Force a column, bar, or line chart in Excel to start at zero

Excel changes the starting value for the measurement axis of column, bar, and line charts based on the values being graphed. This can cause a chart to be misleading just because the data got updated. In this video I show you how to add a second invisible data series that forces Excel to always start the measurement axis at zero so that the chart accurately illustrates the data.

By Dave Paradi

Dave Paradi has over twenty-two years of experience delivering customized training workshops to help business professionals improve their presentations. He has written ten books and over 600 articles on the topic of effective presentations and his ideas have appeared in publications around the world. His focus is on helping corporate professionals visually communicate the messages in their data so they don't overwhelm and confuse executives. Dave is one of fewer than ten people in North America recognized by Microsoft with the Most Valuable Professional Award for his contributions to the Excel, PowerPoint, and Teams communities. His articles and videos on virtual presenting have been viewed over 4.8 million times and liked over 17,000 times on YouTube.