WPS Office offers a powerful and intuitive Spreadsheet and Presentation toolkit that makes managing chart data ranges simple. You can effortlessly select, adjust, and customize your waterfall charts without worrying about formatting glitches.

1. Open Your File in WPS: Launch WPS Spreadsheet or WPS Presentation and open your document containing the data.
2. Select the Precise Data: Highlight the exact data range you want to visualize, being careful not to select empty cells.
3. Insert the Chart: Go to the 'Insert' tab on the ribbon and select 'Waterfall Chart' from the available chart types.
4. Refine the Data Source: If you need to make adjustments later, right-click the chart, click 'Select Data', and adjust the cell references to remove any unwanted blank spaces.

Seamlessly adjust chart data ranges with intuitive drag-and-drop tools to prevent blank spaces.Fully compatible with Microsoft Excel (.xlsx) and PowerPoint (.pptx) chart formats.Free, lightweight, and user-friendly interface for effortless data visualization.

microsoft office alternative - wps office

Frequently Asked Questions

Why does my waterfall chart include extra space on the right?

This usually happens when the selected data range for the chart includes empty rows or columns at the end of your dataset. The charting engine reserves space for these empty cells, resulting in blank gaps.

Can I simply hide rows to remove them from the chart?

Yes. If you hide the blank rows in your spreadsheet, they will typically disappear from the chart, provided your chart settings are configured to not show data in hidden rows and columns.

How do I remove a specific data point from the middle of my waterfall chart?

Right-click the chart, choose 'Select Data', and in the dialog box, simply uncheck the specific category or data point you wish to hide from the visualization.

Does WPS Office support creating and editing waterfall charts?

Yes, WPS Spreadsheet and WPS Presentation fully support the creation, customization, and formatting of waterfall charts, while maintaining strict compatibility with Microsoft Office files.

Excel & Data Problems