Written by Allen Wyatt (last updated January 30, 2021)
This tip applies to Excel 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, and 2021
When you create a chart in Excel, the program may automatically create a chart legend, depending on the type of chart you created. You are not limited to the automatic decision, however. You have complete control over whether a legend is displayed on your chart. Follow these steps if you are using Excel in Office 365:
Figure 1. Removing the legend from a chart.
If you are using an older version of Excel, follow these steps:
An even easier way to delete the legend is to simply select the legend (step 1 in the above steps) and then press the Delete key. Excel is smart enough to know that you only want to get rid of the selected item—the legend.
ExcelTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Excel training. This tip (797) applies to Microsoft Excel 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, and 2021. You can find a version of this tip for the older menu interface of Excel here: Turning the Legend On and Off.
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2021-01-31 23:01:00
Alex Blakenburg
If you have a standard process of turning on/off a number of chart elements when you create a chart (of which the legend is only one) its faster to select the chart area and click on the PLUS icon that appears to the right of the chart.
You can then quickly for example, turn off legends, turn off grid lines, turn off axis titles etc.
Got a version of Excel that uses the ribbon interface (Excel 2007 or later)? This site is for you! If you use an earlier version of Excel, visit our ExcelTips site focusing on the menu interface.
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