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.
On this page7
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. 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 “line with markers chart 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
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 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. Nothing on this page is behind a login or a download: the exact answer is at the top, and the detail below it is there for when you need it. That is the whole promise here — the answer first, and just enough context to make it stick. If you take one thing from this page on “line with markers chart 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 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.