Cluster columns in excel

The difficulty may appear when we need to combine these two chart types, as Excel doesn’t give us any default, built-in tools for that.

In addition, many users – who try to combine them manually – have been confused as to how to consolidate the source data, the series and the graph axes for both charts at the same time.

There are several different methods to tackle this, so let’s discuss the relatively easy (and less confusing) method: where there are several secondary chart axes using the same dynamic Min and Max values. 

Interesting Fact: There are several other ways to combine the clustered and stacked column charts together (such as adding the legend entries, arranging the target range with blank rows and others). However, none of them are ideal because each requires numerous additional actions and preparations related to source data or plot area, which may confuse a non-expert user. Also, every technique has its own advantages and disadvantages. That’s why in this article we are focusing on the most comprehensible method(in our opinion) that can be applied by regular users without difficulty.    

Let’s walk through the entire process from the beginning… 

Preparing the Source Data

The sample data for this example was previously prepared to demonstrate the following idea:

The table in the screenshot has consolidated data that show Quarterly Revenue (Total Revenue per Quarter – columns B, C, D, E) by each Division (Productivity, Game, Utility – Rows #5, 7, 9) that includes a part of the Revenue received from the new apps (P – new apps, G – new apps, U – new apps, Rows #6, 8, 10) by each Division.

For the purpose of the data visualization, we need to show this data as several clustered columns (one column for each Division) for several Quarters (i.e. three columns for every Quarter), which are stacked and show the Revenue Share of the new apps within a single Division.  

Pro Tip: This technique is based on a little trick for how to use both primary and secondary Y-axes and let them have the same Min and Max bounds in a dynamic way, without needing to change them manually.  

NOTE: Keep in mind that we need to arrange the source data in the following way:

Row #1 – a total Revenue for the first Division per Quarter.

Row #2 – the Revenue of the new apps for the same Division per Quarter (in other words, the data of the Row#2 is a part (or a share) of the data of the Row #1).

Row #3 – a total Revenue for the second Division per Quarter.

Row #4 – the Revenue of the new apps for the same Division per Quarter (i.e. the data of the Row#4 is a part (or a share) of the data of the Row #3) etc.

Grouping the data in this way is required for the next stage of combining the charts.

Step 1

Let’s insert a Clustered Column Chart.

To do that we need to select the entire source Range (range A4:E10 in the example), including the Headings.

After that, Go To:  

INSERT tab on the ribbon > section Charts > Insert a Clustered Column Chart 

Pro Tip: Since a Clustered Column chart is a default Excel chart type (at least until you set another chart type as a default type), you can select a source data range and press ALT + F1 keys on your keyboard. This combination allows you to insert a default chart object by pressing the hotkeys only. 

Step 2

If we take a look at the screenshot above, there is one thing that we may notice from the beginning: the Quarters are set as chart Series (that’s why they are shown inside the chart Legend) instead of the axis X as we need.

To fix this, let’s Select the Chart Area, right click and – in the Context Menu that appears – click on Select Data. 

Within this new dialogue window, we need to click on Switch Row/Column in the middle of the window.

Pro Tip: Once you right-click on the Chart Area you can confirm the command Select Data by pressing “E” on your keyboard (take a look at every single option in the context menu – as you may notice, each character is underlined in a command keyword – these are so-called “lazy shortcuts” that are widely used by Excel experts to speed-up the whole range of repetitive actions during a daily work).

In our case, pressing the “E” key confirms Select Data… command; pressing the “F” key would confirm Font… command and so on.

In addition, to the mentioned shortcuts, you can find some commands on the Excel Ribbon under DESIGN and FORMAT contextual tabs that appear once we selected a Chart Area. 

Step 3

Once the Quarters and Revenue have been switched, we may notice that there are six series now related to every single row in the Revenue column (i.e. all values in column A, such as Productivity, P – new apps, Game etc.).

However, our aim is to stack every “new apps” column with the appropriate “total” column, i.e. we need to create a Stacked Column chart.

The first step to do that is to Select a Chart Area, right-click on it and Select Change Chart Type command in the context menu.

Once the Change Chart Type dialogue window appears, we need to select Combo chart type and for each series that has “- new apps” keyword in the name, we apply the Clustered Column chart type and check ON the secondary axis.

Pro Tip: Once you have right-clicked on the Chart Area you can confirm the command Select Data by pressing “Y” key on your keyboard (this is another “lazy shortcut”) 

Once the initial chart has been created, it looks more like what we’re aiming for, however, there is still something wrong with it.

If we look closer, we may notice that the primary axis Y (on the left side of the Chart Area) and the secondary axis Y (on the right side of the Chart Area) are different, i.e. they use different numeric values for the Min and Max bounds.

We can change them manually if we make double-click on the Axis Y area (the appropriate Format Axis panel appears on the right side of the screen).

However, this is not an optimal approach because the source data may change next Quarter (or even Month), i.e. the Min and Max bounds may have values other than the current 2500 and 1200.

Moreover, we want this chart to be dynamic so that we don’t need to change the bounds manually each time the source data is changed.  

The primary and secondary Y axes are not equal right now.

Let’s fix that later. 

Step 4

The way we can make this chart (or – to be accurate – its axes Y) dynamic is to use a little trick: we need to calculate a single value that matches a Maximum value for the entire source range.

We can make the cell containing this value invisible (e.g. hide it, make the value in the cell hidden and/or locked, or apply the related – white in this example – font color), but it will still be used as a reference value which both Y axes can use as their Max bound.

Let’s try that then…

We’ll start by naming the next cell after cell Q4 (cell F4 in the screenshot)  as “Inv. Value” and put the following formula in the cell under this one (cell F5 in the screenshot): 

= MAX(B5:E10)

Step 5

How do we push this Max value to be used as a Max value for the secondary Y Axis?

Well, we use another small trick in Excel.

The secret is in the fact that we need to add this value as a new Series in the chart and check ON the secondary axis for this Series later.

So, let’s Select the Chart Area, right-click on it, click on the Select Data command and then click on Add on the left side of the dialogue window that appears.  

In the next dialogue window, let’s set cell F4 as a name for the Series, and cell F5 as a data range for the new Series.

Click OK.

Step 6

As you may notice, the chart has changed – it seems like the chart is shifted in the wrong direction from what we need.

Once we click OK in the Select Data Source dialogue window during the previous step, Excel inserts the additional series (and the additional column for this series).

That’s why our other columns have been shifted too.

To fix that, we need to convert this new Series to some other chart type (such as a Linear graph).

Let’s select the Chart Area, right-click on it and select the Change Chart Type command again.

In the dialogue window that appears, we need to find a new Series in the list and apply another chart type (e.g. Linear chart) to it.

In addition, make sure to check ON the appropriate “Secondary Axis” checkbox for this Series. 

NOTE: Keep in mind that we need to be sure that the “Secondary Axis” checkbox is flagged as ON for this series. Otherwise, the trick we’re attempting here won’t work properly. 

In the case, if the secondary values inside a source data range are bigger than the primary values, we need to perform this trick twice – once for the secondary axis and once for the primary axis.

In other words, we are creating two new series, which are both based on the same Max value.

While we convert them to another type chart, we check ON “Secondary Axis” checkbox for one series, and check OFF the same checkbox for another series.

It will be related to the primary axis in this case.

Step 7

Let’s make some visual improvements to the chart. 

First, we can move the Legend to the top.

To do that, Select the Legend Area, make double-click it and select Top legend position in the Format Legend panel that appears in the right side of the screen.

Also, we can delete the extra entry in the Legend (“Inv. Value” element in our example) as no one needs to see it.

Just select that value(s) and press the DELETE key on your keyboard.

Also, we recommend deleting all the entries for the secondary elements (“new apps” elements in the example) as have less Legend Entries improves readability and clearness.

We can apply another color (from a similar color palette) for every secondary chart series to make them visually and logically closer to the related primary series – see the screenshot below.

Step 8

Now it’s time to add the data labels.

Let’s select every single primary column one by one, right-click on it and select Add Data Labels > Add Data Labels in the context menu.

Repeat for all secondary columns.

Pro tip: Feel free to play a little with the Series Overlap and Gap Width properties for the primary and secondary columns to enlarge/reduce the clearance between the two nearest columns and to make all values be located inside the columns.

Make sure that you apply the same changes for both primary and secondary columns to prevent the column shifting for one category only.

In our example, we used the following parameters – Gap Width: 70% and Series Overlap: -10% for both categories. 

In addition, let’s delete both primary and secondary Y axes from the Chart Area.

Don’t worry! We are deleting only their visualization on the Chart Area, so all bounds and calculations will be untouched.

We can delete the gridlines too. 

Finally, let’s move the position of the data labels to “Inside Base” for all the secondary columns to improve the overall readability.

To do that, select the data values for all three secondary columns one by one (i.e. we need to repeat this action three times), double-click on any data label, go to Label Options on the Format Data Labels panel that appears, and set the position as Inside Base.

Also, we can embolden the primary Data labels and the X Axis titles.

Just select the appropriate element and click on the Bold button on the HOME tab of the Ribbon (or press the CTRL + B hotkey on the keyboard).

NOTE: Don’t forget to move the data labels for all secondary Series (P – new apps, G – new apps, U- new apps) as each of them is considered as a separate Chart Series object, i.e. they all have a different Data Labels array. 

Step 9

Let’s add the chart title.

Just select the Chart Title area and type the title of your chart.  

Pro tip: We can make the Chart Title dynamic and linked to a specific cell.

In this case, every time we want to change or edit the chart title, the only thing we need to do is to update the related cell value.

To do that, select the Chart Title area and click inside the formula bar (the section where we usually enter a formula in the cell).

Type the following formula:  

= cellAddress

where  “cellAddress” is the name of the cell with the chart title value (this is cell A3 in our example).

Just type the equal sign (“=”) and click on the cell with the chart title value. 

Don’t be confused by the screenshot above – typically a cell address may include a Worksheet’s name where this cell is located.

So, the full cell address frequently looks like: ‘worksheetName!cellAddress 

In addition, let’s add the additional text box inside the Chart Area that will show a text definition for the secondary Data Labels.

To do that, let’s select the Chart Area, then Go To:   

INSERT tab on the Excel Ribbon > Text Section > Text Box 

(alternatively: INSERT tab on the Excel Ribbon > Illustrations Section > Text Box) 

Once the TextBox has been inserted, let’s type “New Apps” and format it.

We don’t need it to be dynamic, as “New Apps” definition is common for all “New Apps” columns. 

Pro tip: Because we activated the Chart Area before the TextBox was inserted, it’s linked to this Chart object, so we don’t need to group them.

They are locked together, and the TextBox will be moved or edited in parallel with the chart.

Otherwise, both objects would be existing separately from each other and if we were to move or edit the Chart object, the TextBox object would be kept untouched. 

Feel free to Download the Workbook HERE.

Go to the Insert tab. In the Charts group in the Ribbon, select Column. Alternatively, you can choose “Recommended Rharts” and choose from a selection of frequently used charts. Click on Clustered Column.

How do I group columns in Excel chart?

To do this, select a Row Labels cell or the Column Labels cell that you want to group, right-click your selection, and choose Group from the shortcut menu. Next, right-click the new group and choose Collapse from the shortcut menu.

How do you cluster stacked columns in Excel?

2a) Create a Clustered Stacked Column Chart

1. Select the headings, data and blank rows (cells within thick border, in screen shot above)
2. Create a Stacked Column chart from the selected data. OR, choose the Stacked Bar chart type instead.
3. Change the Gap Width to zero.
4. (optional) Change the chart colours.

What is a clustered column chart in Excel?

A clustered column chart displays more than one data series in clustered vertical columns. Each data series shares the same axis labels, so vertical bars are grouped by category. Clustered columns allow the direct comparison of multiple series, but they become visually complex quickly.

How do you cluster a column chart?

Column Chart

1. On the Insert tab, in the Charts group, click the Column symbol.
2. Click Clustered Column.
3. Result:
4. Note: only if you have numeric labels, empty cell A1 before you create the column chart.

How do I select a clustered column chart?

First of all, select the range. Click on Insert Ribbon > Click on Column chart > More column chart. Choose the clustered column chart > Click on Ok. Also, we can use a shortcut key ( alt+F11).

How do I make a grouped bar chart?

How to Create a Grouped Bar Chart?

1. Select the table and go to the Insert menu, click on Recommended Charts and then select the Clustered Column Chart.
2. The selected data will be plotted as a clustered chart with different bars created for each year and every three months.

How do you create a grouped chart in Excel?

How to create a chart with grouped data?

1. Select data and under Insert option in toolbar, In Column select first option.
2. Now in Toolbar under Design option, select Change Chart Type option.
3. Choose Stacked Column option.
4. Here you have your chart for grouped data.

How do I create a cumulative bar chart in Excel?

How to Make a Cumulative Chart in Excel

1. Double-click the Excel file containing the data for which you want to create a cumulative chart.
2. Click your mouse cursor on the uppermost cell in one of the columns, and then drag the mouse until all of the desired data in that column is selected.

How do I create a stacked and clustered chart in Excel?

In the data table insert column that is dedicated to free up space for stacked column and build clustered column chart. 2. Go to the Change Chart Type and choose Combo. Select Secondary axis checkbox for series that will be visualized as a stacked column chart.

Is a clustered column chart a bar graph?

A clustered column chart is sometimes called a bar graph, because it shows data organized in solid shapes like pillars.This should be at least two columns. Click on the Insert tab and find the Charts group of the ribbon.

How do I make my bar chart closer together?

How to move bars closer together in Excel bar chart?

1. Right-click on the data series and select Format Data Series from the context menu.
2. Then in the Format Data Series pane, change the data in Gap Width to resize the gaps between the bars, the smaller the data is the much loser the bars together.

What is a grouped column chart?

A grouped bar chart, also known as clustered bar graph, multi-set bar chart, or grouped column chart, is a type of bar graph that is used to represent and compare different categories of two or more groups.

What is a grouped bar chart?

grouped bar charts are Bar charts in which multiple sets of data items are compared, with a single color used to denote a specific series across all sets. As with basic Bar charts, both vertical and horizontal versions of grouped bar charts are available.

How do I create a chart with 3 columns in Excel?

Click the “Insert” tab, then “Column” from the Charts group and “Cluster Column” from the drop-down menu. The Cluster Column option is the left-most option of each of the column types, such as 2-D, 3-D or Cylinder. The cluster column chart is automatically created by Excel on the same page as your data.

Excel has built-in chart types for clustered columns and bars, and for stacked columns and bars. One of the commonest charting questions in online Excel forums is, “How do I make a chart that is both clustered and stacked?”

This article demonstrates a protocol for building clustered-stacked column and bar charts in both modern versions of Excel, that is, Excel 2003 and earlier and Excel 2007 and later. The technique is a bit convoluted, and it requires an expanded data layout to get the appropriate appearance. And there’s an additional degree of complexity to get the category labels to line up neatly under or beside the clusters.

For those who need to produce many of these charts, and who don’t have 15 minutes to spend on each one, I have created the Peltier Tech Charts for Excel, a commercial Excel add-in that does the heavy lifting at the click of a button.

Built-In Column and Bar Charts

Let’s start with this simple data set, which compares budget and actual values for three commodities for two quarters of the year. We want to have clusters for each commodity, with stacked actual values next to stacked budget values within each cluster.

Without any effort or thought we can easily create clustered column or bar charts from this data.

Stacked column and bar charts are just as easy.

It’s not obvious how to combine the chart types. The protocol involves inserting blank rows and cells into the data range of a stacked column or bar chart, and values only appear in some of the places in the chart. The proper arrangement will cluster stacks of values with stacks of zeros separating the clusters.

Starting the Chart

I’ll leave the original data alone (always a good practice) and create a staging data region which is linked to the original data. The easiest way to do this is to copy the original data, then use Paste Special Link to start building the staging area. We’ll make our chart first, then explore how modifying the data layout changes the chart. In practice, we’ll modify the data first and then make the chart, knowing the effects of data layout on chart appearance.

The first step is to make a stacked column or bar chart from the data in B6:E9.  There are no categories selected (i.e., the commodities are not part of the initial chart), so Excel just uses the counting numbers 1, 2, 3.

Since categories always start from the origin, the bar chart’s category labels go from the bottom up, instead of top down as in the sheet. So the vertical axis has to be formatted to make the categories go in reverse order. Also the value (horizontal) axis has to cross at the maximum category, which is at the bottom now, since the order of categories was reversed.

Adjusting the Data

So that’s only stacked. Let’s adjust the data by inserting some rows.

The stacks of columns/bars are now spread out. Not yet what we want.

But lets stagger the budget data by a row, to move the budget data points off the actual data and onto blank slots in the chart.

Unfortunately the staggering doesn’t happen automatically, so we have to go back and tell Excel what data range to use for the chart. Right click on the chart, then select Select Data or Source Data (the command is version-specific). Click in the Chart Data Range box, and select this whole data range.

One more adjustment to the data. Let’s insert a row at the beginning and end so there’s a space outside of the first and last cluster.

Again, we have to explicitly tell the chart about the updated data range. This is almost what we want.

Reduce the gap between columns/bars to give the chart a clustered appearance: select one series of columns, press Ctrl+1 (numeral one) to open the formatting dialog, and in the first screen you see (“Series Options”) change the entry for Gap Width to zero. Color code the data series to make it clearer which data series are associated.

In practice, it is not necessary to create a chart using the compact data and adjust it after every modification to the data. The correct protocol is to adjust the data, and then make the chart shown here, and proceed with adding labels, below.

Adding the Labels

Almost done. We need to add the category (cluster) labels. We’ll do this by adding a “dummy” series to the secondary axis, and the secondary axis will have the category labels we want. Add a column to the original data range for the dummy axis series (column F in our example).

Select this added data (F1:F4), and hold Ctrl while selecting the column with our labels (A1:A4), so that both areas are highlighted. Make sure you include the blank top cell in the first column. Copy the range, select the chart, and use paste special (Home tab of the ribbon > Paste dropdown > Paste Special) to add this data to the chart as a new series, in columns, with series name in the first row and category labels in the first column. In other words, use these settings:

In Excel 2003 and earlier, the original labels (1, 2, 3, etc.) remain along the axis, but in 2007, the new labels take their place, even if we hadn’t checked “Replace Existing Categories”.

Since zero value bars have zero height or width, they don’t appear in the chart. Just to show where this new series is added, I’ve temporarily replaced the zeroes in column F with values of 500. The series spans only the first three categories.

If you’re making a stacked-clustered column chart, convert this new series to a line chart type. Sometimes Excel 2007 doesn’t expand the legend enough to show the legend entry for Axis, so I’ve stretched it in this chart.

Manipulating the Axes

Now format the Axis series to place it onto the secondary axis. To do this, select the Axis series. If you can’t see the Axis series, click the dropdown in the top left of the Chart Tools > Layout or Format tab, and choose the Axis series. Then press Ctrl+1 (numeral one) to open the Format Series dialog. On the first tab, choose Secondary Axis.

Now add the secondary category axis, which is secondary horizontal in 2007 column charts and secondary vertical in 2007 bar charts. This command in on the Chart Tools > Layout tab.

We need to reverse the bar chart’s secondary vertical axis (like we did the primary when we first made the bar chart), and at the same time, make the horizontal axis cross in the automatic position, which generally means at zero or at the minimum.

Now we have to switch the position of the category labels. In the column chart, format the left hand vertical axis so the horizontal axis cross at the maximum, and format the right hand vertical axis so the horizontal axis crosses at the automatic (minimum) position.

In the bar chart, format the bottom horizontal axis so the vertical axis cross at the maximum, and format the top horizontal axis so the vertical axis crosses at the automatic (minimum) position.

Important – Axis Label Alignment

We want only half a slot on the outside of the first and last clusters, not the full slot shown above, to center each cluster on the commodity category labels. Format the top horizontal axis of the column chart, or the right vertical axis of the bar chart, so the crossing axis is positioned on tick marks. The bottom horizontal axis or the left vertical axis of the chart, which contains the labels we just worked so hard to add, should have the crossing axis positioned between tick marks.

Select the secondary value axis, which is scaled from 0 to 1 (the right vertical axis of the column chart, or the top horizontal axis of the bar chart), and delete it.

Format the primary category axis, which is scaled from 1 to 10 (the top horizontal axis of the column chart, or the right vertical axis of the bar chart), and format it so it has no tick marks or tick labels, and no line type.

Finally, select the Axis legend entry. In Excel 2003 be sure to select the text label, not the legend key (the marker and line). Press Delete. In the column chart, format the Axis series to be invisible (no marker, no line).

That wasn’t so hard, was it? Though it did take a very long time.

Adding a Line to a Clustered-Stacked Column Chart

It’s relatively easy to overlay a line chart series onto the clustered-stacked column chart. Instead of the column of zeros we used to generate our commodity axis labels, put in the values you want to plot, and add a meaningful column header.

When you go through the process above to add your labels and manipulate the axes, you will end up with data points where you want them. Just don’t bother hiding the series at the end of the process. If you want to show the line on a secondary axis, despite my warnings to the contrary, don’t delete the axis, simply scale it appropriately to your data.

Adding a line to a cluster-stack bar chart is much more complicated, so I will not cover it here.

This tutorial shows how to create Clustered-Stacked Charts, including the specialized data layout needed, and the detailed combination of chart series and chart types required. This manual process takes time, is prone to error, and becomes tedious.

I have created Peltier Tech Charts for Excel to create Clustered-Stacked Charts (and many other custom charts) automatically from raw data. This utility, a standard Excel add-in, lays out data in the required layout, then constructs a chart with the right combination of chart types. Charts can be made using data in a wide variety of arrangements, in either vertical or horizontal orientation.

This is a commercial product, tested on thousands of machines in a wide variety of configurations, Windows and Mac, which saves time and aggravation.

Please visit the Peltier Tech Charts for Excel page for more information.