On a chart, click the data series for which you want to draw a trendline.

To add a trendline in Excel 2010, you follow a different route: Another quick way to add trendline to an Excel chart is to right-click the data series and then click Add Trendline….

Optionally, you can also display the trendline equation in the chart. The default Linear trendline will be pre-selected automatically. This will open the Format Trendline pane, where you switch to the Trendline Options tab to see all the trend line types available in Excel and choose the one you want. Click the arrow next to Trendline, and then click More Options.Click the arrow next to the Trendline box and choose one of the suggested types:.Check the Trendline box to insert the default linear trendline:.On the right side of the chart, click the Chart Elements button (the cross button), and then do one of the following:.Click anywhere in the chart to select it.In Excel 2019, Excel 2016 and Excel 2013, adding a trend line is a quick 3-step process: You cannot add a trendline to 3-D or stacked charts, pie, radar and similar visuals.īelow, there is an example of a scatter plot with an extended trendline:

Excel graphs that support trendlinesĪ trendline can be added to a variety of Excel charts, including XY scatter, bubble, stock, as well as unstacked 2-D bar, column, area and line graphs. In some cases, it can also be used to forecast trends. A best-fit line shows the general trend in all the data, ignoring statistical errors and minor exceptions. Visually, a trendline looks somewhat similar to a line chart, but it doesn't connect the actual data points as a line chart does. This analytical tool is most often used to show data movements over a period of time or correlation between two variables. A trendline, also referred to as a line of best fit, is a straight or curved line in a chart that shows the general pattern or overall direction of the data.

Linear trendline equation excel