In Excel: put time or ordered categories in the first column, values in the next column, select both, then Insert ▸ Line or Area Chart ▸ Line.
Arrange the x-axis labels in the first column and the values in the next column.
Select only the label and value range, excluding totals.
Choose Insert ▸ Line or Area Chart ▸ Line.
Add a chart title, axis labels and markers when the individual points need to be visible.
What this does
A line graph connects values in order, usually across time, so the slope makes direction and change visible. The first column should hold dates, months or ordered categories; the second holds the values to plot. Excel treats each additional numeric column as another line, which is useful for comparing series but messy if totals or helper columns are accidentally selected. The same idea underpins a lot of everyday Excel work, so the few minutes spent getting it right here pay back across every sheet you build afterwards. Treat it as a pattern, not a one-off, and it stops being something you look up and starts being something you reach for. The difference between a quick fix and a sheet you can trust is the extra minute you spend validating “excel line graph with multiple lines”. Start on a copy or a tiny sample, keep the affected chart visible, and compare the result with the tool above before you touch the real workbook. 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. The point is a visual that makes the number obvious at a glance, but the practical win is that someone else can open the file and understand what happened without asking you.
A worked example
Months Jan through Jun are in A2:A7 and sales 42, 51, 48, 61, 67, 73 are in B2:B7. Select A2:B7, choose Insert ▸ Line Chart, and Excel draws a six-point line rising from 42 to 73. Add markers if individual months matter, and format the vertical axis to start at zero only when that supports the story rather than flattening the change. Line graphs are strong for trends: monthly sales, weekly traffic, running totals, error rates, production output and any metric where readers need to see direction over a sequence. If there is any chance you will reuse this, drop it into a small template tab right now: a labelled input area on the left and the formula beside it, checked once against the tool above. Next time the same question comes up, the answer is a single paste away instead of a rebuild from memory.
In Google Sheets
Google Sheets handles this almost identically to Excel. The formula syntax above is the same, and the menu lives under a slightly different label rather than a ribbon tab. Use the platform toggle at the top of the page to switch every keyboard shortcut between Windows and Mac, and expect at most cosmetic differences in naming. 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, the tool proves it, and the detail above shows why it holds — so the next time a colleague asks, you can answer without reaching for search. Treat “excel line graph with multiple lines” as a small building block rather than a chore. Once the inputs sit in their own cells and the formula reads from them, the same setup answers a dozen related questions with a tweak, and Excel keeps every dependent figure current as the data changes. The tool above is there so you can rehearse and verify before committing anything to a real workbook; the steps and worked example are there so the logic sticks. Get it right once and it stops costing you time — it starts saving it, every time the question comes back around.
Common mistakes
- Using a line chart for unordered categories, where a bar chart would compare values more honestly.
- Including a total row, which creates a sudden fake spike at the end.
- Letting Excel treat text dates as categories; convert them to real dates when spacing matters.
- Plotting too many series at once, turning the chart into unreadable crossing lines.
Frequently asked questions
When should I use a line graph?
Use it for ordered data, especially time series, where the change from one point to the next matters.
How do I add a second line?
Place the second value series in another column beside the first, include it in the selected range, and Excel plots it as a separate line.
Line chart or scatter plot?
Use a line chart for ordered categories or dates; use a scatter plot when both axes are numeric measurements.
Other ways people ask this
People reach this page typing “excel multiple line graph”, “how to graph multiple lines in excel”, “line graph excel multiple lines” and “how to graph on excel with multiple lines”, among other phrasings; whichever wording you used, the fix above is the one you want.
Why do people search for this in so many different ways?
Because the same task has many names. “excel multiple line graph”, “how to graph multiple lines in excel”, “line graph excel multiple lines” all point at the one operation explained on this page, which is why they all lead here.