Line Graph Maker

Paste ordered categories and numerical series to create a line or area chart. Edit the table, choose your style, and download a PNG or SVG.

Free online tool

Create your line or area chart

Data stays in your browser

My Charts

Saved on this device · No account required

1. Enter data

Upload CSV or text data

Or drop one file here. Up to 2 MB; nothing is uploaded to a server.

Paste CSV or spreadsheet data

The first column supplies X-axis labels. Each numeric column after it becomes a separate series. Category mode follows row order; Date mode sorts real calendar dates and spaces them by elapsed time.

Data series

Series 1 name

Series 2 name

Editable chart data
#	Category	2025	2026
1	Category, row 1	2025, row 1	2026, row 1
2	Category, row 2	2025, row 2	2026, row 2
3	Category, row 3	2025, row 3	2026, row 3
4	Category, row 4	2025, row 4	2026, row 4

2. Customize

X-axis spacing

Date mode accepts YYYY-MM-DD, YYYY-MM or YYYY. Months start on day 1; years start on January 1. The chart and data table sort chronologically, while the editor keeps your rows. Dates use UTC, without time-of-day or timezone shifts.

Subtitle, source and footnote

Subtitle (optional)

Source (optional)

Footnote (optional)

Plain text included in the preview and image exports. Long text wraps and reduces the plot's available space; keep notes brief and use a larger image for detailed captions. No text is sent to analytics.

Chart style

Colour palette

Keep labels or legends visible; colours alone may not distinguish every series. Colours repeat for larger datasets.

Colour 1Colour 2

Graph title

X-axis label

Y-axis label

LegendPoints

Values: number formatting

Display format

Changes display only, including image exports. Exact values stay in the editor. Rounding can make different values look equal; increase decimal places when needed.

Line labels

Series names

Value labels

End labels follow the last entered value in each series. Crowded value labels are omitted; the inspector and data table keep every value. Long names may be shortened in the image.

Individual lines

Styles apply to line and area outlines. Enable Points above to display markers.

2025

Line thickness

Line pattern

Marker radius

Marker shape

Marker fill

2026

Line thickness

Line pattern

Marker radius

Marker shape

Marker fill

Plot layout

Plot proportions

Legend position

Legend layout

Enable Legend above to show it. A right legend is always stacked. The image grows when needed to fit labels and notes. Preview, PNG and SVG share this layout.

Line connection

Straight is the default. Stepped holds the previous value until the next entered observation. Smooth stays between neighboring values. Connections are visual guides, not a statistical fit. Missing values always leave gaps. Points, labels, the table and hover details show entered observations only.

Fill between two linesFill between series

Choose two different series in the same units. The translucent fill follows their current line connections, including crossings; it does not add or stack values. A missing value in either series breaks the fill. PNG and SVG include it.

X-axis category ticks (Auto)

X-axis exact ticks (row numbers)

Choose up to 21 increasing whole row numbers from 1 to 4. The chart shows those rows’ category labels. Blank keeps Auto. This does not reorder, remove or crop categories. Date mode retains its own separate ticks.

Y-axis scale

Logarithmic uses base 10: equal distances represent equal ratios (for example 1, 10, 100). Every value and enabled reference must be positive. Data and hover details stay in their original units.

Y-axis: limits and ticks (Auto)

Leave fields blank for Auto. Enter original data units, not formatted percentages or currency. A custom tick interval starts at the displayed minimum; the maximum need not be a tick.

Minimum

Maximum

Tick interval

Exact ticks

Optional: up to 21 comma-separated values, in increasing order and inside the axis limits. Exact ticks override the interval; clear this field to use Auto or the saved interval. Data and axis bounds stay unchanged.

X-axis grid

Y-axis grid

X controls vertical grid lines; Y controls horizontal ones. Axis titles, baselines and the area zero baseline stay visible. Limits, ticks, date formatting and grids apply to both Line and Area and to PNG/SVG downloads.

Y-axis limits change the view, not your data. X-axis categories remain evenly spaced in input order.

Reference line

Add a horizontal target or benchmark on the value axis. Enter a raw value in the same units as your data, not a formatted axis label. Automatic limits expand if needed; explicit axis limits are kept. Switching between raw values and 100% stacking turns the line off; check its value before enabling it again.

Annotations and highlighted range

Add one point callout and one shaded X-axis range. Notes appear in PNG/SVG exports and the text summary. Selections stay attached to their rows; after replacing data, select the new rows or turn notes off.

Text annotation

Highlighted range

Chart type

Opens the selected tool with your current chart data and shared settings. Unapplied pasted text is not transferred.

Preview

4 categories · 2 series · 8 values

Inspect an observation

Hover to inspect the nearest entered category; click or tap to pin. This selector also works with your keyboard, hidden markers and cropped values. Missing values stay missing. Escape closes details. Downloads exclude this card.

Transparent background

Applies to PNG and SVG downloads. Dark labels work best on light backgrounds. The preview checkerboard is not exported.

Image size

Applies to PNG and SVG downloads. The preview matches the image proportions; wider images retain side padding to avoid distortion. SVG stays sharp when resized; some editors may substitute fonts.

Accessible graph data

All categories in input order and series values for the line graph, including values outside custom limits; — means missing
Category	2025	2026
January	120	150
February	145	170
March	160	180
April	155	210

Quick guide

How to make a line graph

Enter ordered data. Paste a table with categories in the first column and values in the columns that follow.
Check each series. Rename lines, edit cells, and keep the rows in the sequence you want displayed.
Choose the style. Select Line or Area, add a title and axis labels, and choose whether to show the legend, grid, and points.
Export it. Review the visual and accessible table, then download a PNG or SVG.

What is a line graph?

A line graph displays numerical observations across an ordered sequence. Points are positioned over categories such as months, years, stages, or measurement times and connected with straight segments. The direction and steepness of those segments make changes, trends, reversals, and periods of relative stability easier to see.

When are line graphs useful?

Line graphs work best when order matters and adjacent observations form a meaningful progression. Common uses include tracking revenue by month, temperatures by day, enrollment by year, or a measurement through repeated trials. A line should not imply continuity between unrelated categories.

Example format

Multiple-line data

Month,2025,2026
January,120,150
February,145,170
March,160,180
April,155,210

The first column determines the left-to-right order. Each additional column becomes a separate line.

Choose an area chart layout

An area chart shades the space between each line and zero, making the size of values across an ordered sequence more prominent. It can be useful for showing a changing volume or count. The zero baseline stays visible with automatic axes, even when grid lines are hidden. Negative values are supported in Overlapping mode. If custom Y-axis limits crop out zero, the preview and exported image show a cropped-view warning.

Choose Overlapping to compare series filled to zero, Stacked to show non-negative contributions and their total, or 100% stacked to compare percentage shares as the total changes. Stacked series should use compatible units and represent parts of the same whole. The original values, total and shares are available in the table and point details.

Use a calendar date axis

Under Customize, choose Date in X-axis spacing. For observations on January 1, January 2 and January 11, the first gap represents one day and the second represents nine days. Category spacing would show equal gaps. Date mode sorts the graph and accessible table chronologically without rearranging your editable rows.

Use YYYY-MM-DD for a day, YYYY-MM for the first day of a month, or YYYY for January 1. Dates are interpreted in UTC without time-of-day changes. Ambiguous dates such as 01/02/2026 and duplicate dates require correction. Use separate series columns for multiple observations on the same date. An entered blank value leaves a gap; a date with no row does not insert a gap automatically.

Choose connections and comparisons

Straight connections are the default. Stepped holds each value until the next entered observation, which can suit a rate that changes on known dates. Line and Overlapping Area use shape-preserving smooth connections. Smoothed stacked bands stay non-negative and preserve totals between observations; percentage bands still add to 100%. It changes how points connect, not the data, and is not a regression or a forecast. Missing values always leave gaps.

For positive data spanning very different magnitudes, a logarithmic Y-axis makes equal ratios equally spaced: 1 to 10 occupies the same distance as 10 to 100. It cannot represent zero or negative values. Line charts support this option; Area keeps a linear scale because its baseline is zero. Both the table and hover details retain original values.

In Line mode, Fill between two lines shades the space between two series in the same units. Its boundaries follow the selected connection style and break at missing values. The fill does not calculate a total, stack the series or represent a confidence interval. These choices save with projects and appear in PNG and SVG downloads.

Explain a point or a period

Open Annotations and highlighted range to attach a short note to a row and series, or shade the space between two rows. For example, mark a change in opening hours and highlight a trial period. Notes explain your data without adding observations or changing calculations.

The callout stays attached to the chosen row and series as you edit labels. If you replace the dataset, choose new rows or turn the notes off. A point cropped out by custom Y-axis limits keeps its text summary and shows a warning instead of placing its callout at a misleading location.

Label and style each series

Use Line labels to place names beside the last observation in each series, and optionally label the first, last or all values. Crowded value labels are omitted to keep the chart readable. Long series names may be shortened in the image; the inspector and data table retain the full names and values. Stacked markers and annotations sit on a band’s upper boundary, while value labels show the contribution (or its percentage share in 100% mode).

Open Individual lines to set thickness, a dash pattern and marker shape, size or fill. Under Plot layout, choose wider or taller proportions and move the legend to the top, bottom or right. These choices apply to both Line and Area, save with projects and appear in PNG and SVG downloads.

Choose axis limits, exact ticks and grids

Open Y-axis: limits and ticks under Customize to enter a minimum, maximum or interval. Exact ticks accept specific values such as 0, 25, 75, 100 and override the interval while present. Use original data units, not formatted currency or percentages. Blank fields keep Auto; Reset restores it.

In Date mode, X-axis dates also offers limits, exact ISO ticks and optional whole-day intervals. Choose a date-axis display format without changing the original dates. Category mode instead lets you select tick labels by row number, for example 1, 3, 5. X and Y have separate grid settings for lines, short tick marks, labels only or neither.

Limits crop connecting segments and fills without deleting observations or joining missing-value gaps. All rows remain in the data table, observation selector and saved project. Raw stacked axes use complete-row totals; 100% stacked keeps a fixed 0–100% axis with its own exact ticks. Raw axis drafts and the Line log choice return in other modes. Reference lines are disabled when switching between raw values and percentages so their units cannot silently change. An annotation or reference outside its view is hidden with an explanation. Settings apply to both Line and Area and to PNG and SVG images.

How to read trends in a line graph

Read from left to right and compare each point with the one before it. An upward segment indicates an increase, a downward segment indicates a decrease, and a nearly level segment indicates little change. A steep line reflects a larger change between adjacent categories, but its appearance also depends on the Y-axis scale.

Look beyond the first and last values. Turning points, repeated peaks, widening gaps between series, and unusually sharp changes may carry more useful information than the overall direction alone.

Line graph vs bar or column chart

A line graph emphasizes movement across an ordered sequence. A bar or column chart emphasizes the size of separate categories. Months in chronological order often suit a line graph, while products that can be freely reordered usually suit bars or columns. Avoid connecting categories when the segment between them has no meaningful interpretation.

Using multiple lines

Compare periods

Place this year and last year on the same ordered timeline to compare direction and seasonality.

Compare groups

Track teams, regions, or products using a shared scale and the same category sequence.

Keep it readable

Use a limited number of lines and clear series names so colors and line patterns remain easy to follow.

All series should use compatible units. If one measure is much larger or uses a different unit, a shared Y-axis can flatten the smaller series and create a misleading comparison.

Try real data

Start with a sourced line graph

Explore a published dataset before making your own chart. Each page includes the source, a downloadable CSV, and a way to open its values in Line Graph Maker.

U.S. inflation historyCompare annual CPI-U inflation rates from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.View inflation chart U.S. gas price historyTrace annual national regular gasoline prices from the Energy Information Administration.View gas price chart U.S. house price indexPlot fourth-quarter national index values from the Federal Housing Finance Agency.View house price chart

Line graph maker FAQ

Can I make an area chart?

Yes. Choose Area under Chart style, then select Overlapping, Stacked or 100% stacked in Area layout. Overlapping fills each series to zero and supports negative values. Stacked uses non-negative contributions to show a total; 100% stacked shows their percentage shares on a fixed 0–100% axis.

How do stacked areas handle missing values and zero totals?

A missing value in any series makes that row an unknown total and leaves a gap in the whole stack. Enter an explicit zero when you know a contribution is zero. In 100% mode, a zero-total row has undefined shares and also leaves a gap. Both layouts reject negative values; Overlapping can show them. Original values stay in the table, including rows that cannot form a stack.

Can I create a graph with multiple lines?

Yes. Put each series in its own spreadsheet or CSV column. You can adjust each line’s thickness, pattern, marker shape and marker fill, and label series beside their last observations. Every value remains available in the accessible table.

Can the X-axis use real dates?

Yes. Select Date under X-axis spacing. Enter dates as YYYY-MM-DD, YYYY-MM or YYYY. The graph and accessible table sort chronologically and space observations by elapsed calendar time. You can set date limits, exact ticks and a display format without removing any rows. Months begin on day 1 and years on January 1. Category mode keeps equally spaced rows in their original order.

Can I choose exact ticks and separate grids?

Yes. Enter increasing comma-separated Y values, Date X ticks as ISO dates, or Category X ticks as row numbers. Exact ticks override the saved interval until cleared. X and Y independently support grid lines, short tick marks, labels only or neither. These choices save with projects and apply to Line, Area, PNG and SVG.

Can I annotate a point or highlight a period?

Yes. Open Annotations and highlighted range to add one text callout to a row and series, and one shaded range between two rows. Both work with Line and Area, appear in PNG/SVG exports and are saved with the project. Their text is also available below the chart.

Can I hide the point markers?

Yes. The Points control hides markers while keeping the selected line connection. Straight is the default; Stepped holds the previous value until the next observation, and Smooth uses shape-preserving connections. Smoothing is not a statistical fit and does not add observations.

Can I use a logarithmic scale or fill between lines?

Line charts can use a base-10 logarithmic Y-axis when every entered value and enabled reference is positive. Exact ticks stay in original units. An optional translucent fill can follow two selected series; a missing value on either boundary breaks the fill. Area charts keep a linear scale and offer overlapping, stacked and percentage layouts.

Can I inspect individual values?

Hover over the plot to see the nearest entered category or date, or click or tap to pin its details. The observation selector also works with a keyboard and includes missing or cropped values. These temporary details are excluded from PNG and SVG downloads.

Is my line graph data uploaded?

No. Parsing, rendering, and PNG/SVG export happen locally in your browser.

Learn with examples

Lessons and printable worksheets

Practise with original sample data, worked answers, and free classroom worksheets.