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. Treat “combo graph in excel” as a small repeatable workflow rather than a one-off click you hope to remember next time. Use a small test block before the live file, so any surprise in the affected chart shows up while it is still harmless. 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 turns a visual that makes the number obvious at a glance into a method you can reuse, explain, and defend when the workbook leaves your screen.
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. A practical tip: try it on a copy of the sheet or a handful of sample rows first and check the result before you apply it to the real data. That one habit catches almost every surprise while it is still cheap to reverse.
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. Keep this page bookmarked for the next time the same question comes up. Better still, repeat the steps once in your own workbook — doing it yourself is what turns a copied answer into something you remember. The short version of “combo graph in excel”: the answer is at the top of this page, and the sections above explain why each step matters, so a variation of the problem does not stump you. Try it once on a copy of a real file and the steps stick far better than re-reading them.
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.