Displaying a Chart Legend

Written by Allen Wyatt (last updated May 2, 2026)

Microsoft Graph is a simple graphing program provided with Word. It includes the ability to view your graph data in both spreadsheet and graph formats. If the data you are presenting in Microsoft Graph is complex, particularly if you have many data series (rows of data to chart), you may want to add a legend. Legends provide a "road map" for your chart so a reader can decipher what is included.

You can display a legend with your chart by following these steps:

Select Chart Options from the Chart menu. Microsoft Graph displays the Chart Options dialog box.
Make sure the Legend tab is selected. (See Figure 1.)

Figure 1. The Legend tab of the Chart Options dialog box

Make sure the Show Legend check box is selected.
Using the radio buttons in the Placement portion of the dialog box, indicate where the legend should appear in relation to the chart itself.
Click your mouse on OK.

If you later want to turn off display of the legend, you can repeat the above steps, but clear the Show Legend check box, instead (step 3).

Once the legend is displayed in your chart, you can use your mouse to position it. Simply point to the legend with the mouse, hold down the mouse button, and drag the legend to where you finally want it. When you release the mouse button, Microsoft Graph places the legend in the spot where you dragged it.

WordTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Word training. (Microsoft Word is the most popular word processing software in the world.) This tip (721) applies to Microsoft Word 97, 2000, 2002, and 2003.

Author Bio

Allen Wyatt

With more than 50 non-fiction books and numerous magazine articles to his credit, Allen Wyatt is an internationally recognized author. He is president of Sharon Parq Associates, a computer and publishing services company. Learn more about Allen...

MORE FROM ALLEN

Automatic AutoCorrect Exceptions for Beginning Sentences

When automatically capitalizing the beginning of sentences, Word relies on how you historically have done your typing. ...

Discover More

Moving Drawing Objects

When you need to move a drawing object around your document, you use the mouse after you select the object. This tip ...

Discover More

AutoFormat within Form Fields

When entering information into protected form fields, Word doesn't apply the formatting inherent in the AutoFormat As You ...

Discover More

Learning Made Easy! Quickly teach yourself how to format, publish, and share your content using Word 2021 or Microsoft 365. With Step by Step, you set the pace, building and practicing the skills you need, just when you need them! Check out Microsoft Word Step by Step today!

More WordTips (menu)

Deleting Datasheet Rows or Columns

How to remove information from your datasheet.

Discover More

Specifying an Axis Scale in Microsoft Graph

Microsoft Graph is a handy way to add charts to your document if you don't have access to Excel. Here's how to adjust the ...

Discover More

Starting Microsoft Graph

Microsoft Graph is a simplistic graphic tool that you can use to quickly add graphs to your document. Here's how to start ...

Discover More

FREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in WordTips, a free productivity newsletter. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."

View most recent newsletter.

Comments

If you would like to add an image to your comment (not an avatar, but an image to help in making the point of your comment), include the characters [{fig}] (all 7 characters, in the sequence shown) in your comment text. You’ll be prompted to upload your image when you submit the comment. Maximum image size is 6Mpixels. Images larger than 600px wide or 1000px tall will be reduced. Up to three images may be included in a comment. All images are subject to review. Commenting privileges may be curtailed if inappropriate images are posted.

Notify me about new comments ONLY FOR THIS TIP

Notify me about new comments ANYWHERE ON THIS SITE

Hide my email address

What is eight more than 6?

There are currently no comments for this tip. (Be the first to leave your comment—just use the simple form above!)

This Site

Got a version of Word that uses the menu interface (Word 97, Word 2000, Word 2002, or Word 2003)? This site is for you! If you use a later version of Word, visit our WordTips site focusing on the ribbon interface.