How to Add a Secondary Y-Axis in Excel Chart?

Displaying insights into the relationship between two different data series is not easy.

Why?
It’s easy to use the wrong visualization designs, misleading your audiences (or readers). In fact, charts that can reveal hidden insights into the relationship between two different variables are limited.

Yes, you read that right.

Well, charts with a secondary y-axis are among those limited visualization charts (mentioned above). Besides, these charts come in 6 variants, namely:

• Double Axis Line and Bar Chart
• Area Line Chart
• Dual Axis Grouped Bar Chart
• Dual Axis Grouped Column Chart
• Multi-Axis Line Chart
• Dual Axis Line Chart

The main benefit of this group of charts is they spare you the time and effort needed to create two charts for the same data story.

Excel is ultra-convenient in storing and visualizing data. However, the application does not natively support the 6 chart variants with a secondary y-axis. Essentially, you have to add a secondary y-axis Excel manually, which is time-intensive.

But we’re not recommending you to do away with Excel. No.

You can supercharge your Excel by installing a particular add-in to access ready-made, visually appealing, and insightful charts.

Table of Content:

1. What is a Secondary Y-axis in Excel?
2. Why Analysts Use Charts with a Secondary Y-Axis?
3. Can You Have Two Y-Axes in Excel?
4. How to Add a Secondary Y-Axis in Excel? Step by Step Guide with Examples
5. How to Remove a Secondary Y-Axis in Excel?
6. How to Read a Chart with Secondary Y-Axis in Excel?
7. Things to Keep in Mind while Creating a Chart with Secondary Y-Axis in Excel
8. Wrap Up

What is a Secondary Y-axis in Excel?

The secondary y-axis in Excel Chart is used to display insights into two different data sets within a single chart. In other words, this chart is convenient for uncovering hidden insights into the relationship between two or more measures with different scales and measures.

A typical Cartesian-based chart has x and y-axes. But Double Axis Graphs (secondary y-axis) come with two y-axes and an x-axis.

One of the biggest advantages of visualization designs with secondary y-axis Excel is the fact that they can display massive information using limited space.

Here’s an interesting fact.

You can use charts with secondary y-axis Excel to visualize two different variables without worrying about clutter and other issues that can obscure critical insights.

Why Analysts Use Charts with a Secondary Y-Axis?

One of the most significant benefits of visualization designs with a secondary y-axis is their ability to display insights into the relationship between 2 metrics.

Secondly, charts with double y-axes allow you to save space by performing the work of two graphs. How?

As we said, these chart variants can help you display two different data series simultaneously. You don’t have to visualize your data using two charts.

Below is an example of a chart with a secondary y-axis Excel.

The chart above displays insights into two key metrics, namely profit margin and revenue. Between January and April, the profit margin was higher than the revenue.

But it declined in May and June before bouncing back to high levels in the following months until October.

Similarly, there could be another visualization that allows you to add multiple y-axis so that you can better explore your results in a single visualization.

Can You Have Two Y-Axes in Excel?

Yes, it’s possible to generate a chart with a secondary y-axis Excel.

Excel lacks charts with a secondary y-axis in its library.  Essentially, you have to add a secondary axis Excel manually in a super time-intensive process.

You don’t have to undergo all this. 

You have a viable option, which entails downloading and installing a particular add-in into your Excel. And this option guarantees you access to ready-made and visually stunning charts, such as the following:

• Double Axis Line and Bar Chart
• Area Line Chart
• Dual Axis Grouped Bar Chart
• Dual Axis Grouped Column Chart
• Multi-Axis Line Chart
• Dual Axis Line Chart

There are over 2,000 add-ins purposely designed for Excel. We narrowed down our results based on the following factors: ease of use, cost of access, quality of visualization chart, and the size of the chart library.

The Excel add-in that met all our conditions is ChartExpo.

With ChartExpo, you’ll access ready-to-go and insightful charts with a secondary y-axis Excel.

Let’s take a closer look at ChartExpo.

ChartExpo is an Excel-based add-in with an ultra-friendly user interface to ensure that any professional can visualize data, irrespective of their coding or programming skills.

The application generates super-advanced, ready-made, visually stunning graphs with a secondary y-axis Excel.

How to Add a Secondary Y-Axis in Excel? Step by Step Guide with Examples

To install ChartExpo into your Excel, click this link.

Example #1: Dual Axis Line Chart

This section will use the Dual Axis Line Chart in Excel to visualize the table below. The aforementioned chart is one of the visualization designs with a secondary y-axis Excel.

Year	Purchase	Sales
2016	100000	150000
2017	60000	100000
2018	140000	200000
2019	120000	180000
2020	170000	200000
2021	130000	180000

To get started with ChartExpo, follow the easy steps below:

• Open the worksheet and click the Insert button to access the My Apps option.

• Click the My Apps button and click the See All button to view ChartExpo, among other add-ins.

• Select ChartExpo add-in and click the Insert button.
• Once the add-in has been installed successfully, you will see a list of the charts available.

• Once the interface below loads, click the Search box and type “Dual Axis Line Chart.”

• Select the sheet holding your data and click the Create Chart from Selection button, as shown below.

• Check out the final chart below.

Example #2: Multi-Axis Line Chart

This section will use the Multi-Axis Line Chart to show the practical application of adding a Secondary Y-axis in an Excel Chart.

Date	Clicks	Impressions	Conversions
05-01-2021	411	4141	7
05-02-2021	601	6380	2
05-03-2021	1046	11541	7
05-04-2021	1256	12312	8
05-05-2021	1504	16406	6
05-06-2021	187	17765	4
05-07-2021	2224	24532	10
05-08-2021	2345	29016	10
05-09-2021	2297	20122	18
05-10-2021	1483	20125	64
05-11-2021	1565	23783	59
05-12-2021	1587	22942	57
05-13-2021	1599	23127	70
05-14-2021	1620	24548	78
05-15-2021	1788	23448	80
05-16-2021	1768	23408	91
05-17-2021	1987	25473	89
05-18-2021	1939	24959	81
05-19-2021	1987	23710	86
05-20-2021	1964	24221	98
05-21-2021	1740	23317	89
05-22-2021	1748	24431	85
05-23-2021	1876	23785	79
05-24-2021	1826	22247	83
05-25-2021	1920	23851	83
05-26-2021	1886	24875	90
05-27-2021	1769	24015	94
05-28-2021	1869	25689	104
05-29-2021	1823	24416	99
05-30-2021	1899	25874	114
05-31-2021	1924	26146	98

Follow the same steps we highlighted in Example #1.

• Click the My Apps button and click the See All button to view ChartExpo, among other add-ins.
• Select ChartExpo add-in and click the Insert button.
• Once the interface loads, click the Search box and type “Multi-Axis Line Chart.”

• Select the sheet holding your data and click the Create Chart from Selection button, as shown below.

• Check out the final chart below.

Insights

• Between May 3^rd and May 24^th, the clicks and impressions outperformed conversion.
• Between May 24th and May 31st, conversions were directly proportional to impressions.

How to Remove a Secondary Y-Axis in Excel?

To remove the secondary y-axis from a chart is incredibly easy. Just do away with the third key metric in your data.

How to Read a Chart with Secondary Y-Axis in Excel?

To read and interpret a chart with a secondary y-axis Excel design, follow the easy steps below:

• Consider the ordering of categories in data

Consider the order to use when plotting bars in this chart.

We recommend you sort the bars from the longest to the shortest. Ordering can help your target audience (or readers) to interpret the chart.

• Use color wisely

Consider a color scheme to create contrast when you add secondary y-axis Excel.

• Label bars directly

We recommend you label your chart with relevant titles and legends. Labeling can help your audiences interpret charts in your data stories faster.

However, avoid cluttering your chart with excessive labels, which can obscure critical insights.

• Size and spacing of bars

The spaces between each bar should not be bigger than the width of each bar. And this is because your chart may overextend beyond the margins of your dashboard.

On the other hand, if bars are closely knitted together, they can obscure key insights or render your chart visually unimpressive.

Things to Keep in Mind while Creating a Chart with Secondary Y-Axis in Excel

• Avoid Overwhelm your Charts

A chart can only hold so much information before it becomes overwhelmed or appear cluttered. Stick to making one point with your chart.

• Follow Charting Best Practices

Just because you have two y-axes doesn’t mean data visualization best practices don’t apply.

For example, a line chart is hardly the best way to represent categorical data. They’re best reserved for trends over time.

FAQs:

How can you add a secondary y-axis in Excel?

Excel spreadsheet’s library lacks charts with secondary axes. Essentially, you have to manually add a secondary axis in Excel, which is time-intensive.

But you can supercharge your Excel with third-party add-ins, such as ChartExpo, to access ready-made and visually stunning charts with a secondary y-axis.

When should you use a chart with a secondary y-axis?

One of the advantages of this visualization design is its ability to display insights into the relationship between 2 varying metrics. The metrics you’re tracking in your data do not need similar scales or measures when using these charts.

Visualization designs with a secondary y-axis can save you space by performing the work of two charts.

Wrap Up

Displaying insights into the relationship between two different data series is not easy.

More so, it’s easy to use wrong visualization designs, which can mislead your audiences (or readers). In fact, visualization designs that can reveal hidden insights into the relationship between two different variables are limited.

Visualization designs with a secondary y-axis are among those limited charts (mentioned above).

There’re 6 types of charts with a secondary y-axis Excel, namely:

• Double Axis Line and Bar Chart
• Area Line Chart
• Dual Axis Grouped Bar Chart
• Dual Axis Grouped Column Chart
• Multi-Axis Line Chart
• Dual Axis Line Chart

Excel is a popular data visualization tool among professionals and owners. However, the application does not natively support the 6 charts (mentioned above). Essentially, you have to manually add a secondary y-axis Excel, which is time-intensive.

So, what’s the solution?

We recommend you install third-party apps, such as ChartExpo, into your Excel to access ready-made charts with secondary y-axes.

You don’t have to add secondary y-axis Excel manually.

ChartExpo is an add-in you can easily download and install in your Excel app. Besides, this tool comes loaded with insightful and easy to interpret charts with a secondary axis.

Here’s the bottom line: You don’t need programming or coding skills to visualize your data using ChartExpo.

Sign up for a 7-day free trial today to access easy-to-interpret and visually appealing charts.