A very commonly requested Excel feature is the ability to add labels to XY chart data points. The XY Chart Labeler adds this feature to Excel. The XY Chart Labeler provides the following options:
- Add XY Chart Labels - Adds labels to the points on your XY Chart data series based on any range of cells in the workbook.
- Move XY Chart Labels - Moves the entire set of data labels or individual labels in any direction and in the increment of your choosing.
- Manual Labeler - When you don't want to label an entire data series, but rather use data labels to highlight specific data points, the manual labeler allows you to do this.
- Delete Chart Labels - Allows you to quickly delete data labels from a single chart series or all series on a chart.
Even though this utility is called the XY Chart Labeler, it is capable of labeling any type of Excel chart series that will accept data labels.
Apply to
Excel 2003 and later.
Supported language
English.
How to use
XY Chart Labeler Instructions
The first thing you need to do is close Excel and run the XYChartLabeler.exe setup file. This will install the chart labeler onto your computer. If you've already done this, make sure you restart Excel so the changes will take effect.
Once you've installed the chart labeler you will see an XY Chart Labels ribbon tab in Excel 2007 and later versions or a new sub-menu called XY Chart Labels below the Excel Tools menu in Excel 2003 and earlier versions. If you don't see the XY Chart Labels ribbon tab or menu, see the Troubleshooting section.
On the XY Chart Labels ribbon or menu are individual buttons for the four features the utility provides. A worksheet containing charts (or a chart sheet) must be active before you select any of the chart labeler buttons. Otherwise the add-in will just tell you it can't find any charts to work with.
Here are brief descriptions of the features provided by the XY Chart Labeler:
- Add Chart Labels - This is the feature you'll use most of the time. It will bring up a dialog that allows you to select the data series you want to label, specify the range that you want to use as labels, and set the position where the labels will be placed in relation to the data points. Note that the number of cells you select as your label range must be exactly the same as the number of data points in the selected data series.
- Move Chart Labels - Data labels don't always end up exactly where you want them. This feature allows you to automatically move all the labels, or any individual label, by any specified increment in any direction using four arrow buttons.
- Manual Labeler - This feature is primarily designed for people who have charts with a very large number of data points and only want to label a few specific points. It works almost exactly the same way as the Add Chart Labels menu does, but it allows you to apply labels to individual data points rather than the entire series.
- Delete Chart Labels - This feature allows you to quickly and easily delete chart labels from a single chart series or from every series in a specified chart all at once.
Troubleshooting the XY Chart Labeler Installation
Excel 2003 and Earlier Versions
The first thing to check is that your macro security setting is not set to High. If it is, all add-ins will be silently disabled. Choose Tools > Macro > Security from the Excel menu and make sure the Medium option button is selected on the Security Level tab. If the High option button is currently selected, changing it to Medium and restarting Excel should solve your problem.
Excel will ask you to enable macros when the chart labeler opens. You can prevent this message from appearing every time you open Excel by selecting Tools > Macro > Security from the Excel menu, clicking the Trusted Sources tab and putting a check in the Trust all installed add-ins and templates checkbox.
If your macro security setting isn't the problem then the chart labeler setup program probably just couldn't determine which version of Excel you have installed and therefore couldn't write the registry entries required to load the add-in automatically. In this case it installs the files anyway and you can then point Excel to the add-in manually.
To do this, choose Tools > Add-ins from the menu and click the Browse button in the Add-Ins dialog. Next, point the Browse dialog at the XY Chart Labeler add-in file. Assuming you installed to the default location, you'll find it in:
C:\Program Files\AppsPro\ChartLabeler\XYChartLabeler.xla
Select this file, click OK in the Browse dialog, and the chart labeler add-in should run.
Excel 2007 and Later Versions
The chart labeler will work just fine in Excel 2007 and higher. If you are running it on Windows Vista or higher (and possibly on Windows XP as well), you will need administrative privileges to run the setup program. Once the add-in has been installed it does not require administrative privileges to use it.
Loading the Chart Labeler Add-in Manually
If you don’t see the XY Chart Labels ribbon tab it‘s possible the installer was unable to write the registry entries required to load the add-in automatically. In this case it installs the required files anyway and you can then point Excel to the add-in manually.
- In Excel 2007 click the large round Office button in the upper left corner of the Excel window. In Excel 2010 and later click the File tab
- In Excel 2007 click the Excel Options button at the very bottom of the menu. In Excel 2010 this button is simply called Options.
- In the Excel Options dialog, click Add-Ins in the list on the left-hand side.
- On the bottom right side click the Go… button to display the Excel Add-Ins dialog.
- Click the Browse button in the Add-Ins dialog and point the Browse dialog at the XY Chart Labeler add-in file. Assuming you installed to the default location, you'll find it in one of the following two locations depending on your version of Windows:
C:\Program Files\AppsPro\ChartLabeler\XYChartLabeler.xlam
C:\Program Files (x86)\AppsPro\ChartLabeler\XYChartLabeler.xlam - Select this file, click OK in the Browse dialog, and the chart labeler add-in should install.
Set Macro Security
You will also need to make sure you have Excel macro security set to allow the chart labeler to run. This is a deeply buried setting in Excel 2007 and higher. To change it, follow these directions:
- In Excel 2007 click the large round Office button in the upper left corner of the Excel window. In Excel 2010 and higher click the File tab.
- In Excel 2007 click the Excel Options button at the very bottom of the menu. In Excel 2010 this button is simply called Options.
- In the Excel Options dialog, click Trust Center in the list on the left-hand side.
- On the right-hand side of the Excel Options dialog, click the Trust Center Settings button.
- In the Trust Center dialog, click Macro Settings in the list on the left-hand side.
- On the right-hand side click the option labeled Disable all macros with notification.
- Click OK twice to save the setting and exit the dialogs and then restart Excel.
Now, when the chart labeler loads you will get a message asking if you want to enable macros. Choose to enable them.
Download
- Windows - Download the XY Chart Labeler for Windows (Version 7.1.07)
- Mac Excel 2011 - Download the XY Chart Labeler for Mac Office 2011
- Mac Excel 2016 - Download the XY Chart Labeler for Mac Office 2016