Add or delete a chart

You can display your data using 2D, 3D, and interactive charts.

In Numbers, your chart data comes from cells in a table; you can’t type data directly into a blank chart. There are two ways to create a chart. You can add a blank chart and then select the table cells with the data you want to use. Or, you can select table cells first, then create a chart that displays the data. Either way, when you change the data in the table, the chart updates automatically.

You can also import a spreadsheet from Microsoft Excel. In Numbers, the charts might not look exactly like they did in Excel, but the data they display is the same.

Create a new chart then add data

  1. Click Chart in the toolbar, then select a type of chart; click the tabs at the top of the pop-up menu to see 2D, 3D, or interactive chart options.

    If you add a 3D chart, you see a rotation control at its center. Drag this control at any time to adjust the chart’s orientation.

  2. Click Add Chart Data.

    A table appears with placeholder data.

  3. Click the table cells with the data you want to use. Drag to select a range of cells; to add data from an entire row or column, click the bar for that row or column.

    You can select cells from one or more tables, including tables on different sheets. While editing a chart’s data references, Chart icon appears on the tab for any sheet that contains data used in the chart.

  4. To change whether rows or columns are plotted as data series, choose an option from the pop-up menu in the bar at the bottom of the window.

    Bar showing options to plot rows or columns as series

  5. Click Done at the bottom of the window.

You can adjust the data range reflected in the chart at any time. To learn how, see Modify chart data references.

Use existing data to create a chart

  1. Select the table cells with the data you want to appear in the chart. Drag to select a range of cells; to add data from an entire row or column, click the bar for that row or column.

    You can select cells from one or more tables, including tables on different sheets. While editing a chart’s data references, Chart icon appears on the tab for any sheet that contains data used in the chart.

  2. Click Chart in the toolbar, then select a type of chart; click the tabs at the top of the pop-up menu to see 2D, 3D, or interactive chart options.

    If you add a 3D chart, you see a rotation control at its center. Drag this control at any time to adjust the chart’s orientation.

  3. To change whether rows or columns are plotted as data series, click Edit Data References, then choose an option from the pop-up menu in the bar at the bottom of the window.

    Bar showing options to plot rows or columns as series

  4. Click Done at the bottom of the window.

You can adjust the data range reflected in the chart at any time. To learn how, see Modify chart data references.

Delete a chart

Deleting the table data you used to create the chart doesn’t delete the chart; it simply clears the chart of all data.