In Excel: select the data and choose Insert ▸ Combo ▸ Create Custom Combo Chart, then set a chart type per series and tick Secondary Axis where the units differ.
On this page7
Select the category column and every value column including headers.
Insert ▸ Charts ▸ Combo ▸ Create Custom Combo Chart.
Set the chart type for each series in the list at the bottom of the dialog.
Tick Secondary Axis for any series whose unit or magnitude differs from the primary one.
Title both axes so the reader knows which scale each series belongs to, then reorder series with Select Data ▸ Move Up if the line hides behind the columns.
What this does
A combo chart draws several series in one plot area with a different chart type each — typically columns for the volume measure and a line for a rate or percentage. The Custom Combination dialog lists every series with a type dropdown and a Secondary Axis checkbox, which is where the two-scale problem is actually solved. Before you run it on a workbook other people depend on, try it on a copy or a few rows first. Undo only reaches back through the current session, so a quick trial run is the cheapest way to see exactly what will change before the file is saved and shared. For “combination graphs in excel”, the reliable version is a short checking loop, not just the first command that appears to work. Run it on a deliberately small range first, watch how the affected chart change, and only then apply the same setup to the full sheet. When this is a ribbon command, the selection matters more than the button: confirm the range, apply the command, then spot-check the output before saving. That is what makes a visual that makes the number obvious at a glance useful in real work: repeatable, auditable, and not dependent on memory or luck.
A worked example
Monthly revenue in euros and gross margin in percent share the same months. Insert ▸ Combo ▸ Create Custom Combo Chart: revenue as Clustered Column on the primary axis, margin as Line with Markers with Secondary Axis ticked. Without that tick the margin line lies flat on the floor of a chart scaled to hundreds of thousands. The volume-and-rate pair is the most common chart request in any business review, and it is wrong every time the second scale is left implicit. If this is something you do often, add the command to the Quick Access Toolbar (right-click it on the ribbon and choose Add to Quick Access Toolbar) or learn its shortcut, so next time it is one click instead of a hunt through the menus.
In Google Sheets
This is a command rather than a formula, so there is no syntax to carry over. Google Sheets arranges its commands in menus across the top instead of a ribbon, names some of them differently and does not have every Excel command — look for the equivalent in the Sheets menus or its help before assuming the steps match. The aim was to get you unstuck fast and leave you a little more capable than a copy-paste would. The answer is at the top and the detail above shows why it holds — so the next time a colleague asks, you can answer without reaching for search. If you take one thing from this page on “combination graphs in excel”, make it the order of checks rather than the individual clicks: confirm what is selected, apply the step, and look at the result before moving on. That small routine is what keeps Excel work predictable when the same task comes back in a slightly different workbook.
Common mistakes
- Using a secondary axis without labelling it, which lets a reader infer a relationship the scales invented.
- Choosing scales that make two unrelated series cross dramatically — the crossing point is an artefact of the axis maxima.
- Leaving a line series drawn behind the columns; move it up the series order so it stays visible.
- Combining a stacked column with a line and reading the line against the stack total, which it is not aligned to.
Frequently asked questions
How do I add a line to a bar chart?
Right-click the chart ▸ Change Chart Type ▸ Combo, then set the series you want as Line and tick Secondary Axis if its scale differs.
Where is Combo on a Mac?
Chart Design ▸ Change Chart Type ▸ Combo. The Insert tab also offers it once a chart exists.
Can I use three different chart types?
Yes. Each series has its own dropdown in the Custom Combination dialog, though more than two types is rarely readable.
Why is my percentage line flat?
It shares the primary axis with a much larger series. Tick Secondary Axis for that series.